Sentence:  In this connection , it has been observed that the increasing number of Irish Catholics , priests and <WSD>laity</WSD> , in England , while certainly seen as good for Catholicism , is nevertheless a source of embarrassment for some of the more nationalistic English Catholics , especially when these Irishmen offer to remind their Christian brethren of this good . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  in Christianity, members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy