Occasional Papers

Today’s Refugees and the World of Communications

This paper explores how refugees are represented in today’s media. It states that the news media paint pictures that tell their viewers and readers that we live in a messy world. The Church calls upon the media to promote an...

Italian Immigrants in the Archives of the Apostolic Delegation of the United States

This source is an extensive archive of the Apostolic Delegation of the United States. It shows the large Catholic representation of the delegates, which lead them to stand not just for the Holy See, but also for Italian emigrants. ......

The Pastoral Challenges of the New Immigration

This paper includes descriptions of the historical link between religion and the immigrants’ culture and mobility, key issues in today’s ministry of immigrants, and practical steps that can be indicated in response to the pastoral needs of newcomers. These steps...

The Catholic Church and the Phenomenon of Migration: An Overview

This paper provides a history of migrant care provided by the Catholic Church, important fathers of the church involved with migrants, and a description of relevant pontifical documents on migration. The papal teachings have been interpreted throughout the ages as...

The Pastoral Care of Migrants in the Directives of the Church

This paper was presented at the IX Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People held in Rome on October 24-26, 1988. It includes a description of the term “migrant,” the need for...

Ethnicity and Multiculturalism in the Australian Catholic Church

This paper states the need for the Church to respond to the cultural diversity among the faithful, by relying on its own tradition of pluralism and universalism. It describes the Catholic faith as a faith which provides a unifying framework...

A Lesson from History: The Integration of Immigrants in the Pastoral Practice of the Church in the United States

This paper explores the connection between ethnic and social backgrounds, particularly religion, to historical patterns of immigration. It states that ethnicity is a dynamic force that keeps the church in constant flux and that contributes to its constant creativity.......

Itinerant Missions: Alternate Experiences in the History of Scalabrinians in North America Author: Graziano Battistella, c.s.

This study defines Bishops Scalabrini’s concept of itinerant missions, how that concept was implemented by the first missionaries, and monitors the resurgence of the idea in the history of the Scalabrinian Congregation in the United States. It also includes considerations...

A Scalabrinian Mission among Polish Immigrants in Boston 1893-1909

This paper describes Scalabrini’s mission among Polish Immigrants. The paper states that the evolution of Scalabrini’s understanding of his Congregation and the peculiar style of group belonging and identity of the first missionaries seem to explain the events and the...

Evolution of the Mission of the Scalabrinian Congregation

This study follows the historical evolution of the Scalabrini Congregation. In particular, it questions whether the foundation of Bishop Scalabrini was to remain tied only to the pastoral care of the Italians and their descendants or was it to opened...