tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post886531606060615105..comments2023-09-12T03:38:50.647-04:00Comments on Connecticut Catholic Corner: Parish life in 2014...dismal at bestConnecticut Catholic Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640448130713614258noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-59693918343457601372017-12-18T09:03:04.778-05:002017-12-18T09:03:04.778-05:00Forgot to mention...
@Julie - thanks for your gen...Forgot to mention...<br /><br />@Julie - thanks for your generous service in running this blog!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-6558244630213084302017-12-18T08:59:45.717-05:002017-12-18T08:59:45.717-05:00@Christoper - thanks for the referral to St Mary N...@Christoper - thanks for the referral to St Mary Norwalk. Will certainly investigate further.<br /><br />Does anyone else have other suggestions re: Conservative parish communities in CT?<br /><br />What we're looking for is: (1) Orthodox liturgy; (2) homeschoolers group; (3) men's prayer/support group (e.g. That Man is You); (3) women's group (e.g. ENDOW); (4) Daily Masses before 8 AM, lunchtime, or after 5 PM; (5) At least weekly confessions.<br /><br />Background:<br />My wife and I are considering moving our family from the Midwest to CT to be close to family. We are Latin-Mass type Catholics. There are so many things we love about the state, but the lack of conservative Catholic communities is certainly our #1 hesitation. We're open to living anywhere in state. From our research so far, it seems New Haven and Fairfield County generally have the best options. St Martha Enfield stands out too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-63080147884020639752017-01-08T21:04:10.206-05:002017-01-08T21:04:10.206-05:00Thank you Christopher for stopping by, commenting ...Thank you Christopher for stopping by, commenting and sharing that info with me! <br />I do get emails from old post so I don't miss any comments. ;)<br /><br />God bless you! <br /><br />In Christ, <br /><br />JulieConnecticut Catholic Cornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11640448130713614258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-86986281969917777042017-01-07T06:24:29.867-05:002017-01-07T06:24:29.867-05:00I'm seeing this for the first time 2 years lat...I'm seeing this for the first time 2 years later, so I hope people still get this comment in their email. My wife & I left our New Haven CT parish 3 1/2 years ago when the priest (Dominican!) gave a homily re. why there's "nothing special" about the Catholic Church. I had heard about St. Mary, Norwalk, CT so suggested to my wife that we give it a try. And we've been there ever since. We attend the Solemn High Traditional Latin Mass, which is their PRINCIPAL Mass @ 9:30 AM on Sunday. HOWEVER, even the "Ordinary Form" aka 1969 "Novus Ordo" Mass at 11:30 is like nothing you'll find elsewhere: people's parts sung to Latin chant, Scripture readings chanted--not read, Liturgy of the Eucharist done at high altar. We don't even HAVE a free-standing "table altar". The previous pastor got rid of it about 7 years ago, re-installed the communion rail. The 1:15 Sunday Spanish Mass is celebrated likewise. We think of this parish a a REAL "Vatican II parish", not the fake "spirit of Vatican II". We travel 35 minutes every Sunday to get there, but some people come as far as 2 hours away--every Sunday, from all over CT as well as New York. People are hungering for this. http://www.stmarynorwalk.net/Christopher Schaeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00570532676719405077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-30388921289107907602015-06-04T02:07:05.985-04:002015-06-04T02:07:05.985-04:00I have fought the good fight, I have finished the ...I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.<br /><br />2Timothy 4:7Ever mindfulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10231921956177950005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-90384620811322666872015-01-11T23:49:43.580-05:002015-01-11T23:49:43.580-05:00Small correction: It was not Latvia, but Lithuania...Small correction: It was not Latvia, but Lithuania. Sorry:) K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10396727082966427269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-56338175385774481382015-01-11T23:41:54.135-05:002015-01-11T23:41:54.135-05:00Hello Julie,
