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Interview with Paula Bongiovanni and Fr. Glendino Ragsaag
Transcription Here
Changing Catholic Piety One Step at a Time
The weather is impeccable in Manila, as a large group of teenagers begin to prepare for the day’s highly anticipated event. Good music, a delectable selection of food, and contagious laughs are being shared outside of a local parish in this historic city, creating an enticing atmosphere for the community. Girls and boys are lacing up their sneakers and stretching while a young Jesuit priest excitedly distributes numbers to each participant. The sun is beating down on the youthful parishioners eagerly awaiting the commencement of today’s fun run. Members of this local parish in Manila are taking part in the recreational fun run intended to raise money for communal benefit. It is not uncommon for local Catholic parishes in the Philippines to organize lively events similar to fun runs. These lively gatherings tend to cultivate spirituality because they are enjoyable for people of all ages, and do not strictly focus on religion. Father Ragsag Glendino (Father Glenn), priest and parochial vicar of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on Staten Island, has acknowledged the advantages of hosting events at church that aren’t necessarily related to Mass. Father Glenn represents a large number of priests who value the importance of parishioner involvement and strive to provide the more liberal, younger generations with a stronger sense of spirituality.
The Roman Catholic Church is constantly portrayed as a traditional, narrow-minded institution that refuses to modernize. Specifically, past views regarding issues such as same-sex marriage, contraceptives, abortion, and other former controversial topics have contributed to the Church’s strict reputation. Despite the common general misconceptions surrounding the Church, there are many officials within the Church who strive to establish solid relationships with members of younger generations. In addition, there are several ways that parishes around New York City have responded to the fluctuating societal conditions that oppose the traditional formalities upheld by the Catholic Church. In particular, there is an active Filipino population present at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church of Staten Island. In order to better accommodate this ethnic group, St. Peter’s has held numerous cultural events following masses to better assist the Filipino community with the assimilation process and to provide a family-like environment in the parish. Although St. Peter’s has made tremendous strides in expanding the parish and appealing to broader audiences, Father Glenn has expressed concern regarding the lack of young people present at St. Peter’s and in the Catholic churches around New York City.
Father Glenn’s extensive knowledge and expertise regarding Roman Catholicism and his interest in modernizing Catholic life, makes him a valuable candidate to be interviewed about changing Catholic piety. Aside from being trained as a Jesuit minister, Father Glenn holds a unique “psycho-spiritual” perspective when approaching religion, made evident in his daily practice. Upon assisting parishioners coping with extremely difficult circumstances, Father Glenn has integrated his “psycho-spiritual” ideology into his counseling. As the parochial vicar of St. Peter’s Church, Father Glenn’s duties extend beyond basic priesthood. The title of parochial vicar gives Father Glenn the ability to work closely with the parish’s pastor to further enhance St. Peter’s or properly address issues specific to the parish. Because of Father Glenn’s work with St. Peter’s, he has had a chance to observe the changes that have occurred on a smaller scale at the humble, Staten Island parish.
Born and raised Catholic, Father Glenn made the decision to become a priest at the young age of eighteen. After completing his education in the Philippines, Father Glenn had the opportunity to work with multiple parishes in California. “Going to California helped me grow as a priest because I learned new things and ways of how to relate to the people,” he said. “Whenever you go somewhere new, you can learn from the parishioners.” Indeed, Father Glenn’s experiences at parishes around the world has enhanced his career and influenced his approach as a priest. Reflecting on his past experiences, Father Glenn observed significant differences between the ways Roman Catholicism is practiced at St. Peter’s compared to parishes in California and Manila. Based on his experiences, Father Glenn is particularly concerned about the lack of young people living out their faith and getting involved in the life of the church. Despite Father Glenn’s efforts to capture more youthful audiences at St. Peter’s, many conservative members of the clergy have been unenthusiastic about this nontraditional ideology. Particularly, some members of the clergy feel that trying to attract younger generations by integrating more appealing social activities within the community could potentially take the parish away from its primary mission or from its core Catholic principles.
Throughout the interview, Father Glenn made a clear distinction between Roman Catholics who are “churchy”, or practice their religious faith by simply attending weekly mass, and those who are truly spiritually connected to God. Father Glenn proceeded to describe the way that this prevalent issue within the Church has influenced the participation of younger people. “That is something we have to teach the youth, the church is about a sense of purpose, a sense of meaning, and a place where you live out your faith,” he said. Father Glenn disapproved of religious instructors who do not teach children the importance of being active in their church. The failure of religious instructors and spiritual leaders to verbalize the significance of parishioner involvement prevents members of younger generations from gaining a deeper understanding of the Church’s overall mission. Specifically, as stated in the interview, Father Glenn has become aware of the absence of 12-35 year-olds within the parish. Attending mass every Sunday is a part of being Roman Catholic, that is indisputable, but he believes that there are several other relevant components of Catholicism that also demand more emphasis. “You can only grow your faith in the context of a community,” he said. “The Catholic faith, or any faith, is not isolationist.” Father Glenn’s insightful words stress the complex aspects of what identifying as a Catholic symbolizes.
