" Arrangements have been made with the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of Newark for the pastoral care of the Lithuanian people. Both dioceses have parishes in which Mass is offered in the Lithuanian language."
-from Archdiocese of New York press release announcing future closure of Our Lady of Vilnius Church, January 19, 2007
"Sad to say, there will be NO Holy Week services in Lithuanian in the Diocese of Brooklyn or the Archdiocese of New York. For information about the outdoor Stations of the Cross in Maspeth on Good Friday (one station is usually said in Lithuanian) ..."
-from Annunciation parish newsletter, April 2007
2 comments:
Two staqtions are said in the Lithuanian language. The only problem ius the Lithuanian Community ignores the efforts put forth and forever publishes dsroneous information as regards the actual truth. God forgive the spreaders of erroneous and liabolous information.
I am not trying to be false or libelous. I am trying to show that the consideration given to the spiritual needs of the Lithuanian and Lithuanian-American community by the archdiocese is insufficent. Religion, language and culture are inextricably intertwined. It's not about linguistic need alone. It's about an ethos, a way of relating to each other and to God that is expressed in the hymns, images and other aspects of the liturgy. With the closing of Our Lady of Vilnius, these things are not only lost to the Lithuanian community, but to the larger Archdiocese as well. When will an English translation of "Marija, Marija" be sung in the average parish as frequently as "Lady of Knock"? When will the image Our Lady of Vilnius be as ubiquitous as Our Lady of Perpetual Help? Who in the average parish will see or hear of the Rupintojelis? How can a generation that abandoned these things in a misguided attempt at assimilation recapture them? I think they are very much worth the attention of all Catholics in the Archdiocese, but the hierarchy is destroying their potential to learn of them. It is the loss of a beneficial diversity in the Archdiocese. Our Lady of Vilnius evolved into something special and drew people to it through the power of Our Lady and the Holy Spirit. I pray that they continue to protect us.
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