I started recently following your bl...Hello Julie,<br /><br />I started recently following your blog. This post spoke to me a great deal. After 7 years we switched to a new parish. I had a similar experience to yours. The ushers were obnoxiously loud, talking during the Mass. One of them was actually using a clicker to count how many parishioners were in the church. It was so loud and disruptive. When I gave them the "look" they got even louder. It was so difficult to focus on the Mass. The children's liturgy was so disruptive with children climbing over everyone and walking downstairs on those old creaky wooden stairs. <br /><br />However, what bothered me the most were the constant homilies on politics and on who to vote for. Honestly!!! People could not wait to get out of the church and run others over in the parking lot. Nobody kneels after the Mass anymore. People talk before they even leave church ruining the prayerful time for a few faithful souls. <br /><br />We are in a new parish now. It is far from ideal. My faith suffered so much. I feel I do not grow spiritually nowadays. This parish has also very liberal views on certain things, and I feel like some of the New Age practices have made their way there. <br /><br />The sad part ... I loved the Masses said in my native country, which back then, was a communist country. The reverence, the depth of the homily, the unending respect for God... I was lucky to be able to attend a Mass in Latvia once. I was so amazed and so beautifully surprised at the depth and reverence of all those people attending a Mass. The church was so full people were standing outside on the stairs. <br /><br />Anyway, just like many other readers here, I continue to search for a new parish. I am just waiting for my teen to receive her confirmation sacrament. There are many times that I rather watch the Sunday noon Mass on EWTN. I get so much more out of it than going to church (except for the Body and Blood of Christ). <br /><br />I am so tired of people who are disrespectful. Just today, I sat next to a couple who took a piece of chewing gum in the middle of the Mass and chewed like cows in the field, and later went to the Communion. After the Mass, so many people walk out before even the priest leaves. The church is large and there is a huge echo there. People do not leave quietly. Instead, it reminds me of a market place. <br /><br />Any suggestions for Western CT parish that will help my family grow in faith? I am willing to travel a reasonable distance. <br /><br />By the way, I also love old books, particularly old prayer books. I find the prayers to be so respectful and so helpful.K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10396727082966427269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-23416006273902721832015-01-10T11:53:40.083-05:002015-01-10T11:53:40.083-05:00Yes, I totally understand your predicament. My hu...Yes, I totally understand your predicament. My husband and I have agreed to stay and have our children finish receiving the sacraments (2 are prepping for confirmation & next year our youngest will begin it), and we'll go from there. In the meantime, we are cutting our contributions to $5/week and will not be taking part in any functions other than what are required for their confirmations (these requirements are in themselves a disgrace: our kids are required to attend 2 weekend retreats during the year at a total cost to us of $210). So,<br />I am focusing on clarifying their understanding of what is right & wrong in both society and our Church, and they are smart - kids know Truth when they hear it, and they will know it. At our parish, there is a paid, busy-body woman who is the confirmation director, and the priest has now shown his true colors since he led the confirmation kids and parents on a new age type prayer: "now close your eyes, and focus on your breathing - just relax, and now focus on the sensations in your hands..." Really? Have we regressed this far in the Church? A few years ago we moved from a rather faithful parish in southern CA to a very lukewarm parish in SD. I had heard of, but never witnessed, these types of bizarre things. Apparently past bishops ordered people to stand during Communion, and moved all tabernacles off the altar. The new bishop has since reinstated kneeling during Communion, so I have hope he will put the tabernacles back. I think I will be writing him about this, too, since you said you'd be writing your bishop. I'll bet mine will be the only letter he has or will receive on the topic. Everyone seems to be so mindless around here in regards to their faith. I am a revert and God & Mary have led me to all the right stuff in learning my faith. No. 1 is the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, NUMBER ONE! Not No. 2, not out of the way so as to not offend those protestants, or be embarrassed about our "old, outdated" Catholic traditions. You are right, we are being RIPPPED OFF! I will be respectful, but I don't care if our priest is made uncomfortable when I tell him we cant see the tabernacle from the pews, and so now he sees me as a problem parishoner. I have asked God for the grace to not worry about how it appears when I stand up for our BIRTHRIGHT, OUR TRADITIONS, OUR LATIN, OUR LORD & HIS CHURCH!! God bless you in your struggles, Julie. Please pray for me and I will be praying for you!<br />Your sister in Christ,<br />DonnaD.O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18192061621593783803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-51776082551449992462015-01-07T19:06:07.253-05:002015-01-07T19:06:07.253-05:00Julie,