During the interview, Father Glenn established a variety of methods that could be used by the Church in order to appeal more to the youth. “In the Philippines we do fun runs!” he said. “There are a lot of activities there, even seminars, retreats, and festivals.” Father Glenn’s reflection upon the numerous church-related events of the Philippines emphasizes that religion can be seen in places outside of the church. The substantial Filipino presence at St. Peter’s Church in the New Brighton area of Staten Island, has resulted in the transfer of unconventional practices from parishes in the Philippines to the Staten Island parish. The Filipino group of St. Peter’s has a more social atmosphere by providing numerous activities after mass such as coffee and cake, evening dances, prayer circles, and Sunday barbecues. In addition, this Filipino group is cultivating a contemporary approach to Catholicism that is more easily acceptable and accessible to the youth. This initiative carried out by Father Glenn, represents the ideology of a large number of priests who wish to cater to the needs of parishioners in untraditional ways. Although events like the fun run would not typically be associated with Roman Catholicism, or religion in general, Father Glenn believes that they can be beneficial in strengthening religious faith among members of the community.
Father Glenn also spoke of the communication issues that can arise between priests and children attending mass. Because of the age gap that exists between priests and younger parishioners, it is not always easy for priests to convey their messages through words during mass. As a devoted priest, Father Glenn strives to prepare relatable homilies that appeal to a wide age group. “You really need to lead them into prayer, and they will know by the tone of your voice, your disposition, they will know if you are really involved,” he explained. “I am so happy that I think I built that connection with most of the parishioners.” This description given by Father Glenn regarding his homily preparation process enables people to see the careful consideration taken by certain priests before mass commences. Father Glenn also spoke about specialized masses geared exclusively toward children, as a way to enhance their in-church experiences and feelings towards mass in general. Although Father Glenn wholeheartedly advocates for his form of youth outreach, it has not been fully put into effect at St. Peter’s because of time conflicts that arose during the parish’s recent merger with Assumption St. Paul.
Considering the popularity of Pope Francis, Father Glenn’s attitude regarding the Church’s future remains optimistic. Father Glenn praised Pope Francis as a religious leader and his capability of reaching future generations throughout the interview. “If it’s not from the clergy, that people can look to the Pope and find faith. So, I think the media is doing good also in making good publicity of this Pope.” Father Glenn acknowledges the positive message being sent to young Catholics by the Vatican and appreciates the work of Pope Francis. Religious leaders of the Catholic faith want to effectively communicate and relate to members of younger generations and have found various ways in which younger people can approach their faith or become more spiritually connected to the Church. Father Glenn of St. Peter’s Church demonstrates the relevance of participation among various age groups within parishes in conjunction with an untraditional outreach so that younger parishioners can develop a deeper faith.
Paula Bongiovanni is currently a Sophomore at the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the College of Staten Island. She is pursuing a BA in Italian Studies and History, and looks forward to spending a summer semester in Italy.
Interview with Matthew Lamattina and Phyllis LaMattina
Transcription Here
Italian Immigrants and the Rosebank Church
Today New York City is home to over 3 million Italian Americans. When the Italian immigrants first came to America many settled in downtown Manhattan, in an area that came to be known as Little Italy. Living conditions in Little Italy were terrible. Large families were forced to live in tiny tenement apartments with sometimes up to five or six family members sharing a tiny bedroom. When the immigrants were able to save up enough money many moved their families to Staten Island where it was more rural and land was relatively inexpensive. Phyllis Lamattina, a longtime resident of the Roosebank area, has the knowledge of the Italian immigrants’ relationship to St. Joseph by Rosebank Church and how important the values of family was to the immigrants. In this interview. Ms. Lamattina, shares a brief oral history of her family and tells of this importance of family and church to the Italian immigrants.
Like so many Italian immigrants who came to the United States in the early part of the twentieth century, Ms. Lamattina‘s grandparents first settled in downtown Manhattan, in an area that came to be known as Little Italy. Her grandfather first came here alone in 1907, leaving his wife and young son home in Italy. After finding a place to live and saving up some money, he then sent for his family. Living conditions in Little Italy were terrible. Large families were forced to live in tiny tenement apartments with sometimes up to five or six family members sharing a tiny bedroom. When the immigrants were able to save up enough money many moved their families to more rural areas such as Staten Island where land was relatively inexpensive.
