Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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mary
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Posted: Aug 23 2005 at 6:21pm | IP Logged Quote mary

We have contemplated parish hopping for the last 8 years and have stayed because of the community. There were a lot of problems. One year 35 families (and we are a small parish) pulled their kids from the catholic school and left the parish. We stayed because we felt that this was our home parish. We intend to live here for the rest of our lives, the priest would be rotated out in a few years. We worried that we would have to share a priest with another community. This July our new priest arrived and he is coming over to dinner in a few weeks. We are so happy to have him and I'm grateful that we stayed put.

I have no problem with pple leaving and becoming active members in another church. It's a hard decision either way.
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Karen E.
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Posted: Aug 23 2005 at 7:34pm | IP Logged Quote Karen E.

jenngm67 wrote:

BUT...it is a personal decision. I thought I had read years ago something in Canon Law about how a secular person should stay in the parish in their boundaries, and obligated to serve in that parish, but I can't find it for the life of me, so I'm beginning to think I was wrong there.


Jenn,

It was in the 1917 Code but the requirement to attend/belong to the parish within one's boundaries was dropped with the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It was an issue for me ten years ago when I came into the Church, so had to find the answer then.

As far as Swimming with Scapulars, it's on my "to read" list!

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Posted: Aug 23 2005 at 7:58pm | IP Logged Quote JennGM

Karen E. wrote:
jenngm67 wrote:

BUT...it is a personal decision. I thought I had read years ago something in Canon Law about how a secular person should stay in the parish in their boundaries, and obligated to serve in that parish, but I can't find it for the life of me, so I'm beginning to think I was wrong there.


Jenn,

It was in the 1917 Code but the requirement to attend/belong to the parish within one's boundaries was dropped with the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It was an issue for me ten years ago when I came into the Church, so had to find the answer then.


I never read the 1917 Code, so how DID I come up with that? Thanks for clarifying for me, Karen!

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Mary G
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Posted: Aug 24 2005 at 6:53am | IP Logged Quote Mary G

First -- ok, now I have to order "Swimming with Scapulars" -- sounds wonderful.

Second -- parish hopping. I'm a firm believer in "blooming where you are planted" and have always argued against parish hopping. Yuo can't change things if you're not there to change them. So you try to get involved, hope and pray for a change (or at least peace of mind). This has always worked in the past.....

Now, we are in the process of changing parishes -- my dh wants to still help the parish financially (split the envelops between the two) and with teen ccd; I, on the other hand, argue that if we are leaving for valid reasons (and we think our chidlren's need to see good liturgy in an alive parish is a valid reason) we should just leave. And we have the benefit (or maybe, rationalization would be a better term ) of being smack dab in the middle of the two churches, so technically either could be our parish!

I think when it comes to trying to do better for your children's sake -- whether it's bad liturgies, inappropriate statements from the altar, or just too philosophicaly different for comfort -- than there is no problem. Canonically, as Karen E. points out, you can "parish hop" . But I have to make sure, when I'm thinking about it, to pray and try to discern if I should "bloom" or scatter my seeds elsewhere

Blessings to all ...

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Posted: Aug 24 2005 at 7:31am | IP Logged Quote Karen E.

Mary G. wrote:

I think when it comes to trying to do better for your children's sake -- whether it's bad liturgies, inappropriate statements from the altar, or just too philosophicaly different for comfort -- than there is no problem. Canonically, as Karen E. points out, you can "parish hop" . But I have to make sure, when I'm thinking about it, to pray and try to discern if I should "bloom" or scatter my seeds elsewhere


I agree, Mary. It's one thing to persevere when one is a well-formed adult, but our children's best interests sometimes force us down a different road. Prayer and discernment are always key.

When I was considering entering the Church, I had an interesting situation occur. I was living in a very small town. When I called the priest down the street and inquired about RCIA, he laughed and said, "No one has asked about that in years!" I told him I was considering joining the Church, but he offered no further help. Well, that was a no-brainer, I thought. He rather made the decision for me! I traveled 20 miles down the road to a parish that did offer RCIA. I entered the Church through that parish, and fell in love with it in the process.

