A Columban parish in California helps migrants assimilate by offering English as a Second Language classes.
By Fr. Bob Clark

If you grew up in a large city, you are perhaps used to interacting with people who speak English with an accent. I myself grew up listening to English spoken with an Italian, Polish and sometimes Russian accent.

Those of us who were born in the United States would have some fun imitating these accents. For the most part it was innocent fun, although I am sure we may have offended those who were struggling to speak properly the language of their newly adopted country.

It was only when I had to reverse roles and tried to speak Spanish in my parish that is 80 percent first-generation Mexican that I realized what an agonizing and humiliating experience it can be trying to express your thoughts, feelings or give simple directions in a second language.

English as a Second Language teachers at St. Mary’s Church in Fontana, California, gathered for a prayer before teaching their Tuesday evening classes.

Many of these parishioners are ashamed they cannot speak English as well as their children. Some cannot even read their children’s report cards from school. They feel shut out when they attend school functions and everything is conducted in English.

Often I hear people say “they ought to speak English like everybody else,” and it is clear that life would be simpler operating from one common language. However, both parents in many of my parishioner families work 10- to 12-hour days just to pay bills, provide clothing and shelter for themselves and their children.

They show themselves to be responsible people and responsible citizens in spite of prejudices that they are just welfare hounds who take advantage of every government service and give nothing in return.

Every national group that has entered the United States in the past 150 years has had to suffer the same accusations and prejudice.

Yearning To Learn
There is one striking reality about the Mexican people: they stay faithful to their religion and their faith. They immediately gravitate to churches to maintain their traditions and religious experiences. They are very comfortable in the churches here in the United States that accommodate their language and devotions.

We strive to do just that here at St. Mary’s Church.

One day it occurred to me that since these folks are so comfortable in their church, why not use the space we have for classrooms to teach English as a Second Language. I conducted a survey to see how many would actually attend such ESL classes. Amazingly, 56 people responded that they would come to classes in the church.

We set out to find suitable textbooks for our new ministry. Almost immediately, the principal of the local high school heard of our project and donated almost 100 textbooks. The next thing was to find teachers.

Again, six of our bilingual young people immediately stepped forward, volunteering their time and talent to conduct this ministry. We finally had a plan!

During one month, an incredible 125 people registered for these classes. We have been off and running ever since with excellent attendance each Tuesday evening. The classes go for almost two hours and already the students are requesting more class time.

All of the students are parents that work all day long and then look forward to learning the new language of their children. Most of these people would be too intimidated to register in a high school or college because many of them only have elementary school-level educations.

But having classes in the Church they love and support—well, that is a different story. They study alongside their fellow parishioners in a warm and accommodating setting—their very own church.

Our Catholic faith has always gone beyond caring for people spiritually. We concern ourselves with their rights as human beings. We concern ourselves with just wage issues, proper schooling, adequate health care, even down to most basic reality that we are all brothers and sisters to each another. “Because you did these things for the least of my brothers, you did them for Me.”