A Different Kind Of Catholicism Grows In Latino Communities

By Marlon Bishop and Maria Hinojosa, NPR Code Switch

In the Saint Anthony of Padua Church in the Bronx, Wednesday night is prayer meeting night.

Fifty people gather in the spare assembly room for a ceremony that looks very different from a Catholic Sunday Mass.

For one thing, the service is led by a woman rather than a male priest. She preaches excitedly while a rock band of young Salvadoran immigrants backs her up.

Some people in the audience hold up their hands; others are swaying gently. There are tears in the crowd.

Suddenly, the woman stops speaking in Spanish and begins speaking in tongues.

It may sound indecipherable, but for the faithful, it’s a sacred language given to them by the Holy Spirit.

Welcome To A Different Kind Of Catholicism

Click HERE to read the full story.

[Photo courtesy of Latino USA]

 

 

 

Subscribe today!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Must Read