Fast forward a couple of years. I sometimes attended daily Mass, with my little girls, in the small town. One day, after Mass, the little old ladies who were regulars there stopped to chat with me. The priest joined us, and when he heard that I belonged to the other church, he railed at me, saying that I was "not allowed to do that!" He said that according to canon law, I must belong to my home parish.

I was utterly taken aback -- no one had ever hinted that this could be a problem (and then, as a still-new Catholic, I was horrified at being upbraided by a priest in front of all the sweet little old ladies....)

But, I knew I could pretty easily get to the bottom of this. I consulted both my spiritual director and Catholic Answers and both assured me that the current code of canon law allowed my course of action. Whew.

Since then, there have been changes in the parish I fell in love with ... it's been through some difficult challenges and changes that have been less-than-wonderful. We've been tempted to look elsewhere, but I do worry about that "cult of personality" that was earlier mentioned. We've stayed with the parish, and we are doing our best to bloom where we've been planted, because our children are still getting valid, orthodox liturgy and we're all still receiving Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity each time we receive Holy Communion.

Gee, I guess I should have changed the name of this thread ....

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Posted: Aug 24 2005 at 7:58am | IP Logged Quote Elizabeth

This thread is dovetailing with the Liturgical Help thread in Living Faith. Let's go ahead and keep talking there...

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Posted: Sept 07 2005 at 2:11pm | IP Logged Quote JennGM

I was visiting my m-i-l in Altoona, PA...I love shopping up there because the malls are less crowded. The best thing about her mall is there is a little Catholic shop right inside..."The Friar Shop" with the best collection of Catholic books I've ever seen in one store. So I picked up a copy of Swimming with Scapulars and couldn't put it down...finished by Tuesday. I really enjoyed this book on so many different levels. So much food for thought. He just nailed the many topics that faithful Catholics struggle over! Although he lives in CA, some of the conversations and personalities he experienced were almost the same as I have here with my family in VA. A timely book.

If Matthew is still reading this thread, I just want to compliment you...and I will be spreading the word.

There are so many points and areas that make great discussion and meditation. I'll just touch on one area of the book that really hit home for me, merely because we just went through this ourselves...this wasn't necessarily a spiritual point, but boy, did it ring true for us! Matthew talks about 3 months of pure torture trying to do this. We went through a whole YEAR of trying to sell and find a house.

I love this quote:
For three months, it felt like finding and buying a house was all we were doing. Other people were getting married, having children, reading books, living life. We were buying a house.
I just LOL when I read this!


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Posted: Aug 03 2006 at 3:03pm | IP Logged Quote SuzC

Yikes! I just looked at the dates of these posts - a year ago. This may set a record for post bumping, but I finished this book last night and want to encourage anyone who hasn't read it to pick it up.

I was able to get mine through the library, but it's a great one to buy and share. I've got it packed in our suitcase for dh to read on our trip, although he's heard most of it as I would elbow him...liten to this part...oh listen to this, too.

There were so many points I could relate to and so many more which he made me REALLY THINK deeply about. It's a quick read (although I enjoyed chewin' on small bits at a time)so not too late for "summer reading."


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Posted: Aug 03 2006 at 5:02pm | IP Logged Quote stefoodie

I'm so glad you bumped this up, Suz. We were busy traveling last year and unfortunately missed this thread totally!!! So happy to have found it now. Off to see if I can find myself a copy of this book.

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Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 11:08pm | IP Logged Quote teachingmom

I'm bumping this thread up once again because I have finally read Swimming with Scapulars. (I can't believe it's taken me 18 months since hearing about it here!)

I absolutely loved the book. It was entertaining and spiritually thought provoking. I'd recommend it to everyone here who has not yet read it. It may be the perfect book to offer to the Catholic men in your life.

   

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Posted: Jan 16 2007 at 11:29pm | IP Logged Quote Karen E.

Irene,

I just read it, too!

My husband gave it to me for Christmas, and I loved it.

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Posted: Jan 17 2007 at 12:08am | IP Logged Quote Mary G

I read SwS this past summer and I have to say, I wasn't impressed....maybe he's too young for me, but I thought he was a bit ... I don't know.... rigoristic? A bit, "isn't life perfect becuase I'm a good Catholic"? I just got irritated by his tone ....

