Urdu Mass a draw for Pakistani-Catholic families in area

Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany offers something different for its parishioners on Sundays: A Mass in Urdu, the official language of Pakistan.
The Mass, which gives Pakistani-Catholics a chance to worship in a more familiar language, is celebrated in Urdu and sung in Urdu and Punjabi (the mother tongue of this Pakistani community.)

“We have more than 100 people here, but we (didn’t) have (church) in our native language,” said parishioner Shamas Tabraiz. “In our mother tongue, it is easy to learn and easy to teach to each other.

Father Joseph O’Brien, pastor, said that their church began offering an Urdu Mass almost a year ago. Tabraiz and other members of the parish approached him with the idea of starting a Mass for the Pakistani community in the area. Father O’Brien was all for it. 

“Members of the Pakistani community said can we do something for them,” said Father O’Brien. “There was no opportunity for Mass in their native language.”

Father Augustin Tufail, a native of Pakistan and fluent in Urdu, officiates the Mass each week. For years, Tabraiz had been in communication with Father Tufail about coming to the Albany Diocese, but Father Tufail was working as a chaplain for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and priest in Massachusetts. “I couldn’t not take on the responsibility,” he said. 

Last year, Father Tufail said that if the Albany Diocese approved the Mass he could help out the parish. “I said you get organized. Put a request to the Diocese if it’s feasible and talk to Father O’Brien. And then the Diocese asked me (to lead the Mass) and I said I would be willing to take this.”

Father Tufail said the Mass sees around 30-35 attendees each week, but altogether there are over 100 Pakistani-Catholic families in the diocesan area. 

“Still they are scattered,” he said. “Eventually our goal is to bring them (to Mass), and once they get the news, then they start coming.”

The Blessed Sacrament parish and school is home to a number of Pakistani families. Many Pakistani-Catholics were interested in establishing a Mass that would allow more members of the community, not just parishioners of Blessed Sacrament, an opportunity to worship together. 

Father O’Brien added that a number of the Mass’ attendees started coming because of their connection with the Blessed Sacrament school. “They didn’t really belong to the parish. (People) came because of our school. We have a large diversity at our school.”

Tabraiz said members of the Pakistani community have gone to worship at other churches that offer Masses in Urdu, even if it is not a Catholic service. Now that an Urdu Mass is being offered, Father Tufail is hoping that “they will come back to their home.”

“Church is a family,” said Tabraiz. “So we try to give the comfort as a family in church, so that’s why people love to come.”

Philip Hira, a chaplain at Samaritan Hospital in Troy and volunteer pastoral worker for Blessed Sacrament parish, has seen a few Catholic churches offer Urdu Mass, but to have one that is offered weekly is a ‘blessing.’ 

“The whole thing is like a blessing, a blessing from God that we can celebrate in our Mother tongue, Urdu,” he said. “This is great. God has blessed us.”