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Ernest Rodriguez' "Impressions," 1960s-1980s

""The Mexican American and the Catholic Church--A position paper"" by Ernest Rodriguez Page 2

2

Now let's take a look at the Church and the Mexican Americans in the Davenport Diocese which embraces the Mexican American concentrations in Scott county, Muscatine, West Liberty, Burlington and Fort Madison. 
Using the 1970 U.S. Census as an indicator we find that there are an estimated 4,000 Mexican Americans living in the diocese, not counting another 2,000 Mexican American Migrants who come into the Muscatine area during the summer months for the tomato harvest. 
The 4,000 permanent residents represent 3.7 % of the total Catholic population in the Davenport Diocese, yet out of 775 clergy and religious, (230 priests, 8 brothers and 537 sisters) active in the diocese, there are only 4 sisters and one brother of Mexican descent. 
Mexican Americans are conspicuously absent from the decision making bodies such as the parish councils, the Diocesan Lay Council, and the Diocesan Pastoral Council..The Pastoral Council has the very important function of advising the Bishop on budgetary matters. The Bishop has the prerogative of appointing four representatives to the council. 
At this point let us consider the possibilities for the Mexican American entering the priest hood and serving the spiritual needs of our people following the traditional religious practices of our culture. Recruitment of priests from Mexico is desirable but difficult from a financial viewpoint. 
A much more desirable program would be to establish an exchange agreement with the Church in Mexico whereby a priest from a  parish with a concentration of Mexican people would go to Mexico for six months or a year and take the place of a Mexican parish priest who would take his place in our diocese. This would afford an opportunity for Anglo-priests to learn our culture and language first-hand and a Mexican priest to not

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2 Now let's take a look at the Church and the Mexican Americans in the Davenport Diocese which embraces the Mexican American concentrations in Scott county, Muscatine, West Liberty, Burlington and Fort Madison. Using the 1970 U.S. Census as an indicator we find that there are an estimated 4,000 Mexican Americans living in the diocese, not counting another 2,000 Mexican American Migrants who come into the Muscatine area during the summer months for the tomato harvest. The 4,000 permanent residents represent 3.7 % of the total Catholic population in the Davenport Diocese, yet out of 775 clergy and religious, (230 priests, 8 brothers and 537 sisters) active in the diocese, there are only 4 sisters and one brother of Mexican descent. Mexican Americans are conspicuously absent from the decision making bodies such as the parish councils, the Diocesan Lay Council, and the Diocesan Pastoral Council..The Pastoral Council has the very important function of advising the Bishop on budgetary matters. The Bishop has the prerogative of appointing four representatives to the council. At this point let us consider the possibilities for the Mexican American entering the priest hood and serving the spiritual needs of our people following the traditional religious practices of our culture. Recruitment of priests from Mexico is desirable but difficult from a financial viewpoint. A much more desirable program would be to establish an exchange agreement with the Church in Mexico whereby a priest from a parish with a concentration of Mexican people would go to Mexico for six months or a year and take the place of a Mexican parish priest who would take his place in our diocese. This would afford an opportunity for Anglo-priests to learn our culture and language first-hand and a Mexican priest to not