En Marcha: Spring 2006
CNS -- Here's a little-understood fact about immigration law: Until well into the 20th century, pretty much anyone who showed up at a port of entry or walked across a border got to stay in the United States.
In other words, one reason so many people today can say "my ancestors followed the law when they came here" is because until fairly recently there was no distinction made about whether someone arrived legally or not. With few exceptions, anyone who got here was admitted.
Doris Meissner, former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and now a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, said that during the mass migrations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries -- the years of those photos of boatloads of European immigrants being processed at Ellis Island -- only a small fraction of newcomers were rejected.
"The number who got sent back at Ellis Island was less than 2 percent," Meissner told Catholic News Service in an interview, "possibly less than 1 percent."
And those rejections were almost always because the people suffered from an illness that might make them financially dependent upon the community, she said. For instance, a then-common eye infection left victims blind and presumably unable to support themselves. People who had it were turned away.
There were some exceptions to the open-door policy, explains an immigration law history article provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau, as the agency Meissner headed in the 1990s is now called. An 1882 Chinese exclusion law that remained on the books until 1943 was originally aimed at limiting cheap labor.
Other laws of the era excluded polygamists, those with criminal records for "moral turpitude," people with contagious diseases or epilepsy, professional beggars, anarchists and those who were insane.
Outside such categories, everyone else was presumed to be admissible. It wasn't until 1924 that the U.S. government began requiring immigrants to obtain visas in their home countries in advance.
At that time quotas also were created for how many people could be admitted from each country, with the exceptions of Mexico and Canada. Within a few years, the Border Patrol was reformed and its focus changed to keeping out and deporting those who didn't have permission to enter the country.
The 1924 law followed the country's most dramatic influx of immigrants in history, with more than 14.5 million new arrivals in 20 years, with 60 percent from Italy, Russia and Austria-Hungary, the history article explained.
Meissner said in the 1920s the public was especially wary of immigrants from countries such as Germany, and other European nations against whom Americans had fought during World War I. During the Depression, immigration was largely self-limiting. In fact many people left the country during the 1930s.
But by the 1940s, with hundreds of thousands of U.S. men in the military overseas, worker shortages were becoming a problem. Beginning in 1942, the government began importing temporary workers. Most came from Mexico to work in agricultural jobs.
Gradually since then restrictions on immigration have increased, in response to concerns ranging from terrorism to lowering wages.
Currently, the wait for a visa to legally enter the United States is as long as a decade for some categories of people. National quotas, fingerprinting and background checks, income and sponsorship requirements, even the cost of applying for visas all act as filters in limiting who comes in legally. The number of visas available for unskilled workers each year is just a fraction of the number of jobs for which unskilled, immigrant labor is sought, leading many to sneak into the country to take those jobs.
An estimated 500,000 jobs a year go to unskilled workers, who are largely illegal immigrants. The U.S. government issues 5,000 visas a year for unskilled workers.
Meissner said that in some ways the sense that immigration is out of control is a cumulative effect of laws that are not only recent in U.S. history, but in the history of governance.
"There's far more regard to demarcations of boundaries" than ever in history, she said. And in an age when transportation among nations is readily available to more people than ever, there are more legal restrictions keeping them where they are.
With an estimated 12 million people in the United States illegally, Congress is being pressured on one side to increase immigration restrictions even more. On the other side are people who consider the number of illegal immigrants an indication of more fundamental problems.
Meissner said that as she travels around the country she often hears people say, "I can accept that these illegal immigrants are good, hard-working people, but they should follow the law and come in legally, like my great-grandparents did."
Aside from the point that those great-grandparents probably came in at a time when everyone was admitted, Meissner sees a basic misconception about that possibility.
"People do not understand that there is no legal avenue for them to go through," she said.?
Dear brothers and sisters,
The issue of immigration has been leading in the mass communications media in the past few months. Various legal initiatives have been discussed and a great deal of confusion is dividing communities and political parties. Meanwhile, millions of undocumented persons are living with uncertainty not knowing what will happen to them and their families. Among all this confusion, our faith in Jesus Christ helps us see clearly which path we need to take. It is for this reason that we, the bishops, have made a firm commitment on behalf of immigrants. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father…For I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35).