Run for the hills. Times a wasting. All you...Julie,<br />Run for the hills. Times a wasting. All you will be doing is getting aggravated each time you go to Mass. When I went through RCIA 10 years ago (a revert) it had a lot to be desired. It was a half-hearted attempt by the Priest running it. When I taught CCD the same Priest stopped into the classroom to vist. I told him we were discussing martyrs and how they go straight to heaven when they die for the faith. He corrected me in front of the children saying that wasn't true, we don't know if they go to heaven or not. I was mortified, luckily in their next class I did a review and asked them what happens to martyrs and they yelled out "they go to heaven!!"<br />It took over 10 years to finally get a holy "administrator" (as Card Dolan likes to call them). He got rid of the childrens litury, he said it isn't liturgical. Yeah!<br />He deserted us after only 6 months, so now we will have a wait and see to see how our new administrator pans out. I will pray for you. Please pray for us!<br />PAXCatholic girlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14434945840781043874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-19445023978457632292015-01-06T17:00:48.252-05:002015-01-06T17:00:48.252-05:00I am a 'Roamin' Catholic. I grew up in Co...I am a 'Roamin' Catholic. I grew up in Connecticut in the Archdiocese of Hartford. Things were in a state of flux because of really poor introduction of the Mass of Paul VI. We had good priests and bored priests. Sermons well they weren't memorable. Homilies on the readings were of the most basic type. There was little or no catechesis for those in the pews. <br /><br />When I graduated UCONN I left for a career in the Army. Military Masses made Connecticut seem a hotbed of sound Catholicism -- which it wasn't. Army parishes seem to be run by out of control lay people who are all about a shared meal and fellowship and not so much interested in reverence and holiness. My experience certainly not representative, I pray, of the whole system.<br /><br />Retired now in Kansas where I shop around and join a sound priest's parish until the archbishop moves him and sends in a 70's or 80's priest. Then I shop around for reverence and Orthodoxy and change parishes. Sad but true. <br /><br />I really have angst on Sundays when I visit family in Connecticut because things have gotten worse. Most Masses seem rushed, poor homilies, and music featuring Marty Haugen. <br /><br />So God bless all of you in the Archdiocese of Hartford as you suffer the purgatorial experience of Masses featuring poor liturgy, no reverence, crummy music, and bad homilies. I know there are good parishes out there but where I visit not so much except the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches.JimChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14887935106946478640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-62106021322579385282015-01-05T03:03:29.303-05:002015-01-05T03:03:29.303-05:00http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-years-...http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-years-without-michael-davies-ii.html<br /><br />Michael Davies figured this out long ago. He began by fighting essentially the same battle.<br /><br />TomTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01852103288106920828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-8043100147729122472015-01-04T18:25:20.353-05:002015-01-04T18:25:20.353-05:00My family and I will be moving from the eastern pa...My family and I will be moving from the eastern part of CT to the western part of the state. We hate to leave our church, because it is everything a Catholic church should be. Does anyone know of a real Catholic church in the western part of CT?BigJimChesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16296012008424189248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-35744423335323667252015-01-03T14:30:06.285-05:002015-01-03T14:30:06.285-05:00Julie, 3 January, 2015
Stay, if you can, and keep...Julie, 3 January, 2015<br />Stay, if you can, and keep fighting,teaching in your parish, with your guardian angel and all the saints helping you--and my poor prayers.<br />In the 1940's I attended St Thomas Sem.in Bloomfield, which was good and orthodox, then joined the Jesuits and live abroad. The later devastation you describe breaks my heart. Keep fighting and I'll pray.<br />Jesus will win but he needs help.<br />Yours, Martin McDermott, sjMartin McDermott, sjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13178374408013979156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-26087845488841269242015-01-03T12:33:45.542-05:002015-01-03T12:33:45.542-05:00Fighting for the Faith doesn't necessarily equ...Fighting for the Faith doesn't necessarily equate to fighting the battle on a liberal front with the fruit being increased exhaustion. Fighting for the Faith can also mean doing that which is necessary to cultivate the Faith in your own soul, Julie. Even the best and finest soldiers need to refuel.<br /><br />The natural proclivity to fight - even for the Faith - can be a trap to negate your own spiritual needs. Letting these parishes fail by natural attrition, in my view, is often the most merciful thing to do as they seem intent by all the machinations of 'new this and trendy that' relying on human means instead of Faith.<br /><br />So perhaps the fight is now best waged by leaving modernism to the modernists. And not financially supporting it.Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08235729013713862652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-86168444802392460272015-01-02T10:49:30.641-05:002015-01-02T10:49:30.641-05:00I can only echo most of the advice already provide...I can only echo most of the advice already provided....I would vote with your feet (and wallet) and leave. Maybe if enough folks do so they'll get the message (doubtful though). <br />Ultimately you are only responsible for the souls of you and your children. I live in a very orthodox diocese(the best I've ever been in) but even here there are differences. I switched to a new parish because of a vastly improved liturgy (TLM and ad orientam novus ordo). My wife converted to Catholicism and has taken to it like a duck to water...not sure that would be the case at the previous parish.Edison Frisbeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00595670494917940925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-17232682392613745652015-01-01T22:41:56.715-05:002015-01-01T22:41:56.715-05:00Julie, I had to leave. I had been in my old pari...Julie, I had to leave. I had been in my old parish 25 years. I had met my husband there ,married , baptized our children, sent them to the parish school. As a cradle catholic ( now 49 yrs old), I had no idea of how little I knew the faith. only as I began to wake up did I realize that in all those years never once was a sermon on sin. on contraception, abortion, abandoning ones marriage vows was sinful behavoir , on why homosexuality could not be lived out and still consider oneself to be chaste. no sermon on being chaste for that matter. Only after our children became teenagers and left the faith. only after my husband walked out on me, with the ok from a liberal priest- who assured him he could get an annulment and get a 'do over". Only after my child- now an adult began living openly gay. At first I tried talking. I tried complaining. to the pastor who promoted a ministry for parents of gays, one that I had thought would be catholic- but then to my shock realized it was anti- catholic- condemning the very church I dearly loved. my love for the church had grown. for true orthodoxy , during my struggles. Having my prior parish priest assume that I- then a married woman both civilly as well as of course in the church- was after all -in a 'new relationship " as my adultering spouse was- he said to me directly. I could no longer stay,. Yes I complained to the BIshop but he offered no help. Instead- through the wonderful providence of God himself I had began to attend another parish two cities away- a non diocean run parish, run by an order, a conservative orthodox Catholic order of friars. I was Home. sermons from priests who really love the faith, and care about the salvation of their parishioners. A beautiful parish, with altar rails. with the tabernacle where it belongs in the center. statues of Mary, St Joseph, the Saints of the order. the masses are reverent and holy. confession available, and the long long lines. the confessors dont rush you but actually take time with each person to really scrub your soul clean and to even give a bit of spiritual counsel. So many times I walk out with tears of joy, at leaving behind my burden of sin. people come from all around, from much farther than I do to attend this parish. I called the old parish years ago and told them to take my name off the mailing list. and I joined the new parish as a parishioner. I am home and my faith has grown so much. I am thankful that I had the option to leave. <br />Theresehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14228144099769354429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-88142754742166050362015-01-01T21:57:51.994-05:002015-01-01T21:57:51.994-05:00I found this article on PewSitter, I don't usu...I found this article on PewSitter, I don't usually have much time for blog reading but your article's title was eye catching.<br /><br />I understand that you love the good fight, and appreciate it too, but understand that your children likely do not. My mother also loved the good fight, it brought the Irish spirit right out of her but the only thing we understood was that she was never happy, that the Church she described didn't seem to exist on this earth, and the one available wasn't good enough for her. What used to be we suspected had never really been except in mother's imagination. This contributed in part to my siblings leaving the Church, my older brother eventually came back, but the others might never.<br /><br />Do not gamble with your children's souls. Flee, and shake the dust from your feet.Discipulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09567040202572807961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-57533941104652268322015-01-01T20:20:34.066-05:002015-01-01T20:20:34.066-05:00Thank you everyone for all your amazing feedback. ...Thank you everyone for all your amazing feedback. I am truly thinking over all your words of wisdom and praying on it.<br /><br />To clear something up, my children are all older teenagers now and Confirmed. They can attend any parish they want, though currently we still attend Mass together where I teach. I've mentioned the possibility of visiting other parishes in nearby towns this coming summer when my current RCIA obligations are over. I'll keep you all posted and share our experiences here on my blog.<br /><br />One more thing to add...since writing this I have written to my Bishop (he's a good Bishop) about the situation and I am praying and hopeful that perhaps he will step in and do something. <br /><br />God bless you all and thank you again for sharing your own stories and wisdom.<br /><br />In Christ,<br /><br />Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner Connecticut Catholic Cornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11640448130713614258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-23009773083849184912015-01-01T19:57:11.158-05:002015-01-01T19:57:11.158-05:00Julie:
I thought of your blog post this morning at...Julie:<br />I thought of your blog post this morning at Mass. The couple in the pew in front of us brought their teen-aged grandson and he sat there texting and flipping through screens on his phone. When he grew bored with that he raised his arm and took a picture of the star-shaped Christmas banner, which covers the crucifix behind the altar, and then sent it to a fiend. When we rose for the opening acclamation, he stood with his hands in his back pockets. I had to fight the temptation to lean forward and ask, "How many saints can you name?" Like Cardinal Burke, I grew up in the fifties...a time of richness and depth in the Church. How far we've fallen.E. G. Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-61026100228793635842015-01-01T15:59:58.823-05:002015-01-01T15:59:58.823-05:00Sorry I missed the part where you did say you have...Sorry I missed the part where you did say you have children.. all the more important that you do not delay!_https://www.blogger.com/profile/03082830088555849542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-74437206397844663842015-01-01T13:55:43.373-05:002015-01-01T13:55:43.373-05:00Julie,
Without a doubt you should leave that pari...Julie,<br /><br />Without a doubt you should leave that parish as soon as possible. I grew up in a somewhat conservative parish by Vatican II standards but when I got married we moved and decided to join the Catholic parish 5 minutes away that is very similar to what you have described where we experienced much of the same. <br /><br />You should leave because I know what a distraction to your faith all these issues can be. The constant battling, the constant head shaking over irreverence and other nonsense, etc.<br /><br />I sincerely hope you do not have children because they will/are being modernized, protestantized, and scandalized by all that takes place in parishes like these. It is your duty as a Catholic to protect them at all costs! Even if you don't, other families and children who respect you will assume that if you remain that all is well and okay - which obviously it is not. <br /><br />You need to vote with your feet. You need to abandon this fruitless fight at a parish where your faith is being marginalized and your focus will never be completely on Christ. <br /><br />At the parish I mentioned above we thought if we stayed we could be a good example, we thought if we got a new priest some day it would be better, we thought that God was calling us to endure it all... but for what? We made friends with a few good Catholic families from this parish but they like us - struggling to keep the parish Catholic!<br /><br />We have children and when they were younger we had to deal with children's liturgy garbage and more.. but when the children reach the age for First Communion - watch out! Don't expect Fr. Nice or anyone else to allow them Holy Communion on the tongue.. I could tell you stories!