International Priests Given Guides

By Linda Busetti

Linda Busetti Photo

INTERNATIONAL PRIESTS who serve in the diocese attended a meeting hosted by the Migration Office, March 28, at which Msgr. Ronald Marino, liaison to international priests, provided information ranging from accent reduction classes to visas.

Priests from Ghana, Italy, Colombia, and India, as well as other nations, met March 28 with Msgr. Ronald Marino, liaison to international priests in the diocese, at the diocesan offices in Park Slope.

Msgr. Marino extended to the more than 60 priests Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio’s thanks for “your missionary service… When he meets you and sees you and hears people love you, he feels gratified. The diocese feels very fortunate to experience the universal Church here.”

Msgr. Marino also serves as diocesan vicar for Migrant and Ethnic Apostolates and director of the Catholic Migration Office.

Another meeting for approximately 100 priests coming to work in the diocese this summer will be held in July.
Msgr. Marino pointed out important dates for the priests to mark on their calendars, including an April 19 meeting at the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, where the bishop will distribute a Clergy Personnel Manual. Another was the Diocesan Migration Day on Sept. 22.

Msgr. Marino said international priests are often left behind to keep an eye on parishes when the priests of the diocese go away for their annual retreat. So he asked Bishop DiMarzio to organize a retreat for the international priests and the bishop has agreed. Parishes will pay the costs of the retreat to take place possibly in November.

As Father Francisco Mendoza, O.S.B., parochial vicar at St. Gerard Majella, Hollis, entered, he picked up a packet of information about services offered by the Migration Office and sat down to have his photo taken for an I.D.
In each packet were brochures about new immigration law to bring back to the parishes.

“You are immigrants yourselves,” Msgr. Marino reminded them. “Always maintain proper documentation about yourself. You are technically foreigners in the U.S. and the U.S. is strict.”

He explained that it takes six months to renew a visa. That process must be started early enough so a priest will not have to leave the country. If not, it can take about 18 months before the priest can return. “It is very important to stay on top of the information in your passport,” he said. This includes providing legible copies of visas and I94 (Arrival-Departure) cards to the Migration Office.

“We need to know where you are going,” Msgr. Marino said, “because even with a green card there is no guarantee you can come back into the country. The most dangerous thing is to leave the U.S. without proper papers.”

Msgr. Marino reminded the priests their “liturgical practice” must conform to tradition in the U.S. where Mass is about 45-60 minutes in length. Although Mass in their home countries might go on for two hours, here clearing the parking lot promptly after Mass can become an issue.

International priests who come to work in the diocese are “supposed to speak English well,” he said, “but that is not always the case.”

The Migration Office offers accent reduction and conversational English classes for priests. The eight-week classes begin May 4 and June 1, respectively. They are offered for free to priests in the diocese through a grant from Alive in Hope.

“Every priest who works in the diocese must go through sex abuse prevention training (VIRTUS training),” Msgr. Marino added. “It is required.”

With the April 15 income tax deadline upon us, Msgr. Marino reminded the priests that “everyone who gets paid has to pay income tax” in the United States. A confused priest from Colombia questioned Msgr. Marino about money taken out for Medicare and Social Security.

Deacon Julio Barreneche of the Clergy Personnel Office and Father Fulgencio Gutierrez, coordinator of the Pastoral Services Department of Catholic Migration, were also on hand to answer questions.

Msgr. Marino outlined requirements for a priest who wants to become incardinated in the diocese.

“If you want to be incardinated in the future, one test will be your ability to speak English,” he advised. A priest must also “demonstrate liturgical competency”; serve in more than one assignment; be less than 45 years old; and be here in the diocese for five years. Most important, the home bishop must be willing to “let you go,” he explained. “Incardination is permanent, not a vacation,” he added.

Msgr. Marino stressed how important it is for the priests to “connect with the people of your apostolate… You come from their country. You know their life and their difficulties… They will tell you more things than they tell us.”

Priests from the same country should also come together as the Polish priests in the diocese do each month, he said.

“You are not here because there is a shortage of priests,” Msgr. Marino said. “The Church is universal. We need your help ministering to people from your country…. They are here now, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be able to worship in their own language.” Mass is celebrated in the diocese in 25 languages every weekend, he said.

“It is the charism of the Diocese of Brooklyn to be an immigrant diocese.”

Bluntly speaking, Msgr. Marino said, “If you don’t get involved, we have no reason to keep you here.” A priest should be seen and take part in immigrant celebrations of his apostolate. “If you are here on vacation or to watch TV in the rectory, it would be better to go home.”
Father Kevin Sweeney, director of the Vocation Office, asked the priests to pray for and encourage vocations among their constituents. He said this year the bishop will ordain nine new priests for the diocese, four of whom are immigrants.

During a break, Father Jose Panthaplamthottiyil, CMI, a native of India, and pastor of Holy Family (Slovak), Greenpoint, said that he has enjoyed returning to parish work in the past two years here. In India, his work had been in the media and he continues to write a column for a newspaper in Kerala, India. He also serves as Coordinator General for 110 members of his order, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate.

“No one asks them what they have done” in their home countries, Msgr. Marino said of the international priests. Many have been pastors, administrators or have run hospitals, he said.

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