On Saturday, March 25, the Office for Worship and Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) will present a workshop for local Catholics titled “A Culture of Encounter: Liturgy in a Shared Parish,” from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parish community center at Incarnation Church in Glendale.
The workshop will explore how various language communities in shared parishes can work and pray together to form one community in Christ. Two nationally known experts in the field of interculturation will lead the morning: Brother Rufino Zaragoza, OFM, and Pedro Rubalcava.
“I am continually reexamining my approaches and presuppositions of how to foster the bringing together of various cultures for liturgy. I always learn new approaches and techniques from listening to the stories of workshop participants,” said Brother Zaragoza in a recent interview. He explained that, over a period of years, a culturally diverse parish will often progress from being “multilingual” (with separate liturgies for each language) to “multicultural” (with one unified parish choir in lieu of separate ones) to “intercultural” (with diverse gatherings and services).
“Our [parishes] are challenged to reflect Pope Francis’ … ‘culture of encounter,’” he said. “May our embrace of the Gospel urge us to go out, welcome the stranger and become living examples of unity in diversity.”
Other workshop speakers will include Fe Musgrave, pastoral associate at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Rowland Heights, and Dr. Linda O’Brien-Rothe, a multicultural liturgy and music instructor. Parish music directors, volunteer musicians, liturgy committee members, pastors, deacons and other parish staff are encouraged to attend.
The March 25 workshop will be offered in both English and Spanish. Cost: $20/person. For more information, email [email protected].