In the late 1800s, many Italian immigrants began settling in the Rosebank-Fort Wadsworth section of Staten Island. Rosebank is located in the northeast part of Staten Island and is bordered on the south by Fort Wadsworth, so named because it surrounds a former military installation of the same name.
Ms. Lamattina’s grandparents moved to the Fort Wadsworth area in 1923. According to stories, she was told as a child, having lived in a tiny tenement apartment in Little Italy for several years with his family, her grandfather purchased a parcel of land in Fort Wadsworth without telling anyone in his family. He came here on the weekends and, with the help of his friends, built his home himself. When the house was completed, he brought h
is family here and surprised them with their new home. The house remained in the family for three generations.
In 1902, with so many Italian immigrants moving into the area, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Rosebank became the first Italian parish in Staten Island. The church served as the parish for Italian immigrants across Staten Island for many years. The original church was located on St. Mary’s Avenue, and the first pastor was Reverend Paoli Iacomino, who served as pastor until 1905. In 1905, the Reverend Monsignor Anthony Cattoggio came to the Church from Italy and served as pastor for 53 years, until his death in 1959 (Mele).
Speaking little or no English, life was very difficult for the early Italian immigrants. Many could not read or write and had very little support outside their immediate families. The Church played an important role in their life. Ms. Lamattina says that, “I think the church was a place that provided comfort for them. Most of them weren’t living in good conditions and the church was a place where they could come and see people and friends and socialize. In addition, I remember my grandma telling me that the priest used to write letters back to their family back in Italy because most of the immigrants, when they came here, couldn’t read or write.
By the 1950s the parish of St. Joseph’s had grown and it was decided that a larger church was needed. In 1957 the new ch
urch was completed across the street on Tompkins Avenue. In 1963 a new school was built. Unfortunately, several years ago, due to financial difficulties, the school was forced to close down and the church has been merged with two other parishes.
Ms. Lamattina’s family attended St. Joseph’s for four generations, with many of her family members receiving their sacraments there. Although Ms. Lamattina considers herself a lapsed Catholic and no longer attends church, she stated that, “It feels sad, it’s sad that the church is no longer in existence, because it was such an important part of Staten Island history and Italian-American history. You know, it meant so much to Italian-Americans, the history of Italian-Americans on Staten Island, and we lost a little part of that history.”
When asked if she would ever consider going back to the church Ms. Lamattina stated that she did go back to the Church for a little bit about ten fifteen years ago. “I was attending church on Sundays, and I kind of moved away from it again. It wasn’t anyone thing in particular. Just as I got older I just moved away from the chur
ch and some of their beliefs. I do think some of their practices…some of their beliefs, are a bit out of touch with what’s going on in society today. Like I said there wasn’t anything in particular, not just one thing.”
In the Italian culture, family and food is very important, “One thing we use to do in my family” says Ms. Lamattina, “was we use to gather together every Sunday for Sunday dinner with my aunts and uncles and cousins. She also spoke about how different it was growing up in the 1950s. Most Italian-American families at that were very traditional in that they had stay at home moms, and who fathers went to work. Children were more independent and did more things on their own. Children would go to school by themselves, walk home by themselves, go out and play and be able to walk around the neighborhood and go to the movies by themselves.
One regret Ms. Lamattina has is not getting to know her grandmother better. “I was very young when she died but I do remember her as being a very loving woman and I often thing about her struggle because she came not knowing English, you know, she didn’t speak the language, and she didn’t have any family here, I think she had some distant relatives living in Manhattan at the time, but she didn’t have anybody here, she had six children, raising them on her own mostly because my grandfather worked so I always think about what her struggle was like…and World War 2 and she had four sons all fighting in Europe and the Pacific all at the same time, and everybody who knew her said you never heard her complain about anything and from what I remember about her she was a very loving and kind woman. But I never really got to know her well enough to know how she really felt about living here and was it her dream to come here…”
Ms. Lamattina still resides in the Fort Wadsworth area, several blocks from where her grandparents’ house once stood. She has seen many other changes in the area over the years. Although many Italian-Americans still reside in the area, in recent years, many have moved away and new families have moved in. Many of the new residents are of diverse backgrounds, including many Asians, South Asians and Eastern European (Lefkowitz). Ms. Lamattina believes it is important to keep Italian traditions alive by passing down stories about her family that were passed down to her. She also likes to cook traditional Italian meals from recipes that were passed down from generation to generation. Says Ms. Lamattina, “I think it’s important that whatever your ethnic background is or whatever your history is, that you should know, it should be passed down to each generation, so they know about where they came from, and how they got to where they are right now.”
