Cultivating Unity: Ministry of International Priests in Canada

1. TOGETHER IN MINISTRY 2013 Acculturation and International Priests in Canada

2. Goal is to Create an Effective Environment for Ministry Proper preparation of international priests for ministry in Canada Proper preparation of the receiving Canadian diocese/parish

3. Presentation Summary I’m here to present you with… • Data, Research, and Experiences …Part 1 (am) • Programs and Outcomes… Part 2 (am) • Practical Resources… Part 3 (pm) And along the way… Questions/issues to grapple with However… Take up a particular focus OR Facilitate a “crucial conversation” I also wish to learn from you…

4. New York Times “Divine Recruits”

5. Who is an International Priest? Those priests who were born and formed in another country and have relocated to Canada to serve in a diocese.

6. What’s in a Program Name? Enculturation:The process by which a person adapts to and assimilates the culture in which he lives. Acculturation: The modification of the culture of a group or individual as a result of contact with a different culture. Inculturation:The attempt to make a religious (e.g. Christian) message accessible in and through a local culture.

7. …not much research International Priests in Canada and the U.S…

11. Vatican Documents John Paul II, “Norms for the Distribution of Priests,” 1980 Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, “Instruction on the Sending Abroad and Sojourn of Diocesan Priests from Mission Territories,” 2001

12. History of International Priests in Canada On the one hand, not a new reality - in earlier eras international priests accompanied immigrant flocks. On the other hand, the current reality isn’t as strongly tied to the pastoral needs of immigrant populations as it once was So what is the nature of the current reality in Canada?

13. Comprehensive Statistics on International Priests in Canada Numbers? Assignments in Canada? Countries of origin?

14. Ontario ACBO Survey Spring 2013 • 12/14 responded • Total = 519 priests in ministry (not broken out as diocesan or religious) • Largest concentration = Toronto 300 • Next largest = London 36 • Don’t have countries of origin

15. Data on International Priests in the U.S.

16. General Characteristics (based on U.S. studies) • Tend to be younger in age on average • Tend to be more traditional (in terms of personal piety, ecclesiology, theology) • 8/10 have an official assignment • 8/10 have some kind of letter of agreement between home diocese and bishop in U.S. • 39% have advanced degrees beyond MDiv (mostly in philosophy or theology)

17. What was your primary reason for leaving home country? Studies 18% Ministry 61% Join family 4% Refugee 11% Other 5% Did you initiate the move? My initiative 37% My Bishop 43% Initiated by U.S. Church 19% Other 1%

18. Do you have family members living near you? Yes 31% When you first arrived did you have a formal welcome by other priests or place of ministry? Yes 64%

19. Brief Compare and Contrast

20. If You Had Your Choice Again, Would You Enter the Priesthood? Definitely Probably Probably or Yes Yes Definitely Not Born in the US 76% 20% 5% Born in Europe 67% 21% 12% or Canada International 84% 12% 4%

21. Importance of Open Discussion on Multiculturalism and Diversity, by Place of Birth Response - “Very Important” and “Somewhat Important” • Born in U.S. 69% • International 73% Same Call, Different Men, 110

22. Support Experienced from Selected Sources, by Place of Birth “Strong” and “Somewhat Strong” How much support do you receive from brother priests? Born in U.S. 72% International 59% How much support do you receive from the Vatican? Born in U.S. 31% International 57% How much support do you receive from non-priest friends? Born in U.S. 95% International 87% Same Call, Different Men, 107

23. Confidence in the Decision Making and Leadership of Selected Ecclesial Entities, by Place of Birth Response – “Some” and “Very Little” How much confidence do you have in the USCCB? Born in US 62% International 44% How much confidence do you have in the NFPC? Born in US 75% International 76% How much confidence do you have in the diocesan pastoral council? Born in US 82% International 61% Same Call, Different Men, 115

25. Very little need to “recruit” • “I do believe that at one stage my fax, my email, and my phone number were written on the walls of every Third World rectory. They were calling me all the time. Every other day it was “Father wants to come here.” The word got out. I was sending maybe ten rejection letters every two weeks.” (A vicar for priests in northern California) • International Priests in America, 69 Regarding the Desire of Priests to Serve in North American

26. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? How would you answer this question? 5 minute table discussion…

27. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? 1. Missionary Impulse “[North] America is the biggest missionary land in the world.” (A young diocesan priest from Puerto Rico). International Priests in America, 70-76

28. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? 2. Desire for Economic Improvement Priestly salaries in Nigeria, India, Tanzania, and the Philippines range from $155 to $410/month (2004 $CND).

29. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? 3. Desire to Give Back “People came from foreign countries as missionaries, and because of them we have Christianity, and in many ways we are benefitting… So I feel it is my duty to give spiritual help. That would be the best way of showing gratitude.” (An Indian seminarian) Interview with New York TimesDecember 2008

30. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? 4. Desire for Better Life and Opportunities Primarily expressed as a desire to be near family members who have come to North America.

31. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? 5. To Escape a Situation in Their Home Country “On average, whoever comes to [North America] either had some kind of trouble in Poland or doesn’t have a good relationship with the bishop, or simply doesn’t feel that he can actively be involved in any kind of ministry in Poland.” (A religious priest from Poland)

32. Why Do International Priests Come to Canada? “Immigration rules make it fairly straightforward for foreign clergy to enter Canada. They do not need a permit to perform religious duties, nor is there a formal limit on how long the can stay in the country, just so long as it’s ‘temporary.’” “Clergy shortage affecting all denominations in Canada,” The Globe and Mail, December 12, 2010

33. What are the Arguments for Bringing in International Priests • Need immigrant priests to serve immigrant parishes • International priests help to universalize the church in our local setting • Need international priests to fill in gaps (shortage of priests)

34. The Issue of Shortage of Priests E.g., Diocese of London • Total population 1, 945, 000 (approx) • Catholic population 444, 310 (2012) • 178 priests available for parish ministry in 1991 • 100 priests available for parish ministry in 2012 • Taking into account retirements, sabbaticals, new religious, and international priests, and ordinations forecasted at about 1.7 diocesan priests per year, by 2025 there will be 73 priests for 131 parishes and missions Nearly half of the 73 will be priests from outside North America.

35. It is very common to view international priests through the lens of the issue of a shortage of priests.

37. Different Understandings “Priest Shortage” Three distinct notions of “shortage”: 1. Statistical Number of priests/number of Catholics 2. Perception Depends on the feeling of Catholics that a shortage exists, i.e., reflects the experience of a past situation of more priests 3. Too Much Work Not enough priests to do what is required International Priests in America, 32-35.

38. Different Understandings “Priest Shortage” If #1 (#priests/#Catholics): the shortage is far worse in Latin America, Asia and Africa If #3 (too much work): Nigeria, Ghana and India have greater shortage So… #2 (perception): Subjective feelings exerts the most influence on [North] American Catholics to fuel their sense of shortage

39. “Priest Shortage and International Priests What are some implications of viewing international priests through the lens of “priest shortage”? 10 minute table discussion 10 minute feedback

40. “Priest Shortage” “The pragmatic response to today’s need – ‘just get more priests – fails to engage with the key issues… of why there has been a steady stream of resignations from priestly ministry and an insufficient number of candidates for ordination.” “Priests from Overseas: Some Issues, 1-2”

41. Attitudes Relating to International Priests

42. Local Priests’ Attitudes Relating to International Priests “Priests from certain cultures are seen as being more enjoyable to have… People love the Vietnamese because they are very industrious and they want to learn, and they really get in there and work at it. So the Vietnamese culture brings in something. And Indians, I heard some very good things about them. Some of them are very pietistic and reverential, and they are good to work with.” (A veteran American priest) International Priests in America, 47

43. Local Priests’ Attitudes Relating to International PriestsImportance of Selected Problems on a Day-to-Day Basis for Priests“Somewhat” or Great” Problem Shortage of available priests 66% Unrealistic demands and expectations of lay people 53% Difficulty in working with international priests 31% Conflict with parishioners or laity about issue 28% Difficulty of working with women 5%

44. Examples of Difficulties 1. Language “With most of the international priests I’ve dealt with, the biggest block, of course, is language. Parishioners are somewhat taken aback because they can’t understand them, particularly from the alter, even though they might be able to understand them one-on-one.” (A veteran female lay minister in the East) International Priests in America, 51

45. 2. Cultural Misunderstandings Interviewer: When people complain about international priests, what do they mostly say? Director: “It’s we can’t understand them when they talk, and they don’t understand our culture, particularly when it comes to marriage. Marriage preparation, I think, is very difficult.” (Director of an acculturation program) International Priests in America, 55

46. 3. Different Ecclesiology “One group [of international priests] may come from a culture where the priesthood is the pedestal approach, with lot’s of hand kissing or raising the hand to the forehead, and treating them that way. So it becomes very difficult for them to have to participate in parish councils where they are asked to sit and listen….” (A vicar for priests in the West) International Priests in America, 59

47. 4. Finances and Fund Raising “Raising money here for a priest's home parish or home country is frowned upon. But traditional societies always ‘take care of their people,’ so therefore the priest is expected to take care of his family.” (A priest helping in an acculturation program) International Priests in America, 61

48. 5. Don’t Mix with Other Priests “We need to find ways in which those priests can connect with the existing clergy… Sometimes it is the fault of international priests as well. When a priest comes into a rectory, there are certain kinds of established procedures. One would be like dinner in the evening. And I would think that most pastors would expect that the priest would be in for dinner at least once a week… But often times that doesn’t happen.” (A priest with years of experience working with international priests) International Priests in America, 63

49. 6. Bringing in International Priests is an Irrational Deployment of Worldly Priestly Resources “When somebody here talks about the priest shortage, I always think about people in Central America, where they’re lucky if they see a priest once every six months in some regions!” (A lay diocesan staff member in the Midwest) International Priests in America, 64

50. 7. It Postpones a Much Needed Restructuring of Parish Leadership “I’m not sure that the bringing in of international priests is the solution to our problems. I think that we’ve got a lot of planning and things to do internally. I think we’re beginning to look at the whole question of what do priests really do, or what should they be doing in terms of ministry and who else can participate in those ministries besides clergy.” (A vicar for priests in the Southwest) International Priests in America, 67