<br /><br />We drive 30 minutes every Sunday and Holy Day to an old inner city parish where the priests are very orthodox and reverent now. They have a Novus Ordo Mass by the rubrics & without altar girls or EMHC's. Holy Communion is offered standing or kneeling (Communion rail style).<br /><br />They also have a Vetus Ordo (Latin Mass) every Sunday too! My family attends the Latin Mass as it is the closest thing to heaven on this earth! We have had different priests which effects the Novus Ordo sometimes but the Latin Mass remains the same.. but this is a different discussion.<br /><br />Bottom line is, I stopped going to Mass and leaving discouraged. I stopped feeling like I had to protect my children from scandal, like I was constantly fighting a battle! The families I knew from the other liberal parish? They all left eventually too! <br /><br />You're trapped in a bubble where all you know as a Catholic is this fight, when you escape it you'll look back and wonder why you didn't leave sooner. You will be able to focus on Christ at Holy Mass without any of these distractions. You won't have this bottled up frustration that you are expressing in this blog post!<br /><br />I've never read your blog before but reading just this one post, you sound just like I did about 8 years ago. I shopped all the local parishes and I found that the most reverent & orthodox parish for Novus ordo also offered a Latin Mass every week. We eventually fell in love with the Latin Mass and it has changed our lives forever. Look like we did, find a parish like this! Ignore the negative stereotypes about traditionalist, they are not true! _https://www.blogger.com/profile/03082830088555849542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-42779636657920204622015-01-01T06:09:20.845-05:002015-01-01T06:09:20.845-05:00Julie,
This is the story of nearly every parish i...Julie,<br /><br />This is the story of nearly every parish in the United States. Sometimes it makes sense to stay and others it doesn't. Nobody with children under 18 should stay IMO.<br /><br />Pope Francis adds a whole other dimension of chaos to making judgments about whether to stay or find a priest who pastors us with the our religion. It has already done a lot of damage in a little time. It remains to be seen if the situation will render parishes irreparable at present and we'll all just have to find shelter and stay there until it passes. It always does.<br /><br />Happy New Year!!TTChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-21183830395334408802014-12-31T20:09:36.874-05:002014-12-31T20:09:36.874-05:00We moved for job reasons from a pretty good parish...We moved for job reasons from a pretty good parish to a small parish in a rural area. I don't regret the move because it helped me get out of a very stressful job, but the lack of reverence here is appalling. We started looking for a better parish over four years ago and have visited the place we want to move to five times. Just before Christmas we found a house within a 10 minute walk to the Church. We're going over this Saturday to look at the house and have been pre-approved for a loan. The big hurdle will be selling our current home. God bless you for your willingness to stay and fight. I will continue to pray for our priests here, but I'm not going to stay if I can swing it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08572283605953511712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-29249924136160720682014-12-31T19:22:42.182-05:002014-12-31T19:22:42.182-05:00Sadly, I gave up. I tried and just became demorali...Sadly, I gave up. I tried and just became demoralized. I guess I am not made of the same strong stuff you are. I ended up driving over 60 miles to an FSSP Latin Mass parish because it was the only parish with reverence, strong sermons, and everything else Catholic that has been lost at most parishes. I thank God for what that move has done for my faith. It has made me stronger and closer to God.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13042487025920735777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1149438906545544596.post-72211557672193300082014-12-31T14:52:25.684-05:002014-12-31T14:52:25.684-05:00We were at a parish like that and tried to fight. ...We were at a parish like that and tried to fight. When they wouldn't let us have Children's Eucharistic Adoration, that was the last straw for us. I think many people in the office administration there (and quite possibly the priest himself) do not believe in the Real Presence.<br /><br />Our biggest concern was the influence all those poorly catechized fellow parishoners were having on our children. When you're walking up to Communion and the people around you are chatting and chewing gum, they are no longer fit to be role models to children.<br /><br />We left and haven't looked back.Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17879273326034884153noreply@blogger.com