On May 10, 2005, the bishops of the United States launched the National Campaign for Immigration Reform. This campaign, called “Justice for Immigrants,” seeks to achieve more just and favorable laws on behalf of millions of undocumented immigrants and their families. The campaign, thanks to God and to the work of many of you, has created awareness about the suffering that many of our brothers and sisters experience when crossing the border. It has also served to point out that these brothers and sisters come here looking for jobs and not to cause problems.
We all agree that today’s immigration system is not responding to the human, economic or political needs of anyone and that it needs to be changed. In regards to a solution, the bishops ask that these changes be conducive to a humane and safe immigration system for everyone. In the legal arena, the Church supports an immigration law that allows for the legalization of the undocumented, one that favors family unification and guarantees the orderly influx of immigrants.
We urge all Catholics and people of good will to continue developing an awareness and to advocate for an immigration reform that respects our common humanity and mirrors the values of justice, compassion and opportunity on which this nation was built by immigrants, both past and present.
For more information, please check the Justice for Immigrants web page:
www.justiceforimmigrants.org
The cry “
sí se puede” has been heard before in marches and demonstrations in this country. For more than forty years “
sí se puede”—yes, we can do it—has been the popular rallying cry of culturally diverse migrant farm workers seeking better working conditions, basic benefits and a wage that allows them to support their families. Many of them are undocumented, but hard working. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
More than twenty-five years ago this country experienced a shocking and horrific situation when bodies of undocumented immigrants were regularly discovered in the deserts of Arizona. They died of exposure and dehydration while trying to reach Tucson or Phoenix or other destinations where they could connect with family members and friends and where they might find work. Today, many of the people who are participating in the demonstrations have also taken drastic and risky measures to get to the United States. As has been widely reported by the news media, they do so not because they want to leave their countries, but because they cannot find work to feed or raise a family in their homeland.
Like forty years ago, or even 25 years ago, immigrants are marching once again and are using the rallying cry “
sí se puede.” For the first time in history the undocumented from all parts of the world have come out of anonymity because the fear and uncertainty cannot continue. They seek to become legal residents of the United States. They want to purchase homes, educate their children and state proudly that they do pay taxes. In the past several months it has become quite clear that the immigration issue involves more than Latinos or poor people. Churches of all denominations and different religious traditions have joined in the plight of the undocumented immigrants from all over the world whose only crime is that they need work.
The organized and peaceful rallies seen across the country in the past several weeks demonstrates that Latinos, the poor, the undocumented peoples can come together on a common issue. It does not hurt to have the support and collaboration of ecumenical and inter religious groups. Generally speaking, Latino Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims are very much on the same page as regards immigration policy.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been extremely active in educating Catholics about the need for immigration reform through its National Catholic Campaign on Immigration Reform.
As a result of national and local grass root activities, society seems to be paying attention.
For the first time in several years, television and radio news reports and talk shows are presenting the pros and cons of the issue. Newspaper editorial pages are discussing the issue and its causes in a much more balanced way than before the rallies. Human interest stories are seen in daily newspapers which put a face on the undocumented. The media is helping the nation and local communities realize that immigrants have a story to tell, that immigrants are real people who happen to be our neighbors, we worship with them, work with them, shop and eat in the same restaurants with them, and ride buses and airplanes with them. Most immigrants work at several jobs and pay taxes. Many of them have lived in the United States for many years and their children were born in this country, and most are not undocumented people. More than sixty percent of all Latinos were born in the United States. Most foreign born residents do have a legal residency status.
Dr. Otto Santa Ana, founder and professor of the César Chávez Center for Chicana and Chicano Studies at the University of California Los Angeles, writes of the importance role the media plays in shaping the public discourse. In his book
Brown Tide Rising he writes about how the media response sets the tone and uses positive or negative metaphors to define Latinos in the public discourse. What is being seen, read and heard, as of late, demonstrates a more intentional look at the issue of immigration. The public discourse at this time is better balanced and should go a long way in better informing and raising awareness about a complex issue.
