Couple of questions about traditional catechisms

[flameburns623]

Was thumbing-thru my old St. Joseph’s Baltimore Catechism and a couple oddball questions popped into my head. First: why just the “Baltimore” Catechism? Why no “St. Louis Catechism”, “New Orleans Catechism”, “Seattle Catechism”? How come Baltimore got it’s own catechism? For that matter: I’ve come across a couple of references by European converts (from the early 20th Century) indicating that they happened upon the Baltimore Catechism somewhere on their way to the RCC. BUT–I’ve never heard of an English-speaking convert reading the “Catechism of Paris” or the “Warsaw Catechism” or so forth. TAN Books and similar publishers have loads of books translated from every conceivable language–but no catechisms “translated from East Elbonian” that I’ve noticed. What made Baltimore so special? Next question: In the section on doing good deeds is shown a little girl “Cutting out Holy Pictures from old calendars and magazines for the missions”. Umm . . . . what for? What were the missions going to do with them? Thanks!

 

[YoungTradCath]

Was thumbing-thru my old St. Joseph’s Baltimore Catechism and a couple oddball questions popped into my head. First: why just the “Baltimore” Catechism? Why no “St. Louis Catechism”, “New Orleans Catechism”, “Seattle Catechism”? How come Baltimore got it’s own catechism? For that matter: I’ve come across a couple of references by European converts (from the early 20th Century) indicating that they happened upon the Baltimore Catechism somewhere on their way to the RCC. BUT–I’ve never heard of an English-speaking convert reading the “Catechism of Paris” or the “Warsaw Catechism” or so forth. TAN Books and similar publishers have loads of books translated from every conceivable language–but no catechisms “translated from East Elbonian” that I’ve noticed. What made Baltimore so special? Next question: In the section on doing good deeds is shown a little girl “Cutting out Holy Pictures from old calendars and magazines for the missions”. Umm . . . . what for? What were the missions going to do with them? Thanks!

The Baltimore Catechism was named after the Council of Baltimore, a regional plenary (USA) synod of bishops. The Pope was petitioned to allow it and he agreed. The Council–and please understand that it was not an ecumenical or general council but just a synod–commanded the creation of a simple catechism for American use. The name “Baltimore” is really just coincidence and doesn’t mean much. Baltimore was, and to an extent still is, special because at one point, all Catholic territory in the USA was organized under the single province of Baltimore. It remains the preeminent See in the USA.

Second question: I don’t know. Perhaps it illustrates sending inspirational items to people in mission territories.

 

[flameburns623]

Thanks for clarifying about the Baltimore. Odd that the Germans or Irish or Brits or whomever didn’t also need or want simple catechisms. Or that if they had them, there weren’t at least some with merits commending them to be translated to English. Or imported from the UK to America, if a British catechism. (Of course, in more recent times there have been the “Dutch Catechism” and the “American Catechism”, but these weren’t traditional or even very orthodox catechisms). There seem to have been a lot of private catechisms produced over the years for English-speaking folk: “Catechism For Inquirers”, “Chats With Converts”, “Scriptural Catechism” etcetera . . . . but none I’m aware extant in other countries and imported/translated for English speakers use.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Thanks for clarifying about the Baltimore. Odd that the Germans or Irish or Brits or whomever didn’t also need or want simple catechisms. Or that if they had them, there weren’t at least some with merits commending them to be translated to English. Or imported from the UK to America, if a British catechism. (Of course, in more recent times there have been the “Dutch Catechism” and the “American Catechism”, but these weren’t traditional or even very orthodox catechisms). There seem to have been a lot of private catechisms produced over the years for English-speaking folk: “Catechism For Inquirers”, “Chats With Converts”, “Scriptural Catechism” etcetera . . . . but none I’m aware extant in other countries and imported/translated for English speakers use.

They did have them, probably their own or translations from the BC.

 

[Rich_C]

They did have them, probably their own or translations from the BC.

Yes, I believe the “Penny Catechism” is an example (British, so it happens).

Also, I think the example of the girl mailing cutouts of Jesus and Mary to missionaries was a pious way for children to support evangelization (i.e. obtaining “free” sacred art for the catechumens),