Matthew Lamattina is currently a Sophomore at The Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, The College of Staten Island. He is currently working on a BA in Political Science and History. He enjoys playing basketball and is an avid fan of the NBA.
Interview with Marco Costanza and Lastenia Velasquez
Transcript and audio file not available due to narrator request
Modernism: Catalyst of Roman Catholic Faith
Imagine sitting alone, head pointing down, legs crossed, twiddling your thumbs. This is your daily routine as you come from one job to the next. The NYC bus loudly makes its way to the next stop. The bus is beginning to get crowded as familiar faces enter, mothers and their coming children from school, men and women coming from work, teenagers from their high schools. These same faces, smiling and showing appreciation for life. Love is radiating from mothers and fathers, innocence emitting from little children and innovative futures sparking from teenagers. These faces, as they do everyday, attract the conversation that you cannot provide, life is difficult and you don’t have anyone to rely on, so you sit down and pray, even though you know you haven’t been to church in months… is this sinful? Are you still considered Catholic?
The United States of America is a nation recognized for its ample immigrant population, a variety of cultures cultivated and assimilated together in a “melting pot,” and an abundance of religious diversity. Among these religions, the number of self-identified Catholics has risen in the past half-century from 48.5 million to 76.7 million. In addition, southern and western dioceses have seen notable expansions. These occurrences can be attributed to the the large number of immigrants coming from Latin America (Lipka). Although the statistics portray increasing popularity within the Roman Catholic faith, the New York Archdiocese reported that only 12% of Catholics regularly attend Sunday mass resulting in the merging of 112 parishes (Lipka). The disparity between the statistics of increasing self-identifying Catholics and widespread low mass attendance as well as a shortage of priests is superficially contradictory. This decline in Catholic practice has been associated with the Church’s incompetence in keeping up with the modernization of society, or “modernism”. A set of theological positions that were stated to be incompatible with Catholic belief by the Vatican in 1907 (Cadegan 47). As the modernization of society advances and threatens the traditional beliefs of the Vatican, conventional Catholic practice continues to set new broadened standards for self-identifying Roman Catholics, such as Lastenia Velasquez, evoking a change in Catholic piety.
Lastenia Del Carmen Velasquez is a prime example of a modern-day Roman Catholic, holding traditional beliefs while carrying out her practice in a more open-minded fashion. She currently remains active in her parish, Saint Peter’s, but her past experiences and hardships throughout life have truly shaped her perspective on Catholic practice. Lastenia Velasquez holds a close relationship with Parochial Vicar and priest at Saint Peter’s Parish, Fr. Glendino Ragsaag or “Father Glen”. Father Glen recommended Lastenia to be interviewed about changing Catholic piety and assimilation into an unfamiliar parish, considering her vast expertise on this topic.
Lastenia Velasquez is a married mother of two born in the capital city of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, and is one of four children, raised by two devout Roman Catholic parents. She states “ back home we were very traditional, we [Lastenia and her brothers] went to Catholic elementary school, Catholic high school, and a private college with a little church.” Alongside her faith, many traditional Honduran and hispanic influences have been integrated in her practice. This integration of religion and traditional customs were carried to her new home in the U.S, and remained a part of her unique religious identity. Initially, Lastenia came to America with the intent of learning the English language, but decided to overstay in this “land of opportunity.” As a result, she had faced many challenges related to being a foreigner and an immigrant, both financially and spiritually. This difficult immigration process resulted in an alteration of the way Lastenia practiced her faith. Specifically, weekly mass attendance, holy communion, and confession were briefly neglected. These traditional practices, were vital to obtaining the privilege of self-identifying as a Catholic in Honduras.
Being raised in Honduras, Lastenia Del Carmen Velasquez came from a conventional Roman Catholic household. She states “90 to 95 percent of my country’s population is Catholic… we keep it very traditional” Lastenia elaborated stating that traditional religious practice in Honduras was integrated in and out of the home, and at weekly mass. She states, “every sunday, we had to go to church and at home, at 3 o’clock would pray the rosary every day at 7 o’clock we would say novenas together.. I still have 2 little books with prayers, one in Spanish and one in English that I carry around in my pocket book.” Religion was one of the most important aspects of Honduran culture at all times, as miniature physical reminders of Roman Catholic faith were present in and out of the home as reminders of faith. In addition, when discussing religion in the household, Lastenia exclaimed, “My grandma had a little altar in her house… she had a little statue of the virgin Mary… a little Jesus, the cross and many candles and we used to go on our knees near this altar and actually pray to it!” These core principle of religious faith were instilled in Mrs. Velasquez from a young age and she was able to carry that throughout her life. When reflecting upon the time she distanced herself away from her Catholic faith, Lastenia expressed that she continued to self-identify as the same Roman Catholic who previously associated with the Church more frequently.