As collaborators in the National Catholic Campaign on Immigration Reform, it is very encouraging to see that people of different colors, nationalities, religions, and political perspectives are immigrants themselves, are children of immigrants, are related to immigrants, work with immigrants, or are sympathetic to the plight of immigrants.
The quick and effective organizational work to bring attention to the issue of immigration reform has got to be an example of democracy at its best. Hopefully our U.S. representatives and senators will think so also.
Don’t forget to use the resources found on the USCCB’s webpage
www.usccb.org to better comprehend what is going on with the issue of immigration reform and other issues that impact the poor, local communities, and issues important to the common good. We can help when we understand. “Sí se puede.”
Ron Cruz.
(Taken from www.cacatholic.org)
Recent news stories have highlighted the polarization that the issue of immigration has caused in our state and our nation. Although it is apparent that our immigration policy needs reform, we must not forget that virtually all immigrants to this country—both documented and undocumented-are here in search of jobs and opportunity for themselves and their families.
In California, immigrants live among us. They serve us in our restaurants and hotels, clean our homes, harvest our produce, tend to our yards, and provide us with technical expertise and factory labor. Many are entrepreneurs creating employment opportunities for others. Their children go to our schools. Their families go to our Churches. They are our neighbors.
We recall Christ's teaching parable of the Good Samaritan which he offered in response to the question: And who is my neighbor? Jesus made the Samaritan—who was looked upon as an unholy outcast and foreigner—the model because he came to the aid of the injured man who was a stranger to him. Now is our chance to come to the aid of those among us who come from a foreign land. Now is our chance to care about the strangers whom Jesus called our neighbors!
"'I was a stranger and you welcomed me' (Matthew 25:35). Today, the illegal migrant comes before us like that 'stranger' in whom Jesus asks to be recognized. To welcome him and to show him solidarity is a duty of hospitality and fidelity to Christian identity itself." -Pope John Paul II,
Annual Message for World Migration Day, 1995.
We understand the polarization and frustration over this issue because the status quo serves neither the immigrant nor the citizenry well. For that reason we call on people of faith to welcome the strangers among us as our neighbors and we implore our national legislators to give us a law that reforms immigration in a way that protects human dignity and promotes the common good. In light of the Gospel, we call for an answer that is humane, realistic and responsible while also serving our nation's economic and security needs.
Specifically we call for:
- Reform that includes earned legalization for the undocumented and their families, a temporary worker program, and timely family reunification policies;
- Restoration of due process protections for immigrants;
- Policy directions that address the root causes—so that migrants can remain in their home countries and support themselves and their families; and
- Reform that does not include sanctions for those who provide humanitarian aid for the undocumented.
We expect our public officials to work together in a bipartisan fashion to create a new immigration system which respects our common humanity, reflects the values of fairness, compassion and opportunity and recognizes that we are a nation of immigrants.
(CNS) - Despite the number of Hispanics who are joining evangelical Protestant churches, the percentage of Hispanics in the U.S. who are Catholic has remained steady at 70 percent, said an expert in Latino population trends. This is the result of a "revolving door" by which the losses to other churches are compensated by the continued immigration flow from Latin America, said Gaston Espinosa, assistant religious studies professor at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif.
"Latino Catholics are more numerous than all mainline white Protestants," he said. There are about 29 million Latino Catholics and 22 million mainline white Protestants, he said.
Espinosa is the research director for the Hispanic Churches and American Public Life Project, an ecumenically sponsored three-year survey of almost 3,000 Hispanics nationwide to determine the influence of religion on their personal and public lives.
He gave a Dec. 12 seminar for journalists in Washington on Latino demographic trends in religion and politics, using figures from the three-year survey, the U.S. Census Bureau and other demographic polls. The seminar was sponsored by the Foundation for American Communications, an independent agency that organizes education programs for reporters and editors.