Just my $.02!

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Karen E.
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Posted: Jan 17 2007 at 7:49am | IP Logged Quote Karen E.

Mary G wrote:
   A bit, "isn't life perfect becuase I'm a good Catholic"? I just got irritated by his tone ....

Just my $.02!


Oh, isn't it interesting how different people's takes can be?

I didn't get the life is perfect/good Catholic impression at all ... I thought he detailed struggles and weaknesses so touchingly. Also, knowing that he works for an alternative, secular paper made it more interesting for me ... following his efforts to be a faithful Catholic in a sometimes less-than-supportive setting in the world.

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Posted: Jan 17 2007 at 8:26am | IP Logged Quote JennGM

Karen E. wrote:
Mary G wrote:
   A bit, "isn't life perfect becuase I'm a good Catholic"? I just got irritated by his tone ....

Just my $.02!


Oh, isn't it interesting how different people's takes can be?

I didn't get the life is perfect/good Catholic impression at all ... I thought he detailed struggles and weaknesses so touchingly. Also, knowing that he works for an alternative, secular paper made it more interesting for me ... following his efforts to be a faithful Catholic in a sometimes less-than-supportive setting in the world.


I guess I'm in the middle of Mary and Karen's opinion. (Fiddler on the Roof -- "He's right and He's right, they can't both be right!") I thought some of his "rigoristic" Catholic ideals were a bit over the top, but then I thought it was coming from a man's point of view. Since men are more physical, relating the faith to dying to some of these senses made sense.

But, some of it could be seen as "pulling up his own boot straps" -- instead of needing God, and letting Him show the way, there's a sense of "If I do this and this God will answer/show me" -- kind of a gumball machine effect.

But all in all, I did like the book. And my mother did, too, and bought a copy for all her sons and sons-in-law.

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Posted: Jan 17 2007 at 8:37am | IP Logged Quote Cay Gibson

I gave my dh this book to read after the discussions here. He read it in Adoration.

He didn't comment heavily on it and only gave it a faint nod when I asked him about it. Men! One can tell my dh is not use to narration.

I still plan to read it. Started to and went on to something else.

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Posted: Jan 26 2007 at 3:46pm | IP Logged Quote Nina Murphy

I did enjoy it. But disappointed I can't give it to my older teens to read (due to some of the adult content). We need more books from (young-ish) modern Catholics who are walking the walk...... for young Catholics!

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Posted: Jan 27 2007 at 12:37am | IP Logged Quote Chari

That was my take on it exactly, Nina. In a few places, there was just a little bit too much information.....

So, Cay....I wonder what your dh REALLY thinks

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Posted: Jan 27 2007 at 12:54am | IP Logged Quote Willa

Nina Murphy wrote:
I did enjoy it. But disappointed I can't give it to my older teens to read (due to some of the adult content). We need more books from (young-ish) modern Catholics who are walking the walk...... for young Catholics!


Ditto.
I had to do some narrating of the parts I wanted to discuss with them, and I read aloud little bits, but I couldn't just hand it over!

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Posted: Jan 27 2007 at 9:02am | IP Logged Quote eschuetter

Without teens here (yet!) so take this with a grain of salt....

I love Matthew Kelly. One of his main minitries is speaking at high schools and he gives each student a copy of his book The Rythm of Life. Its a good read - more about being "the best version of yourself" (one Kelly's favorite phrases) than being specifically Catholic.

On a more Catholic note, his book Rediscovering Catholicism: Journeying Toward Our Spiritual North Star does talk passionately about many aspects of our faith from a young person's perspective. I think he wrote this book before he turned 30.

Some of Matthew's talks and more books are also available at his online bookstore. And quite a few of them are even at my public library... both books and audiobooks. I think he's engaging and straightforward to read (or listen to) and I think young people are easily taken in by his charm and Aussie accent.

HTH
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Posted: Jan 27 2007 at 9:44am | IP Logged Quote Nina Murphy



OH, Chari...BIG guffaw here. EXACTLY!

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