Alongside the hardships Lastenia endured, there were several other contributing factors that prohibited her from carrying over her accustomed religious traditions to American churches. She states “language is the number one problem… I didn’t speak any English and life was hectic, I had to make a living… and unfortunately some priests have been gaining bad reputations.” As a result, these factors modified her Catholic practice for the positive by molding her traditional beliefs around the obstacles life threw at her. Lastenia discussed an effective ways in doing so, she states “I prayed every single night and morning, I prayed on the bus too, I found myself praying all the time.” By doing so, she was able to maintain her close relationship with God and religious values, accommodating her lifestyle and continuing to self-identify as a Roman Catholic. Although these specific ways of religious expression did not reflect the stricter religious principles instilled in Lastenia in Honduras, she still believes that she’s upholding the Catholic mission.
The Catholic mission states to spread the word of God and to share what Jesus has taught through the scriptures, however Lastenia interprets this mission with a multivalent perspective. When asked about this privilege of self identifying as a Catholic while not being a “traditionally practicing Catholic,” Lastenia responded “once you are a Catholic, you will always be a Catholic…it’s part of us… something of who I am, not what my name is.” Emphasizing greatly on the fact that traditional practice does not determine religious devotion, Lastenia views Catholicism as a core principle instilled within a person’s soul. Ultimately, she believes this core principle along with the embraced Word for God are the most important components of Catholicism. Formalities surrounding the religion do not provide an indication or assay of this spiritual principle within a person. Although she states “believe me, it would be a different world if just everyone just went to mass on a regular basis it would be unrealistic.” Upon discovering the bilingual masses offered at St.Peter’s, described in the interview as“un milagro” (a miracle), Lastenia was able to reconnect with her faith and actively attend masses on a weekly basis. By doing so, Lastenia felt as though she was strengthening and rediscovering her core principles of faith and traditional ways of practice.
St. Peter’s, however, has implemented various untraditional ways of practice that include events such as coffee and cake after mass, lunches and refreshments in the chapel, dinner dances, and celebrated hispanic feast days to keep the Catholic community close-knit. Lastenia happens to be one of the many enthused and involved parishioners as she states, “I feel fuller, more happy, more connected to everyone like back home…It’s a different connection with [people of] different cultural beliefs, it’s just very unique and special.” Supplemental to the ability of speaking her native tongue, Lastenia has established a deeper connection with fellow parishioners, many of whom are in the same situation as her. Together, sharing the same beliefs, similar cultures and comparable pasts, these non-traditional Catholic events acted as a catalyst to their friendships. These events have received substantial amounts of positive feedback at St. Peter’s where the parishioners have become greatly involved. The increased participation resulted in the integration of traditional Hispanic practices from home such as “la mesa del gallo,” and “la mesa del virgen de guadalupe.” With mass attendance at an all time low, it is important that the Church remains welcoming to minority groups, where large percentages of their population are Roman Catholic. This inviting atmosphere of the church, creates a loving community where parishioners do not feel isolated
Ultimately, the shift in Roman Catholicism is contingent on modernism of society, regardless of whether or not the Vatican has set the standard that they are incompatible. The faith will not prosper, if the parishioners feel removed or distanced from the Church. These practitioners, coming together in unity, truly portray what it means to be Catholic. Lastenia Del Carmen Velasquez is one of the millions of self-identifying Catholics in the United States, and demonstrates that regardless of how religion is practiced, faith can be integrated with daily life. Although different from what she practiced in her home country, her message and moral values remain the same making her feel less different, and more connected, setting a new standard to who can self-identify as a “Roman Catholic”. The modernist culture of 2016, the source of change in Catholic practice is being embraced by Roman Catholics throughout the country as an opportunity. This opportunity has widened the fine border of what Roman Catholicism is and has constructed a more attainable religion appealing to more diverse crowds. This recent, embracive attitude of parishes are enabling more people to be less hesitant about identifying as Roman Catholic. Overall, the modernization of Catholic piety has created a more promising future for the Roman Catholic Church and its followers. This opportunity has widened the fine border of what Roman Catholicism is and has constructed a more attainable religion appealing to more diverse crowds.
Marco Costanza is currently a Sophomore at The Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, The College of Staten Island. He is working on a BS in Psychology with a focus on neuroscience and minor in Spanish studies. He enjoys volunteering and traveling!
