I deeply miss the communal practice of the Catholic faith. But I left the institutional church decades ago over the hypocrisy of the vast majority of the hierarchy and the priesthood towards women, towards the LBGBTQ+ community, for their failure to protect our children, and for their insatiable need to meddle in politics.
Every time, a…
I deeply miss the communal practice of the Catholic faith. But I left the institutional church decades ago over the hypocrisy of the vast majority of the hierarchy and the priesthood towards women, towards the LBGBTQ+ community, for their failure to protect our children, and for their insatiable need to meddle in politics.
Every time, as I get older and start getting wistful again for the community some new eruption of tone deaf crazy gets spewed forth. Christ calls us to community, but the Catholic church is not it.
I’m with you, Georgia. We raised our children Catholic; I loved the community and the liturgy. But we, too, have left the Church, for the same reasons. I’m still enough of a Catholic that I don’t go anywhere else and we find our spirituality elsewhere. I’m done with organized religion.
I get you completely, Georgia, and appreciate your cri de couer.
I still consider myself a Catholic, but do not attend Mass for the most part anymore for basically similar reasons, and also a general aversion to the overarching dogma.
I too greatly miss both the communal practice, and the community. A
I did too nearly 55 years ago when I discovered the Episcopal church. The hypocrisy and interference in my life as a woman and wife did it for me and that’s after education at all-girls Catholic high school and college. I’d offer an estimate that nearly 50% of our congregation came from Catholic Church. This is the same group that I’ve marched with in nearly every protest there’s been since Trump and his ilk arrived on scene. The congregants are active in politics BUT not as the church, just as like-minded souls. We do sponsor truth and justice campaigns, food bank, prior to the pandemic we formed an alliance with local Islam group for better understanding and inclusion. The beautiful liturgy is nearly word-for-word the Catholic mass, without sermon that includes intrusion in my very personal life. Love for all and ministry for those in need guides us. I recognize that many of you don’t believe in or need an organized religion, but for many of us it fulfills a very real necessity. It is a personal thing; I am adamantly a proponent of separation of church and state and will continue to loudly vote against those who seek to ignore that concept.
Very cool, Sue. While I attend Mass most sporadically these days, I suspect I will always feel the soft pull the Church has on all of us that were raised within it. I certainly appreciate your protesting activities, not simply because they seem to parallel mine since Despicable Don descended his "Married to the Mob" escalator.
I have attended Episcopal services with friends over the years, and find them as you describe. However, my IRA relatives both living and dead would disown me if I ever associated with an organization so closely affiliated with the British crown.
As for the separation of church and state, you are absolutely right.
Thank you, Sue, for sharing your story. It sounds like what I am looking for. I had just retired before covid, had it early on with nearly two years of long haul,. It has been hard constructing a new social (real in the flesh) network. Yoga and meditation at the senior center isn't enough.
Thoughtful accepting spirituality is not much valued these days. I, like most of my generation, built a life around career and family caregiving so once my Catholic practice was abandoned the time got absorbed by other things. Now that there is finally more time with an un-fogged brain again, that time is not all so easily absorbed!
Thanks Dan. As a scientist by vocation since covid I started timing myself daily on the Times mini crossword and wordle and now spelling bee. When I first started I didn't have the ability to complete a 12 clue crossword in a day. I couldn't have a conversation without losing words. I'm down to under a minute and a half. So there is hope but it really is a long haul.
After my experience I am especially concerned about the Republican attacks on Social Security and Medicare. I am worried there are all of these post-covid seniors who have not really recovered mentally and are slowly declining because they can't care for themselves properly and can no longer recognize that fact. Now that covid is off most people's radar all those people are going to tax the healthcare system for the rest of their lives and there is no sense of urgency any longer.
I am lucky that I do not live in a healthcare desert like most Republican states.
Georgia, have you tried the Episcopal Church? We are often referred to, humorously, as Catholic Lite. 😉 Also, we ordain women to the priesthood. I was confirmed two years ago, and it filled a hole in my spiritual life that I didn’t know existed.
Up here in the mountains of western North Carolina we have locals who refer to us Episcopalians as English Catholics and still think we eat children.
We have quite a number of what I will call mixed marriages where one half came from Catholic background and the other half some other church. For me what is important is the acceptance of a very wide range of views. Also I have been glad to see how most (not all) have accept same sex marriage and we have had several such weddings in our church and those couples are very active and hard working.
