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Saturday, June 02, 2007

The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Church, Immigration is Like Fertilizer

From the Independent (Ireland)

Faith of Polish new Irish inspiring, says bishop

By Patricia McDonagh
Thursday May 31 2007

SENIOR Catholic clerics last night spoke of the "inspiring" devotion to the Christian faith shown by immigrants, which they say is breathing new life into parishes countrywide.

More than 105 parishes in the country provide Masses that are celebrated in Polish, usually by Polish priests travelling to each diocese on a monthly or weekly basis.

The Dublin Polish chaplaincy also recently moved into a larger church, St Audoen's Catholic Church, High Street, Dublin, to provide for the enormous numbers of worshippers attending weekly Masses.

Vibrant

According to Bishop Willie Walsh, the Polish community has been "extremely inspiring" for the Irish church - with his home parish of Killaloe, Co Clare "vibrant and alive" with churchgoers.

"There is certainly a large turnout", said Bishop Walsh.

"They actively participate in the singing and reception of the Eucharist. The church is vibrant and alive every week.

"They are deeply committed to the faith and I think they are an inspiration for Irish people.

"It's certainly reminiscent of the Irish going to England in the 1950s, when they gave new life to the churches over there."

For Fr Pat Moran of St Augustine Church, Cork, the level of devotion is infectious and re-energised everyone who came in contact with it.
Read more here.

The United States needs a bit of that juice and the Philippines is a good source. The Mexicans coming to the U.S. have added nothing. Their country has been socialist for 150 years and the Mexicans are largely uncatechized with a tendency only toward Charismaticism and other occult behavior so their addition to Protestant America is having no effect (at least no positive effects). I suspect the religious Mexicans stay home.

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