Untitled - Digitizing America

highest rank attained by any American in the
Church.
As the 1970's began their progression, Catholic
parishes of America were still in the process of
embracing the many changes now broughtto their
religious life. Parish Councils, English-rather
than Latin-masses, "Jazz" and "Folk" masses,
and in many cases Spanish masses, congregational
singing, lay cornmentators, repositioning of
the Altar, participation-rather than
spectatorship-in the Mass. Priests and Protestant
ministers visited each other's pulpits.
Though parish men seldom dug church foundations
anymore, they did form work crews for painting,
decorating, repairing, refurbishing, just as the
ladies have always attended to the scrubbing,
polishing, and beautifying through the actual labor
as well as fund-raising. Masses held in private
homes-now by choice rather than long-ago
necessity-brought a special closeness to many.
Another special closeness-that of perfectly at
tuned married couples-was engendered by a
movement called "Marriage Encounter." ln a
weekend of study and self-exploration, husband
and wife learn a new way to "reach out and experience
one another." The interlocked rings encircling
a cross and crowned with a heart form a red
and gold car-window insignia that elicits smiles
and warm greetings from other Marriage Encounter
families wherever they cross paths.
A phenomenon of the Seventies has been the
emergence of the "new ethnicity," a resurgence
of interest and pride in the diverse
nationalities that form American Catholicism.
A new emphasis on neighborhood,
parish, and family by Poles, ltalians, Slovaks,
Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Croatians and
others has served as an antidote for the
rootlessness of the day.
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Social concerns continue to occupy the Church
and her peopie. ln 1970, the National Conference
of Catholic Bishops helped negotiate a settlement
between striking farm workers and owners. Prolifers
of all religions have joined the Catholic
people in the Right To Life battle against abortion
and "death with dignity" laws.
The Seventies brought such seemingly innovative
concepts as the "team ministry" pastorate. ln actuality,
this is an extension of the work done by
Christ and His apostles as they worked together
among the people, serving individual needs. The
priests within the group set an example for the
greater team ministry of the faithful themselves in
their responsibility to share in the mission of
Jesus.
Lay ministries were established in many progressive
programs spear-headed by young people as
well as adults. And "the Charismatics" swept a
refreshing new movement into Catholicism.
The June 16, 1973, issue of Ame rica, in describing
the Charismatic Renewal Conference held at
Notre Dame two weeks earlier, quipped, "the Holy
Spirit is a ghost no longer in Roman Catholicism."
The story explained: "The weekend was an ex-