For every Hispanic who comes to the Catholic Church from another Christian religion, four leave Catholicism for another Christian religion, he said. Among first-generation Latinos, 74 percent are Catholic but that figure drops to 62 percent by the third generation, Espinosa said. Yet the percentage of Latino Catholics in the U.S. has remained stable and the number of Latino Catholics has been on the upswing since the 1990s, he said.
The primary reason for this stability is that almost all of the new immigrants from Latin America are Catholic, he said. Another main reason for stability is the growth of Catholic movements that appeal to Hispanics such as the Cursillo movement, charismatic renewal and basic ecclesial communities, he added.
Hispanics currently account for 40 percent of all Catholics in the U.S. and could soon be the majority, Espinosa said.
The born-again style of some Christian movements is important to Hispanics, with 37 percent of all Hispanics and 26 percent of Hispanic Catholics identifying themselves as born-again, he said.
Regarding non-Catholic Hispanics, mainline Protestant churches are at the bottom of the membership list, with Pentecostal and evangelical churches attracting more Hispanics, he said. Topping the list, he said, are: Jehovah's Witnesses with 935,000 Hispanics; Assemblies of God, 895,000; and Pentecostals, 834,000.
About 93 percent of all Hispanics identify themselves as Christians, he said. Overall, there are slightly more than 41 million Hispanics legally in the U.S., and when illegal immigrants are added Hispanics number more than 50 million, he said.
Since 2003, Hispanics have been the largest minority group in the U.S., he said.
Politically, the growing number of Hispanics is making the group an important target for vote-seekers, Espinosa said.
"Latino growth means Latino political leverage," he said.
Currently, Hispanics are the largest minority group in 23 states, said Espinosa.
In terms of registered voters, they are the second-largest minority group; there are twice as many Hispanic voters as there are Jewish-American voters, he said.
African-Americans have the largest number of registered voters among minorities, he said.
There are 10 million U.S.-born Hispanics under 18 years of age, he said.
If only 40 percent register, this means 4 million new Hispanic voters within the next decade, he said.
(CNS) -- In a pastoral letter marking his first anniversary as archbishop of San Antonio, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez counseled Catholics not to make "the worst mistake anyone could make" by putting other priorities ahead of Jesus in their lives.
The archbishop's Feb. 15 letter, titled "To Grow in Knowledge and Love of Jesus Christ," stressed the importance of lifelong education and formation in the faith for everyone, including himself.
"Just like you, I also need to grow constantly in knowledge and love of Our Lord," he said. "Formation in the faith is about getting to know Jesus better -- establishing and deepening a personal relationship with him in order to be his follower and his friend."
He announced plans to "update and review" all educational and formation programs in the archdiocese, including seminary formation, parish and school programs, youth ministry, evangelization initiatives and charitable activities.
"What Catholics believe is not a matter of opinion or personal taste," Archbishop Gomez said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI's criticism, on the eve of his election as pope, of a "dictatorship of relativism" that "does not recognize anything as definitive."
"We must seek out and live out the truth of Christ, both the truth of doctrine and moral truth," he said. "We must put his teaching into practice in the way we live."
Archbishop Gomez said Jesus "is not a TV personality or an editorial writer" but is present in the Eucharist and other sacraments, through private prayer and in Scripture and tradition.
Other "important means" of faith formation, he said, include "homilies, Catholic schools and religious education programs, adult education, authentic Catholic media, and religious art -- paintings, sculpture, music and architecture."
One goal of all formation and education in the faith must be "getting to know and to accept the particular role God has in mind for each one of us in following Christ and continuing his redemptive work," the archbishop said.
"Formation for vocational discernment has a central place in ministry with young people and is essential to nurturing new vocations to the priesthood and religious life," he said. "For all Catholics it is a pathway leading to intelligent, informed participation in the mission of the church."?
CNS -- A new Web site sponsored by the U.S. bishops' Catholic Communication Campaign has been established to provide accurate information about the life of Jesus, the origins of Christianity and Catholic teaching to counter claims made in the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.
