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In our diocese, many Catholics gather together, according to their language or culture, in foreign language communities, sometimes organised into ‘linguistic missions’.

Bishop’s Message

In the diocese more than 60% of Catholics are foreigners or of foreign origin; the percentage is even greater amongst practising Catholics.  Parishes and even the foreign language missions are never mono-cultural.  This diversity is not unusual for the Church, which has been multi-cultural from the outset, and it can, moreover, contribute to the whole of society by demonstrating our unity in a mutual acceptance.

Further Collaboration between Foreign Language Missions and Parishes

In the life of the Church there can be different levels of cooperation between parishes and foreign language missions, going from one-off projects to a more ongoing cooperation that can be partial (catechism …) or total/complete.  The models are varied, by necessity, because the situations are varied: some foreign language missions comprise a small number of faithful dispersed throughout Switzerland, and others are very strongly active in our parishes … It is very important that parishes and foreign language missions work together more and more, without any of them losing their own identity, and that the foreign language missions are invited to join pastoral teams and different councils, that the use of premises is jointly managed, etc.