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The Catholic Church also played a role in facilitating the assimilation of Puerto Ricans into American society. The Church encouraged Puerto Ricans to learn English and to participate in American civic life. The Church also helped to bridge the cultural gap between Puerto Ricans and Americans.

Specific religious and social practices adopted by the New York Archdiocese and its priests to facilitate assimilation in U.S. communities

The New York Archdiocese and its priests adopted a number of specific religious and social practices to facilitate the assimilation of Puerto Ricans into American society. These practices included:

• English language Masses: The Archdiocese began offering English language Masses for Puerto Rican migrants in the early 1950s. This helped to make the Church more accessible to Puerto Ricans who did not speak Spanish.
• Bilingual priests: The Archdiocese also began recruiting and training bilingual priests to serve Puerto Rican communities. This helped to ensure that Puerto Rican migrants had access to religious services in their own language.
• Spanish-language religious materials: The Archdiocese also began producing Spanish-language religious materials, such as Bibles, prayer books, and catechisms. This helped to make the Catholic faith more accessible to Puerto Rican migrants.
• Social services: The Archdiocese also provided a number of social services to Puerto Rican migrants, such as job training, housing assistance, and English language classes. These services helped Puerto Rican migrants to adjust to their new lives in the United States.

General responses of migrants

The general response of Puerto Rican migrants to the Catholic Church’s efforts to facilitate assimilation was mixed. Some Puerto Rican migrants were grateful for the Church’s support and assistance. Others were more resistant to the Church’s efforts to assimilate them into American society.

Some Puerto Rican migrants felt that the Catholic Church was trying to force them to abandon their Puerto Rican culture and identity. Others felt that the Church was not doing enough to help them to preserve their culture and traditions.

Despite the mixed responses, the Catholic Church played an important role in the Great Migration of Puerto Ricans. The Church provided Puerto Rican migrants with support and assistance during a time of great transition. The Church also helped to facilitate the assimilation of Puerto Ricans into American society.

Conclusion

The role of Catholicism in the Great Migration of Puerto Ricans was complex and multifaceted. The Catholic Church provided Puerto Rican migrants with support and assistance during a time of great transition. The Church also helped to facilitate the assimilation of Puerto Ricans into American society. However, the Church’s efforts to assimilate Puerto Ricans were met with mixed responses from migrants.