The diocesan Office of Cultural Diversity, which addresses the pastoral and spiritual needs of the various minority and immigrant populations of the Diocese of Buffalo, has expanded its reach into the Asian community.
The newly-formed Asian Commission, composed of two Vietnamese, three Korean, and three Burmese members, will address the economic and spiritual concerns of those communities, as well as promote leadership and share cultural experiences.
As with the African American, African and Hispanic/Latino Commissions, the members meet once a month through Zoom or Teams.
“A lot of it is just to touch base, just to hear what each group is doing, any concerns, that type of thing,” explained Sister Roberta Fulton, SSMN, director of the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Peter Dihn Le, who represents the Vietnamese people from Coronation Parish in Buffalo, is looking forward to becoming more integrated into the diocese.
“We want to be involved,” he said. “We also want the diocese to know a little about our culture. We don’t want to stay on the side. We’ve been here for years, but nobody knows anything about us.”
A growing number of Vietnamese families living on Buffalo’s West Side inspired Msgr. Eugene Radon to bring a Vietnamese priest to the diocese and turn Coronation into a Vietnamese National Parish during the Journey in Faith and Grace.
The parish sees 200 people at Mass with an average age of 45. Le said it is a stable and active community.
St. Andrew Kim Parish is home to the Korean Population. The Tonawanda church will celebrate its 25th anniversary next September. They too see about 200 people attend Mass.
The Korean community spent more than 25 years essentially borrowing churches before buying a convent and building a church next to Cardinal O’Hara High School in 2000.
“That was a big accomplishment from the founders. We are very proud of it,” said Beomsu Kim.
Over the years, priests would come from South Korea for a few years at a time. Currently, the parish shares a priest with Syracuse and Rochester to celebrate Mass.
Although slated to merge into St. Leo the Great Parish in Amherst, St. Andrew Kim will be allowed to remain open until its anniversary next September.
Kim is concerned about the legacy of his parish and community. All they know about the merger is that they are merging. They do not know how their cultural artifacts will be used in the Amherst location.
Le said the Vietnamese community is looking forward to its move. Although Coronation is merging with Our Lady of Hope in Buffalo, which currently serves the Burmese community, Our Lady Help of Christians in Cheektowaga will host Vietnamese-language Masses, as most of the community now live in the suburbs. Le looks at it as moving into a new house.
Both communities celebrate special days at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Youngstown, and the Lunar New Year.
“Each commission brings their gifts, their events to the table and shares them with the larger group,” according to Sister Roberta.