The shift in the geographic center of Catholicism from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West is presenting a challenge to the church, says Smith of the Pew Research Center.

“This has real repercussions, in terms of trying to find a match between where the resources are, where the parishes are, where the priests are, where the schools are, and where the people are,” he says.

If that problem can be solved, however, immigrants can revitalize Catholic congregations. St. Helena in Philadelphia, for instance, counts about 200 Vietnamese families among its congregation. Longtime parishioners there say that as they get to know the immigrant newcomers, they appreciate what they bring to the community.

“The warmth of the Spanish people to me is so heartfelt,” says Mary Black, the longtime parishioner. “The devoutness of the Vietnamese always inspires me. The folks that come from Africa with their dress, Indians who come in saris — it’s an amazing experience.”

Her friend Anita Repsch, a St. Helena member for 58 years, says she often attends Mass with her immigrant friends.

“We go to Mass that’s Spanish or Vietnamese, and because our Mass is so structured, we can follow it and know what’s happening. It doesn’t have to be in our language,” 71-year-old Repsch says. “Basically we can pray together, no matter what language we use.”

As the first prelate from Latin America, Pope Francis is promoting such cross-cultural tolerance, and 84-year-old sociologist William D’Antonio, himself a practicing Catholic, says he’s encouraged by the changes in his church.

“We could be a model for the world of how Catholics from all over know how to live together,” he says.

With additional reporting by Richard Gonzales.

— via NPR