| Author | |
kingvozzo
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Maine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
| Posted: Nov 05 2012 at 10:48am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
It's looking very likely that my family and I will be relocating to Maine sometime in the next few months. My husband would be working in Lewiston. I'm looking for any information anyone would be willing to share. We're very open to area in terms of where to live...we'd like to be close enough to the types of activities the kids enjoy, in addition to a good, solid Catholic parish and homeschoolers.
Thank!
__________________
Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
margarita
Forum Rookie
Joined: July 02 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 55
|
| Posted: Nov 05 2012 at 10:57am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi hi hi hi hi!
I'm in Portland. Lewiston is not too far, but probably far enough that we wouldn't get together too often. However I know a few other Catholic families that live in that direction. They are particular about where they attend Mass, and one of the two churches that fit their criteria is in Lewiston. The other is here in Portland.
We do have a monthly meeting for moms on a Saturday morning at the Cathedral in Portland. I don't usually make it because it's not a good time for my family, now that I have two kids in school, but it's a nice group of women (small group).
There is a tremendous group of homeschoolers in Maine, of all flavors. There aren't a lot of Catholics, but there are plenty of Christian families, and a whole host of secular people too. Maine is a very homeschool-friendly state, and although groups form and de-form, activities are scheduled and then unscheduled, and every year looks a bit different, it seems there are always plenty of choices for all ages.
We're voting tomorrow on marriage so please pray for us. Apparently the last two times we said "no" to same sex marriage didn't count. 
How old are your children?
I see you're in CT so really Maine isn't going to be much of a culture shock - the one GREAT difference is that we have no billboards on the roads!
__________________
Married young and happy, chasing after a variety!
Two now in school: G-16, B-14
Two at home: G - 6.5, B - 2.5
One arriving February 2013
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jawgee
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 02 2011
Location: New Hampshire
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1415
|
| Posted: Nov 05 2012 at 11:13am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'm in NH, so I don't know too much about homeschooling in Maine, but I do know that Lewiston is a French Catholic part of Maine. My FIL's family is from Lewiston (DH's grandmother still lives there) and our parish priest grew up in Lewiston.
Prayers as you decide on your move!
__________________
Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
The Catholic Cup on Facebook
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mom2mpr
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 16 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1550
|
| Posted: Nov 05 2012 at 1:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I LOVE Maine. When we lived in CT I spent 2 weeks there every summer for many, many years. Maine-ly in Acadia, camping.  I always wanted to visit in winter. Seems more beautiful. Good luck in your move.
__________________
Anne, married to dh 16 years!, ds,(97), Little One (02), and dd (02).
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
kingvozzo
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Maine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
| Posted: Nov 06 2012 at 5:14pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
margarita wrote:
How old are your children?
|
|
|
Boy: 14
Girl: 11
Boy:9
Boy:5
The move is definitley happening, we're just not exactly sure when. One area we were shown on our trip this weekend was Brunswick. The outside was very lovely, and the we saw St. John's Church (although we didn't go inside).
When we moved to CT, I had no idea where the Catholic hs'ers were, and we ended up living kind of far from all the activities. It meant a lot of driving. I'd like to try to avoid that again. :-)
__________________
Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
margarita
Forum Rookie
Joined: July 02 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 55
|
| Posted: Nov 07 2012 at 9:16am | IP Logged
|
|
|
There is an active homeschool community in Brunswick, but they are not a Christian group. And of course that means there are some great families there! And some not so great families.
I do forget the name of the "acceptable" church in Lewiston; I have mixed feelings about my own parish here in Portland but not enough that I would drive over to the Cathedral which is downtown. Most of my friends do attend the Cathedral. They have a Latin mass there and some really nice programs. I just like to stay in my own neighborhood when I can. The priest who runs the Latin mass at the Cathedral also celebrates a Latin mass in Lewiston, both are celebrated every Sunday.
There are a couple of Catholic homeschool families toward the Brunswick area (and really we're just talking 20, 30, 40 minutes drives, not so bad. I'm probably only 30 minutes away).
There is a wonderful Tapestry of Grace co-op that meets in Gorham. I have been part of it some years. They welcome Catholics, and one year there was another Catholic family along with ours. There is an Anglican family as well with g/b/b close in age to your kids (a bit older but just by a couple of years). They live in Portland.
As far as there being an exclusively Catholic group, or exclusively Catholic activities, that happens only once in a while. Right now there are four families meeting in a friend's home for an art class; for two summers in a row we did Shakespeare performances (in Portland - though families travelled from Gray and Buxton and Falmouth) and that were maybe 10 Catholic families plus another family or two that were non-Catholic.
I have a Catholic convert friend who is actively looking for friends for her 6yo boy, and she is also in Portland. (She has 5 kids ranging from baby to 11, and she teaches violin classes!)
There are some really good people here. So many offerings too, if you are open to mixing with the non-Christians. There is a big co-op running right now in Freeport and they meet several times a week, though there are higher-than-average fees involved with that group.
I'll send you the links to our local yahoo groups!
__________________
Married young and happy, chasing after a variety!
Two now in school: G-16, B-14
Two at home: G - 6.5, B - 2.5
One arriving February 2013
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
kingvozzo
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Maine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
| Posted: Nov 07 2012 at 3:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
margarita wrote:
There are some really good people here. So many offerings too, if you are open to mixing with the non-Christians. There is a big co-op running right now in Freeport and they meet several times a week, though there are higher-than-average fees involved with that group.
! |
|
|
Thanks, Margarita, I don't have a problem with non-Catholic groups, I just wanted to know if there was a group so that we could focus our house-hunting efforts there.
We're really so open to areas for where to live, it's almost overwhelming! Prayers are definitley appreciated!
__________________
Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
margarita
Forum Rookie
Joined: July 02 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 55
|
| Posted: Nov 08 2012 at 10:21am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Will do!
__________________
Married young and happy, chasing after a variety!
Two now in school: G-16, B-14
Two at home: G - 6.5, B - 2.5
One arriving February 2013
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Maine anyone?
