Parish Ministry in a Hispanic Community - Softcover

Dahm OP, Charles W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0809142724 ISBN 13: 9780809142729

Publisher: Paulist Press, 2004

Synopsis

Hispanics constitute "more than one third of Catholics in the United States," and account for "seventy one per cent of Catholic growth." By the year 2050, "eighty six per cent of American Catholics will be Hispanic," with Mexicans constituting the largest and fastest growing segment of the Hispanic population in the United States. In response, this comprehensive and important book, built around the model of one urban Hispanic parish, St. Pius V in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, details the ways that Hispanics, Mexicans, in particular, can be integrated into the Church and still retain their unique identity. The book embraces Mexicans' deep, vibrant religiosity, rooted in their love of native language, music, rich adornment, ritual, and tradition, and responds to their problems, machismo, loneliness, isolation, discrimination, marginalization, by highlighting a network of parish resources made available to them―from soup kitchens, shelters and secondhand clothing stores, to parenting, marriage and family counseling programs, to organizing Comunidades de Base, Christian Base Communities, fiestas, street fairs, communal celebrations that meld liturgy and culture. A fact-filled, well-considered look at the future face-multicultural and non-white―of the American Catholic Church, Parish Ministry in a Hispanic Community is a must-read for students and teachers of theology, and especially, clergy, laity, parishes and parishioners. In short, the Church itself. †

About this title

About the Author

Charles W. Dahm, OP, spent five years as a missionary in Bolivia, after which he earned his PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He was co-founder and, for twelve years, staff person at the Eighth Day Center for Justice, supported by religious communities in Chicago. He has been pastor of St. Pius V on Chicago's west side since 1986.

Edition details

• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0809142724
• ISBN 13: 9780809142729
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320