Question about Catholic Poles in Ireland and Catholicism

Roger Buck · 06-05-2013 5:00pm #1

I am very interested in the Poles and Eastern Europeans living here in Ireland.

Personally, I am very grateful that you are here!

Now I need to tell you WHY I am grateful and it is to do with the profound Christianity I see in the Polish people.

(I hope I won't offend any non-Christian Poles here. I certainly don't assume that every Pole is Christian. I don't want to stereotype you!)

But anyway if any Polish Catholics here don't mind answering some/any of my questions, I'd be very grateful.

Here are some of my questions.

1. I see a great piety in Poles and feel that your piety can help the troubled situation of the Church here in Ireland. Do you agree?

2. What is your experience of the Church here in Ireland? Do you feel welcomed or not?

3. To what extent do you feel Poles and Eastern will settle in Ireland, make Ireland their home, eventually intermarry with the Irish and raise children? In terms of percentages, how many will likely leave and how many will stay?

4. Do you have any advice for Irish Catholics based on what you see of the situation of the Church here?

God bless you all, Eastern European friends ...

gugleguy · 06-05-2013 5:12pm

Why not pop down to St Audiens church which is a stones throw from and to the left of Christ Church Cathedral . Caterng for dublin polish catholic congregation they also have an english mass there or used to around 1pm on sundays. Why not ask the priest who says this mass.

Roger Buck · 07-05-2013 10:09am

Thank you, gugleguy. I do hope to get there someday. Dublin is a long way from me, but I guess there must be something similar in Belfast which is a little closer for me.

Still if anyone here can tell me anything - doesn't have to be very complete - just anything at all, I'd be grateful.

syntax1 · 07-05-2013 3:18pm

You could start by stop calling them 'Eastern Europeans'. That's almost as bad as calling Poland 'Post-Soviet'. Just call them what they are, 'Poles'. When I think of 'Eastern Europe' I think of Ukraine, Belarus, Western Russia, Moldova, Transnistria.

Roger Buck · 07-05-2013 3:38pm

I am truly sorry to have offended you.

I mean that. As much as I appreciate what your culture is offering this country, I know little about it.

Please forgive me for my errors.

The reason I said "EEs" in the post above is that I didn't want to limit it to Poles, but also Catholics in Lithuania, Latvia etc. So I said in my first line Poles and Eastern Europeans. But in my last line I lumped you together - sorry.

Maybe I am appalling incorrect or out of date, but I always saw Europe divided East and West that way.

Your own great Blessed John Paul II spoke about Europe breathing with both lungs East and West and he included Poland in the Eastern lung.

But I would like to learn here how to be respectful to your culture.

I am sorry.

syntax1 · 07-05-2013 5:40pm

No worries at all! I was just pointing it out. Maybe I came across a bit harsh, that's what happens when you acculturalise in a new country. The Estonians have a very different manner of talking. They don't waste time on the small talk. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I am Irish :-) I just live in Estonia (which btw, considers itself Nordic).

Have a nice day!

PS: Good luck with your information hunt.

Question about Catholic Poles in Ireland and Catholicism

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