Our Church in a multicultural society

WelCom September 2022 The opening prayer was sung in Shona language to the beat of drums and the voices of the Zimbabwean community, the blessing of the meal was done…

Members of the Catholic Zimbabwean Community, Wellington, sang the opening prayer in Shona language to the beat of drums, at a gathering for various cultural groups at Ss Peter and Paul Church in Lower Hutt last month. The many groups came to hear the results of a small survey in which they had participated. Photo: Annette Scullion/WelCom

WelCom September 2022

The opening prayer was sung in Shona language to the beat of drums and the voices of the Zimbabwean community, the blessing of the meal was done in Tokelauan and the closing prayer of the day was done by the local Samoan community.

These were aspects of a meeting of various cultural groups at Ss Peter and Paul Church in Lower Hutt on August 6. They came to hear the results of a small survey in which they had participated. The survey began in late 2020 as part of a review of such chaplaincies requested by the archdiocesan synod of 2017. The survey’s purpose was to better understand the groups, their size, activities, leadership structures, financial activities and relationship to local parishes. 

While the review is not complete, the richness of the gifts and perspectives was evident. There was a sense of vitality and joy in the participants, some who had been in Aotearoa a long time and others much more recently. A key initial activity was the sharing of foods from the different communities – a chance to sit and talk as important as any other ‘business’. 

 The reality of growing cultural diversity in parishes is evident but not new. In 1976 a major sociological survey of the New Zealand Church (The Church in a Multicultural Society) looked at the presence of Māori and Polynesian people. The timing followed the large-scale migration of people from other Pacific Islands to Aotearoa in the 1960s and 1970s. 

That 1976 survey showed that often newcomers were not made welcome in parishes and that parishes had little understanding of the challenges faced by recently-arrived peoples. Cardinal Williams instituted a pastoral policy goal for the variety of cultural groups: that they be welcomed and integrated into ordinary parish life without losing their identity nor being excluded because of language or cultural background – the opposite of a policy of assimilation. 

Since 1976 the places of origin of migrants – and refugees – has changed. There is greater presence of people from Asia, Africa and South America. The age make-up of these groups is predominantly youthful which suggests they are both the present reality and future of the Church in Aotearoa. However there is still the need to make new migrants and cultural groups welcome, to recognise their gifts and talents and open pathways to participation and leadership including on parish councils.

Mons Gerard Burns and Maya Bernardo – seconded from the Church Mission office – presented the results of the survey and the groups discussed those results and made suggestions for the future. There were various responses but a significant one was also these groups expressing concern for their younger members in terms of their participation in the ordinary life of parishes and Masses as well as the myriad attractions of other Churches and/or the various challenges that all young people in Aotearoa face today.

 The hui took place on the feast of the Transfiguration. ‘Fittingly, by coming together, sharing food, talents and dreams, we experienced the transfigured Christ and a transfigured Church,’ said Mons Burns. ‘The Archdiocese is blessed with the gift of many different cultures in our communities. We pray that this wonderful gift be nurtured and celebrated.’