text: "We need them to fill our churches because the Catholic Church in America has been in danger of becoming an upper middle class club for people with conservative ethics. "(MSW) This is a salient, yet cynical observation. If one were to attend different churches in the same diocese one would observe different demographics. Some parishes, like mine, are exemplars of Michael's observation. However, nearby parishes show a large number of working class and lower middle class faithful and others with large numbers of immigrants; Latino, and Asian, and others largely African-American and their parishes are equally viable. The Catholic Church is in many respects congregational since individuals tend to gravitate to congregations where the  members have much in common. The new arrivals, legal or otherwise, will find parishes that are welcoming and culturally familiar.