All the students are required to study Spanish for five months in Bolivia, because more than half the parishes in New York have Spanish Masses.

In addition to the several services offered in Vietnamese, the parish also offers English and Spanish Masses.

Although a dwindling flock faithfully attends, the church is never even half full - until it is time for the Spanish Mass.

With Hispanics making up about 85 percent of the parish, the church holds both English and Spanish Masses.

My parish offered three Spanish Masses, one English (for a mostly Haitian group) and one Polish.

The Catholic churches did not offer Spanish Masses.

In Roman Catholic churches, where Spanish Masses were once rare and confined to basements, about 50 percent of churchgoers are now Hispanic immigrants.

And many of these churches have opened their doors to Hispanics by offering bilingual services or separate Spanish Masses.

The first Spanish Mass was said in 1971 for the growing number of Hispanic parishioners.

In 1990 the Spanish Mass was moved to Sunday morning.