By Michelle Kraus and Zack Shappiro
Diversity in Philadelphia neighborhoods is growing rapidly and it's changing the way some schools and churches run their operations. This extensive level of diversity is nothing new to the Philadelphia area, but it is extremely important to the lifestyle of many residents in certain areas. Olney is one of the most extremely diverse areas that Philadelphia has to offer, but this is something that many people do not even realize. Olney is so diverse that the number of major ethnic groups seems endless. Once a predominantly white area, the demographics now include a large percentage of people from Korea, Cambodia, West Africa, the Caribbean, Ireland, and Vietnam.
According to the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians website and the U.S. Census numbers, about thirty-nine percent of Philadelphia's foreign born have come from Asia, which contributes to the largest share of Philadelphia's immigrant population. The statistics from the website also conclude that Philadelphia has the third largest Vietnamese immigrant population on the East Coast. In order to accommodate this large flux of diverse ethnicity, schools, churches, and businesses in Olney should offer their services in more than just the English language.
Saint Helena's Church has become a stand out religious center for the significant Vietnamese population in Olney. What makes this church stand out from all the rest is that they offer Sunday Mass in three different languages including English, Vietnamese, and Spanish. Connected to the dedicated church is Saint Helena Catholic School. The school has a multicultural student population from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade Eight. The website for Saint Helena proves that diversity is an idea that the church and school both welcome and are quite proud of. The first line of the school mission statement is, "We are committed to transmit our Catholic Faith and Gospel values to the diverse student population our school serves."
By producing services that are available in more than just the English language, it allows the church to connect better with its surrounding community. Members of the community do not have to give up their heritage or culture just to attend a Sunday service. In a way, the church is welcoming the residents of the community to cherish and embrace their ethnicity and culture rather than forcing them to hide who they are or what they believe in. The school and church both promise that as the community grows and flourishes so too will Saint Helena Church and Saint Helena Catholic School.
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