The Web site, www.jesusdecoded.com, was launched March 9. A film version of the book is slated for nationwide release May 19. The site contains information that refutes claims made in the book about the nature of Jesus; his relationship with Mary Magdalene; the first four ecumenical councils of the early church and how they shaped today's teaching about Jesus; contemporaneous accounts of Jesus' life that were not selected for the New Testament; the role of women in the church throughout history; and the "Last Supper" paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and other artists of his era.
The site also has production information on the CCC's "Jesus Decoded" TV special, including information on air dates and times in cities around the United States.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.jesusdecoded.com
CNS -- Whether their status is legal or not, immigrants "are the strangers for whom God seeks protection," said Georgia's Catholic bishops in a pastoral letter. Immigrants "are people with names and faces, hopes and fears," said Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and Savannah Bishop J. Kevin Boland in the letter, which was released March 1.
Those who seek a better life through their own hard work and sacrifice should be treated with dignity and respect, with legislation that takes into account moral implications and human consequences, they said. Their letter decries immigration laws and policies that have become "increasingly restrictive and even harmful to some immigrants and those seeking asylum."
The United States has always been made up of immigrants, "who bring with them richness in cultures and diversity from all areas of the world," they said. The country has consistently welcomed "immigrants, refugees and exiles fleeing injustice and oppression and seeking liberty and the opportunity to achieve a full life." Despite this, as the immigrant population has soared in the past 20 years, today's newcomers "often face rejection, hostility and discrimination in our communities and even within the church," they said.
Though communities celebrate diversity, "we bishops must confess that today, as in the past, the treatment of the immigrant too often reflects failures of understanding and sinful patterns of chauvinism, prejudice and discrimination that deny the unity of the human family," they said. Archbishop Gregory and Bishop Boland called for comprehensive immigration reform, saying U.S. policy "should not only protect the human rights and dignity of newcomers but also provide a legal and secure means of entry for prospective immigrants and people seeking asylum." Pending legislation at both state and national levels would restrict health care, education and basic social services for immigrants, they noted, and asked: "Are we going to treat people in our midst with dignity and respect, or punish them for where they come from and how they got here?" The two church leaders noted that Catholic social teaching about immigrants is quite clear. Its five principles say:
- People have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
- People have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
- Sovereign nations have the right to control their own borders.
- Refugees and asylum seekers should be given protection.
- Human dignity and human rights of undocumented immigrants should be respected.
The pastoral letter called attention to a U.S. bishops' campaign,
Justice for Immigrants, to educate and influence public attitudes, and to a 2003 pastoral letter "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope," issued by the U.S. and Mexican bishops. Like those documents, the Georgia church leaders said conditions that compel people to leave their homes out of desperation and lack of opportunity must be addressed to achieve an effective response to immigration problems. Current laws and policies create "an ever-growing marginalized class of residents," they said. "Families are separated, sometimes for decades and longer, for lack of visas available for family reunification. And tragically, would-be immigrants are dying in our border regions in desperate attempts to come to this country in order to provide a better life for themselves and their families."
The bishops also made a point of saying that regulation of immigration is, under the U.S. Constitution, under the purview of the federal government. Any state regulations should only be considered after Congress acts on its pending legislation. "As bishops, we advocate that all aspects of our immigration system should be scrutinized and appropriately reformed to reflect the new reality of immigration in an increasingly globalized world," said Archbishop Gregory and Bishop Boland. "Only by addressing the root causes of immigration, such as economic injustice and conflict, will we create a climate in which immigration is driven by choice and not necessity." They cited a passage from Isaiah in defining the church's responsibilities to those in need: "Woe to the legislators of infamous laws, to those who issue tyrannical decrees, who refuse justice to the unfortunate and cheat the poor among my people of their rights, who make widows their prey and rob the orphan."?
CNS -- The credibility of the church among minorities makes it an important institution in HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs at the local level, said Catholic officials involved in African-American and Hispanic ministry.
This credibility helps break down the taboos, stigmas and misconceptions associated with the disease, said Beverly Carroll, executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for African-American Catholics, and Ronaldo Cruz, executive director of the bishops' Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs.
In both minority groups, the percentage of people infected with the AIDS virus is much higher than their percentages in the overall U.S. population.
In the African-American community people are afraid they will be identified "as someone who is promiscuous, who has had sex outside of marriage or who is a drug abuser," said Carroll.
The result is that people are afraid to get tested, she said.
Cruz said the Hispanic value system opposes homosexuality and "there is a cultural norm which seems to say that if you have AIDS you're gay." A lack of knowledge means that people do not understand that the disease "can be contracted by innocent people," he said. "Babies can get it from a drug-abusing parent, wives from sexually active husbands," he said.
Earlier this year each secretariat received $25,000 in federal grants to promote parish-level HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs. It was the second year in a row that the secretariats had received such grants.
The Hispanic affairs secretariat has been using the funds to train people who return to their dioceses and train other people to develop programs at the parish level. Program and educational materials are available in Spanish and English.
The African-American secretariat has been using the funds for a pilot project to develop its own programs that parents can use to discuss AIDS with their children.
The pilot project is geared for parents with children in grades three to six, said Carroll.
The first step is that parents talk with their children, she said. "We want to give parents an upper hand by equipping them with the age-appropriate information they need."
A parent manual giving talking points for parents has been developed, she said.
Young African-American children are being targeted so that they are aware of what AIDS is before they reach their teens, when they are at high risk of contracting the disease. A February secretariat report on the pilot project said African-Americans represent 66 percent of the new AIDS cases among 13- to 19-year-olds.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-Americans account for 40 percent of the AIDS cases diagnosed up to 2004, although African-Americans represent only 12.2 percent of the population. Hispanics account for 19 percent of AIDS cases through 2004 although Hispanics make up only 14 percent of the population.
Carroll and Cruz said their programs do not include the use of condoms.
Promoted are abstinence for single people and fidelity in marriage for couples, said Cruz.
A main element of the Hispanic program is to build self-esteem in HIV/AIDS victims, said Cruz.
"The individual needs to know that he is suffering from an illness and that he needs to be treated with dignity and family support," he said.
By getting parishes involved, patients are told that "you are not alone. There is a support system," said Cruz.
Both programs involve special prayer services with AIDS themes, geared to liturgical seasons.
"We stress the three T's -- talking, testing and treatment," said Carroll, and "talking includes prayer."
The African-American secretariat has prepared a series of Lenten services.
The Hispanic secretariat developed a series of Advent services last year as well as a special novena pegged to Our Lady of Guadalupe, probably the most popular Marian figure among Hispanics. It also taps into Hispanic popular religious traditions and has a special service for All Souls Day Nov. 2, known as "Dia de los muertos" (Day of the Dead) in Spanish.
A tradition in many Latin American countries is to visit cemeteries or pray around home altars for deceased members of the family Nov. 2.
"We want families to incorporate (into their prayers) family members and colleagues who died of AIDS," said Cruz.
NOTE: More information about the African-American project is available online at
www.usccb.org/saac and more information about the Hispanic project is available online at
www.usccb.org/hispanicaffairs
Prayer for those with HIV/AIDS
Mother of God Light in All Darkness
Mother of God, Light in All Darkness,
shelter him, our flame of hope
with your tender hands.
And in our times of dread and nightmares,
let him be our dream of comfort.
And in our times of physical pain
and suffering, let him be out healer.
And in our times of separation
from God and one another,
let him be our communion. AMEN
(Taken from our web page:
www.usccb.org/hispanicaffairs)
We are pleased to offer our readers an
update on the changes, in number and percentage, of the Hispanic population state by state and the District of Columbia. The information below has been obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census web page. If you wish to have additional information on any city or town with more than 25,000 people, please visit: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
7TH Biennal National Conference
NCADDHM’S (National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry)
Pastoral Accompaniment: Haciendo Camino al Andar
June 26-29, 2007
Minneapolis, MN
Save the Date!
