April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
EDITORIAL

Undocumented Catholics

Margery (name withheld), a senior citizen, is undocumented - and acts like it. She's not in this country illegally; she's an "undocumented Catholic."

When her parish closed, she fretted about joining another: Would she be expected to volunteer for parish ministries she wasn't able to perform? Would she be expected to attend Mass every Sunday, even in bad weather when she was afraid to travel? Would she be expected to donate more to a parish than she can now afford?

Most importantly to this senior, if she wasn't active enough, would she still be able to have her funeral Mass celebrated at her new parish?

Margery worried so much about not being a "good enough Catholic" during her later years that she didn't join a new parish at all. Instead, every weekend, she slips into the back of church at any of several parishes, attends Mass and slips out again.

She's not unlike the 300,000 or so undocumented aliens living in the U.S. They're also a part of society, but living on the margins. They, too, may be so fearful about their status, they don't even introduce themselves to their priest or minister.

Asking how well the Church is serving one group can spark the question of how well the other is being served.

After decades of volunteering in a number of ministries, Margery is embarrassed to admit she doesn't have the energy to do so anymore. She gave and gave, but now that she can only take from the Church, she's not sure that's acceptable.

Undocumented aliens are expected to become "contributing members" of a society that will abruptly deport them if their status is discovered. What about "undocumented Catholics"?

Are seniors whose parishes have closed being sought out and welcomed, or criticized for not being counted? As the Church restructures to ensure its future, are those who won't be around long enough to live that vision being cared for?

Margery goes to Mass every week she can. She's still worried about her funeral.[[In-content Ad]]

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