I deeply miss the communal practice of the Catholic faith. But I left the institutional church decades ago over the hypocrisy of the vast majority of the hierarchy and the priesthood towards women, towards the LBGBTQ+ community, for their failure to protect our children, and for their insatiable need to meddle in politics.
Every time, as I get older and start getting wistful again for the community some new eruption of tone deaf crazy gets spewed forth. Christ calls us to community, but the Catholic church is not it.
I’m with you, Georgia. We raised our children Catholic; I loved the community and the liturgy. But we, too, have left the Church, for the same reasons. I’m still enough of a Catholic that I don’t go anywhere else and we find our spirituality elsewhere. I’m done with organized religion.
I get you completely, Georgia, and appreciate your cri de couer.
I still consider myself a Catholic, but do not attend Mass for the most part anymore for basically similar reasons, and also a general aversion to the overarching dogma.
I too greatly miss both the communal practice, and the community. A
I feel your pain Georgia.
I did too nearly 55 years ago when I discovered the Episcopal church. The hypocrisy and interference in my life as a woman and wife did it for me and that’s after education at all-girls Catholic high school and college. I’d offer an estimate that nearly 50% of our congregation came from Catholic Church. This is the same group that I’ve marched with in nearly every protest there’s been since Trump and his ilk arrived on scene. The congregants are active in politics BUT not as the church, just as like-minded souls. We do sponsor truth and justice campaigns, food bank, prior to the pandemic we formed an alliance with local Islam group for better understanding and inclusion. The beautiful liturgy is nearly word-for-word the Catholic mass, without sermon that includes intrusion in my very personal life. Love for all and ministry for those in need guides us. I recognize that many of you don’t believe in or need an organized religion, but for many of us it fulfills a very real necessity. It is a personal thing; I am adamantly a proponent of separation of church and state and will continue to loudly vote against those who seek to ignore that concept.
Very cool, Sue. While I attend Mass most sporadically these days, I suspect I will always feel the soft pull the Church has on all of us that were raised within it. I certainly appreciate your protesting activities, not simply because they seem to parallel mine since Despicable Don descended his "Married to the Mob" escalator.
I have attended Episcopal services with friends over the years, and find them as you describe. However, my IRA relatives both living and dead would disown me if I ever associated with an organization so closely affiliated with the British crown.
As for the separation of church and state, you are absolutely right.
Too bad Mayor Adams needs an education about that
Thank you, Sue, for sharing your story. It sounds like what I am looking for. I had just retired before covid, had it early on with nearly two years of long haul,. It has been hard constructing a new social (real in the flesh) network. Yoga and meditation at the senior center isn't enough.
Thoughtful accepting spirituality is not much valued these days. I, like most of my generation, built a life around career and family caregiving so once my Catholic practice was abandoned the time got absorbed by other things. Now that there is finally more time with an un-fogged brain again, that time is not all so easily absorbed!
I am most sorry to hear about your long haul, Georgia. I am heartened that you fought back and are now so vibrantly un-fogged.
Please keep rocking on!
Thanks Dan. As a scientist by vocation since covid I started timing myself daily on the Times mini crossword and wordle and now spelling bee. When I first started I didn't have the ability to complete a 12 clue crossword in a day. I couldn't have a conversation without losing words. I'm down to under a minute and a half. So there is hope but it really is a long haul.
After my experience I am especially concerned about the Republican attacks on Social Security and Medicare. I am worried there are all of these post-covid seniors who have not really recovered mentally and are slowly declining because they can't care for themselves properly and can no longer recognize that fact. Now that covid is off most people's radar all those people are going to tax the healthcare system for the rest of their lives and there is no sense of urgency any longer.
I am lucky that I do not live in a healthcare desert like most Republican states.
Hear hear!
Georgia, have you tried the Episcopal Church? We are often referred to, humorously, as Catholic Lite. 😉 Also, we ordain women to the priesthood. I was confirmed two years ago, and it filled a hole in my spiritual life that I didn’t know existed.
Up here in the mountains of western North Carolina we have locals who refer to us Episcopalians as English Catholics and still think we eat children.
We have quite a number of what I will call mixed marriages where one half came from Catholic background and the other half some other church. For me what is important is the acceptance of a very wide range of views. Also I have been glad to see how most (not all) have accept same sex marriage and we have had several such weddings in our church and those couples are very active and hard working.
Well said💜