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Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / A history of welcoming immigrants

Published February 1, 2008

Editor's note: This is the first of two parts. The second, "An Immigrant Church: Now and for the Future," will be in the Feb. 8 issue.

Jerry Lemenu This pastel pencildrawing was created by Jerry Lemenu, a Detroit-area artist and teacher. His artwork has appeared in materials produced by Focus: HOPE and the Archdiocese of Detroit, and includes the 1996 CSA poster.

My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

This month of February, as we continue to give thanks to God for the 175th anniversary of our Archdiocese, I would like to reflect with you on one of the distinctive characteristics of our heritage: From the beginning, and even now, we have been an "immigrant Church." Reflecting the population of our metro area, our Church comprises a mosaic of approximately 100 ethnic and racial groups. Almost without exception, we could say that somewhere along the line, our ancestors chose to immigrate here to Southeastern Michigan. In the 300 years that Christianity has been a part of Michigan's history, wave upon wave of immigrants have settled here and made this beautiful area their home.

Immigration and faith

Whenever people immigrate or relocate, their faith heritage is one of the most valuable resources they bring with them. In fact, there is a close correspondence between the act of faith and the reality of journey or pilgrimage; faith always involves a stepping forward into unknown challenges, an openness to new adventures and opportunities. All the great scriptural figures of faith were "pilgrims." Consider the journeys of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or the exodus experience of the Jewish people in and out of Egypt and their years of exile in Babylon.

Following footsteps

Jesus Christ Himself journeyed: recall His childhood passage in and out of Egypt as a migrant and the iterant nature of the three years of His public ministry – often having nowhere to rest His head.

He grew up in Galilee, a crossroads of different cultures and languages in the ancient world. Although Jesus traveled only to Egypt and through Syria, Samaria and Palestine, His disciples were soon bringing the Gospel to people throughout the Mediterranean basin and translating the Gospel into the predominant languages of the day – Latin and Greek, as well as Hebrew and Aramaic.

Throughout the centuries, in every culture, the Church has sought to let the Gospel message come to life according to the circumstances of the people being served. The great evangelizers of our history were always sensitive to the cultures where they were serving, even when they were not themselves of that same ethnic or racial origin. We could think of a long list of such preachers of the Gospel, including the Apostles themselves, St. Patrick for the Irish, St. Boniface for the Germans, St. Irenaeus for the French, St. James for the Spanish, SS. Cyril and Methodius for the Slavic peoples, and so on. These great saints remind us of the importance of a spirit of hospitality and openness to the stranger, remembering that, ultimately, we are all one in the Lord Jesus. As St. Paul wrote to the Galatians, "In Christ there is no Greek or Jew, slave or free, male or female.…"

We are a "pilgrim people"

At the time of Vatican II, the Council Fathers frequently spoke of the Church as a "pilgrim people," passing through this world on a journey to the Kingdom. As the Letter to the Hebrews puts it, "Here we have no lasting city." The Church has always had a special bond of loving solidarity with all immigrants – not only as people to be served, but also because faith, of its very nature, involves openness to movement, growth and change.

Notes and distinctions Territorial and national Parishes: Most parishes are established as territorial, with specified boundaries, serving the people of a specific geographic area. With the passing of time, due to immigration of peoples, many parishes have become identified with newly-arrived residents, often from a specific language group. These parishes are designated national parishes and do not usually have boundaries. Some of these parishes now serve populations entirely distinct from their original foundation. Eastern Catholic Parishes: The immigration of people to this region also brought Eastern Catholics. Eastern Catholics are not Roman (or Latin) Catholics, yet we share full and perfect communion with them and their bishops (or eparchs), and they are in full communion with the Holy See. Although located within the Archdiocese of Detroit, these parishes fall under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of their own bishop or eparch. Their liturgies are celebrated according to the ancient languages and rituals of their particular heritage; for example, the Byzantines celebrate the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Parishes which primarily serve Catholics from one of the 22 Eastern rites are, for example, Armenian, Chaldean, Maronite, Melkite, Romanian-Byzantine, Ruthenian-Byzantine, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara

Apart from a few small family treasures and the clothing on their backs, most 18th- and 19th-century immigrants had to travel lightly and created a whole new beginning for themselves in the "new world." Their religious convictions, language and ethnic practices – often connected to religious feasts – were one of their few enduring consolations, a means of continuity with family and friends they left behind. Quite naturally, they often brought with them priests and religious women who spoke their language and could share the faith with them in their native tongue. Immigrant groups often brought with them (or created) Church fraternal and social groups which maintained and strengthened their cohesiveness and solidarity. With pride and determination, along with blood, sweat and tears, ethnic parishes – and sometimes schools as well – sprang up all around the archdiocese.

Ethnic parishes serving immigrants

Accompanying this column is a list of the many ethnic parishes that have been – and continue to be – a vital part of the story of our local Church. The dates of their foundation demonstrate that the flow of immigrants throughout most of the 1800s was heavily Northern and Central European. By the end of the 1800s and into the early 20th century, immigrants tended to come more from Southern Europe. In the half-century since the Second World War, immigration has truly been a global phenomenon; throughout the last century and into this first decade of the 21st century, our metro area has been enriched by immigrants from the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. The fall of communism in 1989 also greatly changed the circumstances of life in Eastern and Central Europe, thus bringing further movement of people to our metro area and to various places around the world. Over the decades, our metro area has also been blessed by the presence of many migrant workers from Mexico and Central America.

When speaking about immigration from other nations and continents, it is also important to recall that there has been a considerable movement of people even within the territorial boundaries of the United States. Thanks to the growth and expansion of the automobile industry and prospects for steady employment, many African-Americans and people of many diverse backgrounds chose to move to our metro area from places in the south or east of our country. And through it all, while still retaining many of their own cultural traditions, the Native American people graciously accommodated the new arrivals.

Preserving traditions

From my experience, the Church has provided an extensive program of evangelization and outreach to all the diverse ethnic and racial groups of our area – thanks to the valiant determination and self-sacrificing spirit of countless priests, religious, and lay faithful. It brings me great joy, in particular, to see the way many of our ethnic parishes preserve traditions from generation to generation, and I hope and pray these treasures of our ethnic and faith heritages will never be lost.

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As we continue to celebrate our 175th anniversary this month of February, it is good for us to reflect on the one hundred different ethnic and racial groups that comprise our metropolitan area. We are a Church of immigrants–then and now. As such, we mirror the Catholicity and universality of the Church.

Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the generations of believers who brought their Catholic faith with them and built parishes and communities of faith throughout our metro area.

 

We give you thanks for their courage and determination, and for all who continue to build on their heritage and example. May our diversity bring us into ever–greater unity – with you and one another.

 

We ask this, Heavenly Father, through Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.