Three-dimensional integration

The Church actively engages with diverse events, problems and issues in society. Among them, integration and migration are of particular significance. Saint Paul says: “[our] citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20) For Christians, migration is, therefore, not an exceptional experience, but a normal state of movement and orientation towards Heaven. This understanding of migration as affecting each and every Christian shapes how the Church approachs the societal issues of migration and integration and makes them its central concern.
Migration and integration are multidimensional concepts that mirror the complexity of human reality. In this sense, the present study distinguishes three dimensions of integration in the Croatian Catholic Mission in Vienna: social integration, intra-church integration and faith integration
In Interviews, members of the Croatian Catholic Mission in Vienna speak about their opinions, expectations, and faith in the context of migration and integration. Their way of practicing faith differs from that of other local parishes in Vienna in terms of their strong traditional character. Therefore, a common “we” is sought that unites, includes, and transcends differences, as opposed to the dichotomy of “we” and “them”.

• By (author) Mateja Šapina Svirać