Examining Sense of Community among Hispanic Catholic Parishes by Economic Status, Location-Site, and Family Size

Abstract

In the present study, Roman Catholic deacons at one of the 216 Hispanic parishes across the U.S. reported on their parish sense of community (P-SOC), using the SCI-2, within the congregation. P-SOC was assessed among socioeconomic status of lower/working class (n = 109) or middle class (n = 107) Latino parishes, located in either an urban (n = 152) or urban cluster (n = 64) site, with the number of families within the parish to reflect a tiny (n = 76), small (n = 46), moderate (n = 38), or large (n = 54) size. A 2 × 2 × 4 MANOVA on four P-SOC sub-scale scores found no significant main or interaction effect for status, site, or size. It appears per public perception that a sense of connectedness and closeness exists in the Hispanic parishes that are poor, urban, and large congregations is a myth at best.

Keywords:

• Catholic deacons
• family size
• Hispanic parishes
• sense of community
• SES
• urban site

Acknowledgments

Gratitude is expressed to deacons, Gerald Dupont, John Freund, and other Directors of NADD, who supported the participation of their deacons and candidates in this project. The authors also thank Drs. Todd Bottom and Hosffman Ospino for insights and assistance.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded in part to the first author through a DePaul University 2013–14 Research Council Paid Leave Grant.