Catholic Roots

Last week I attended a visitation for the mother of a coworker.  I generally strongly dislike doing things like that simply because funerals are NOT my thing and I have YET to see a single person who actually looks decent enough in the casket that my memories of them are of that horrible shell at the funeral instead of the person I knew. 

So my entire office went to the visitation and I tagged along to offer condolences to my coworker.  When I walked into the church, I realized it was a Catholic church.  This should not surprise me as it is northern Kentucky, where Catholicism is the primary denomination.  Most of the funerals I have attended in my adult life have been in eastern Kentucky and have 1) been baptist, and 2) were attended at a funeral home instead of a church.

It is amazing how quickly and easily I melded into the Catholic habits I was raised practicing, such as using the holy water upon entering to do the sign of the cross, and mentally going to through the stations hanging on the wall while I waited to see my coworker (and her mother).  I saw the prayer area and this church even had a station for St. Jude (my church didn't these when I was growing up but I really thought it should have).  I saw the confessional box and the architecture itself was the old renaissance style that I am used to seeing in older Catholic churches and I looked in awe of the stained glass windows depicting the Saints and the high vaulted ceilings leading up to the massive crucifix at the alter with the giant, traditional looking pulpit.

As I stood in waiting, I realized with a heavy heart that these traditions and practices are not being carried on to my children.  Granted, I don't really place myself in the Catholic faith (I don't know if I ever truly did to be honest) however it was very disheartening to realize that my 5 year old has no idea what the significance of Mary or St. Jude or anything regarding what I spent my entire childhood practicing. 

And for the first time, it bothered me.  Almost to the point of suggesting to Trevor that maybe we should attend a Catholic church for a while so my kids can learn some of the traditions that both my mother and father's families practiced growing up.  Kids are like little sponges, and the best time to teach them these kinds of lessons and have them REMEMBER them is now, not when they are teenagers who are too cool for anything mom and dad have to say.  While I don't expect my children to practice Catholicism as adults, it would not turn me off if they CHOSE it for themselves.  I did after all break the family mold and choose the United Methodist denomination when I left for college.  I don't want my kids growing up thinking the Catholic church is a cult (as I have heard a few people in eastern Kentucky try to claim) and while I don't necessarily believe everything they do is right, I don't believe they are completely wrong either.   I just choose to represent my faith in a different way that is more meaningful to me.

After the last few years and the lack of a church home that my family has had, maybe a Catholic church isn't a bad idea.  I don't have any strong opposition to the Catholic church and my children can learn the catechism early which they can carry through life to make an educated decision as adults as to what denomination represents their beliefs.

This of course, won't happen.  My husband would never agree to attending a Catholic church.  But it does disappoint me that my children will not have the experiences that are unique to Catholicism.