Sunday has come again and the traffic jam has
started in the parking lot as more and more cars begin to flood in like at a
fast food restaurant during lunchtime. However, you won’t see any obscene
gestures or hear any beeping here, because this patch of dirt is God’s parking
lot and the people here know better than to disrespect this ground.
It is well known that people tend to grasp hold
of their faith during tough times, though maybe none as hard as the devoted
congregation of the Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic,
New Jersey. This predominantly
Polish parish is one of the few spiritual strongholds for the thousands of
Roman Catholic Poles in the surrounding, immigrant-filled townships of Wallington, Garfield, and Lodi.
It is in this building where they gather and
worship at a mass spoken in their native tongue. It is something that means a
lot to people like 23-year-old Grzegorz Klecha who has been attending this
church since he and his family immigrated to the United States in 1998. “Our
church means a lot to my family, especially to my parents who don’t understand
English as well as my brothers and sister,” said Klecha.
As the well-dressed and well-groomed
parishioners enter their golden house of worship, they split down the aisles
like rainwater through a duct. Each family quickly finds their own respective
pew, claiming it as their own. They have come early and are rewarded with the
privilege of sitting and kneeling during today’s mass. Those who arrive late
are forced to stand in the back and think about what they have done in
traditional Catholic fashion.
All sit quietly; there are only a few whispers
here and there. In one of the middle aisles, a father can be seen scolding his
sons for their horseplay, while not more then two pews behind them, a mother
tries to quiet her baby and it’s echoing cries. Everyone else sits without
movement, solemnly reflecting on whatever is going on in their lives. If they
were painted the right shade of gray, one wouldn’t be able to distinguish their
grave faces from the biblical statues on the walls around them.
Suddenly, the silence is drowned out by the loud
playing of the organs located at the rear of the church. All awake from their
somber mediation and unfortunately for the young mother, her child is no
exception. All rise as the priests and altar boys enter.
As mass gets underway, the people stand, sit,
and kneel in unison. One can’t help but notice how rehearsed their movements
look. It doesn’t seem as if anyone here has missed a mass in quite some time.
It is no secret that recently jobs have been
scarce, and that these are working-class people commonly associated with the
construction trade and domestic work. However, you would not be able to tell it
here. The men are dressed in button up shirts and dress pants as if they were
heading towards some sort of interview, while the women are decked out in
various dresses and semi-formal attire. It is apparent that while people may be
hurting at the moment, they refuse to let their ongoing struggles get in the
way of their daily lives and virtues.
“I don’t think this shift in the economy has
changed the percentage of people attending mass,” says Father Grzegorz Golba.
“Their faith is what brings them here. However, there are many more people
praying for better jobs and for the economy to pick up as of lately.”
Though many of the parishioners may not know one
another personally, in this church none of that seems to matter. They did not
come here to see one another. They came to pay respect to something greater
than themselves and to pray for their friends and families.
For a community of immigrants, this place is
more than just a taste of home. It is an institution that helps guide them
through their daily lives and tribulations. It is an irreplaceable pillar of
this community that symbolizes its people’s unrelenting strength and
unwillingness to give up in their pursuit of happiness.
Though their lives may or may not all be in
turmoil right now, this congregation continues their weekly rituals the way
they carry on their daily lives, with hearts open and eyes focused on the
future. During these hard economic times, when so many have lost their jobs and
struggle to make ends meet, its nice to know people still have their faith to
get them through.
Matthew Malysa is a Rutgers-Newark student. Posted September 2009.