CNS - At a Mass and ceremony in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, Bishop William K. Weigand began the initial diocesan portion of the process that could lead to the canonization of the late Sacramento Auxiliary Bishop Alphonse Gallegos.
The Diocese of Sacramento is beginning the process for Bishop Gallegos at the request of his religious order, the Augustinian Recollects. It is the first time the diocese has begun the process toward sainthood for anyone. Bishop Gallegos' family members and supporters, as well as members of his religious order, were among those attending the Dec. 4 Mass.
Bishop Gallegos lived in the Sacramento area from 1979 until his death in an automobile accident near Yuba City Oct. 6, 1991. From 1979 to 1981, he served as the first director of the Division of Hispanic Affairs of the California Catholic Conference.
He was ordained an auxiliary bishop to Bishop Francis A. Quinn Nov. 4, 1981, and was the first Hispanic bishop in the California state capital since 1861.
While auxiliary bishop, he served as vicar general, vicar for the Hispanic apostolate and vicar for ethnic communities in the diocese. He served at both St. Rose Parish and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Sacramento.
Bishop Gallegos "cared especially about the poor, the marginalized and unchurched youth. All these groups had a special place in his pastoral ministry," said Augustinian Recollect Father James McGuire, associate pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Montebello.
Father McGuire taught Bishop Gallegos as a seminarian at the Tagaste Monastery in Suffern, N.Y., and while serving as provincial in 1972 appointed Bishop Gallegos as pastor of San Miguel Parish in the Watts area of Los Angeles, where the bishop grew up.
One of 11 children, the future bishop was born Feb. 20, 1931, in Albuquerque, N.M.
Many people did not know that Bishop Gallegos was born with a severe myopic condition and was nearly blind, Father McGuire said. Before he entered the seminary, he underwent a series of unsuccessful eye operations.
"He wanted desperately to be a priest," Father McGuire said. "When he was a novice master (in Kansas City, Kan.), I saw the way he interacted with people and how they enjoyed being with him. They felt they had a true friend. When I appointed him pastor (of San Miguel), I knew how he could help people through their troubles."
Father McGuire noted that Bishop Gallegos often spent his summer vacations living with farmworkers in California's Central Valley. "He was always concerned about migrants and other people who needed help and didn't have an advocacy group in their favor," he said.
The church's process leading to canonization involves three major steps. First is the declaration of a person's heroic virtues, after which the church gives him or her the title Venerable. Second is beatification, after which he or she is called Blessed. The third step is canonization, or the declaration of sainthood.
During the canonization process, evidence of alleged miracles is presented to church authorities. In general, two miracles need to be accepted by the church as having occurred through the intercession of the prospective saint. During this initial process, a tribunal appointed by Bishop Weigand will examine all aspects of Bishop Gallegos' life. They will interview witnesses, research his work and review documents and testimonies about his life, virtues and sanctity.
If the tribunal's findings meet established criteria, the results will be presented to the Congregation for Saints' Causes at the Vatican, which will determine whether to proceed with the cause, Father McGuire said. The investigation could be terminated at any point in the process if Bishop Gallegos does not meet the criteria of "heroic virtue," he said. "This is the start of a very long process -- this could take decades," Father McGuire said. "If the Lord doesn't step in and grant two miracles, the process won't go forward. The Lord will have the last word on this."
Couple aims to raise awareness of Sunday-best behavior at Mass
CNS -- When people are guests in someone's home, they most likely practice their best manners and teach their children to do the same. If they were a guest in God's house, their manners might be 10 times better.
It is easy to surmise how Jesus would behave in his Father's house: He would dress appropriately, he would refrain from gossip and he would listen to God as a young child hangs onto his father's every word. But what would God say about your manners after you left his house?
John and Joan Scornaienchi, parishioners of St. Louis Parish in Clarksville and Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott City, are etiquette and protocol consultants. It's their mission to raise awareness of personal behavior in social and professional interactions through their company, Ambassador Protocol.
"We view our mission to advance civility as a calling from God and welcome the opportunity to do his work," said John Scornaienchi. They are in the planning stages of offering training to places of worship and other Catholic organizations that will include tips on Mass etiquette. Although they witness many well-mannered families and well-behaved children in church, the Scornaienchis believe that more support and attention need to be directed to the way things are supposed to be.
Sometimes a Mass is filled with distractions: latecomers, talkers, misbehaving children and people leaving early. "Everything in life has rules, including church," said Joan Scornaienchi.
"How can we pray if we are also watching children run up and down the aisle?" she asked. "We need to remind adults what we learned as children, and then teach our children to treat God with respect. If we do not teach children respect in God's house, how can we expect them to behave at school, in sports or while driving?"
As public speakers, the Scornaienchis are familiar with distractions from an audience.
They offer protocol and etiquette training at corporate sites, schools, restaurants, civic meeting places and churches. "Proper etiquette is about relationship building and can apply to all areas of your life," said Joan Scornaienchi. Here are some of the guidelines offered by the couple:
Attire: The idea of "Sunday best" should be honored; churchgoers of all ages should dress conservatively. Coat and tie are appropriate for men, but not required. Women should wear modest dresses, skirts and slacks; no tank tops, short skirts or tight-fitting clothing.
Arrival: Arrive at least 10 minutes before Mass begins. This helps reduce distractions and provides time to get settled. Latecomers should wait to be seated by ushers so as not to disrupt the service and the congregation.
Entering the church: It is optional to bless yourself with holy water, but as a sign of respect for the Blessed Sacrament, genuflect before taking your seat. Slide over to the center of the pew to accommodate others who arrive after you.
Quiet time: The liturgy is not the time to socialize with friends or prepare the offering envelope. Instead, sit quietly or pray. Turn off cell phones and pagers.
Kneeling: Respect for the Eucharist demands that we kneel without leaning back on the pew. Be careful not to drop or bang the kneelers. If ill or disabled, it is acceptable to sit.
Sign of peace: People usually shake hands or exchange a quick kiss, but if you have a cold or cough, you can politely say "Peace be with you," without shaking hands.
Communion: Receive the Eucharist with reverence, bow slightly and respond "Amen." If receiving the host by hand, place the left hand over the right (or opposite if you are left-handed) and raise your arms slightly. Gum or candy should never be in your mouth when taking the host.
Leaving the church: The final part of Mass is singing a closing hymn. Leaving before the hymn ends is inappropriate. Genuflect toward the altar before leaving the pew or at the end of the pew.
FAITH FORMATION COORDINATOR
Providence Rhode Island
A parish in Providence, Rhode Island, is seeking to hire a part time coordinator to lead small vibrant multicultural community implementing the formation of faith for all parishioners. Requirements: knowledge of Catholic faith; excellent interpersonal and organizational skills; fluent in Spanish & English. Paid position; room/board may be possible. Send resume to:
Parish Search
P. O. Box 6365
Providence RI 02940
DIOCESAN DIRECTOR FOR THE HISPANIC APOSTOLATE
Richmond, Virginia
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond in Virginia is seeking a full-time Director for the Hispanic Apostolate. The selected individual will collaborate with the parishes and other diocesan offices in the evangelization, formation and training of Hispanics, calling them forth to service and leadership at all levels of the Church and community; promoting the recognition of Hispanic Catholics as integral to the full life of the Church; sustaining, celebrating and sharing the culture, values, language and spirituality of Hispanics with the Church and wider community.
The candidate must be an active practicing Catholic, who has a commitment to the advancement of the Hispanic community; master’s degree in a related field preferred; must be proficient in Spanish and English, written and spoken, and computer literate; leadership and organizational skills required, as well as administrative and pastoral experience working with Hispanics; and the ability to work with diverse groups of people. Closing date for submitting applications is September 5, 2006. The position is available in January 2007. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and diocesan application to dmahanes@richmonddiocese.org, or mail to:
D. G. Mahanes
Director of Human Resources
Catholic Diocese of Richmond
811 Cathedral Place
Richmond, VA 23220