Do you let on that you're Catholic at work?

[xyneshia]

yup, you can tell just by LOOKING at me!

 

[SJG1759]

yup, you can tell just by LOOKING at me!

I like this post! Hopefully you can tell by looking at me too… if you can’t, be patient, I’m trying.

 

[dakotagirl]

Absolutely!!

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

Well, I have reputation of being “anti-religious”-- a claim that is somewhat incorrect, but what can I say? My Advanced Placement classes have the religious as a majority. I am an Agnostic. Regardless, I do mention that I grew up Catholic. I’m most certainly not ashamed to admit that, and even today, I do defend the Church when it actually needs defending. :yup:

Admitting that I was raised Catholic is better than saying I’m Agnostic. If you think Catholics are the most discriminated, try being Atheist… or anything similar to it. You get the Mormon trying to get you into there church, and the Protestant preaching Bible quotes-- it’s a mess.

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood

 

[yellowbicycle]

Ugh, never!
I mentioned in another thread that I had to come to work AFTER Ash Wednesday Mass.
Worst.
Ever.
I would never, ever, EVER let on that I am Catholic. That day, I just kept my head low. Ugh.
Have I mentioned that was the worst ever?
It’s wonderful that you all can show your faith at your work place!
What a blessing.
No such luck here. Now, if I were an atheist or agnostic, I could join the party, but

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

Ugh, never!
I mentioned in another thread that I had to come to work AFTER Ash Wednesday Mass.
Worst.
Ever.
I would never, ever, EVER let on that I am Catholic. That day, I just kept my head low. Ugh.
Have I mentioned that was the worst ever?
It’s wonderful that you all can show your faith at your work place!
What a blessing.
No such luck here. Now, if I were an atheist or agnostic, I could join the party, but

:ehh: You really shouldn’t be ashamed, you know-- I mean, I won’t lie: I’d probably be one of those Agnostics wondering why you believe in whatever you believe in, but that shouldn’t let you down.

Seriously, though, you really shouldn’t be that ashamed… or ashamed at all.

Ironically Yours.

 

[graceandglory]

If so, has it caused any problems for you? Sometimes, I find it hard to avoid it. For instance, you go out to lunch with coworkers on a Friday, and when you order appetizers, if you say you can’t eat it, because it has meat in it, people are going to ask questions. Normally, people are pretty professional about it, and I haven’t had any bad experiences, but sometimes it does get a bit awkward. I mean, I don’t flaunt my Catholicity at work, either. I guess I’m a little self-conscious about it. What’s your take on this? Thanks in advance!

The worst place I had to work where I had to hide my catholicity…my faithfulness to the Church, was when I was teaching in a catholic school.

Where I teach now, in public schools, my favorite thing to do is to make friends with someone, find out they are a born again Christian, continue to be their friend and speak their language… Then when they finally ask, “what Church do you go to?” That’s when I spring it on them!

At that point, they are just like,

 

[xyneshia]

I like this post! Hopefully you can tell by looking at me too… if you can’t, be patient, I’m trying.

HELLO! not sure I have ever actually seen you, but I am sure you look the part just fine!

 

[CindySpeaksUp]

i dont go out of my way to let people know i’m Catholic, but everyone in the office knows i am. i dont force catholicism on them but if they ask me questions about it, i try to give them the best and accurate answer. I try to go to mass every wednesday or friday, so whenever they notice me going out to lunch on those days i’ll be asked if i’m going to mass. Ash Wednesday is also another way people know i’m Catholic, to which i’ve gotten a couple of semi-offensive comments, but i love being Catholic and am proud of it so i dont care what people think of me because of my faith. I think when you come off as being comfortable and confident with who you are and what you believe in it says alot to other people, whether they agree with it or not. In fact, a couple of my coworkers who hate religion, feel most comfortable talking to me and ask i pray for them. as the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said “There are not even 100 people in this country who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they think the Catholic Church to be.”

 

[yellowbicycle]

:ehh: You really shouldn’t be ashamed, you know-- I mean, I won’t lie: I’d probably be one of those Agnostics wondering why you believe in whatever you believe in, but that shouldn’t let you down.

Seriously, though, you really shouldn’t be that ashamed… or ashamed at all.

Ironically Yours.

Thanks for the kind words, Blade. I appreciate them, I really do.

In my social circle, which WAS mostly atheists and pagans, witches and satanists (self-proclaimed, of all flavors) some agnostics, once they found out I was moving towards Catholicism they pretty much cut ties with me. Well, that’s not true. They mocked me openly and behind my back, made untrue, unfounded and cruel accusations about me, and thought they were being funny when they posted up very hateful photos - the cross in urine, Mary in porno poses, that sort of thing. So, I cut ties with them. A stronger person could have stuck around, I’m sure, and taken it. Not me.
I’m not suggesting that’s how everyone is, that’s not the point I’m trying to make here. I guess it’s just once bitten, twice shy thing, y’know? And ostracized from friends is one thing, ostracized at work quite another.
And so you’re right, I shouldn’t let that experience shame me. But it does.
And unfortunately, the scene on a much less sever level repeated itself at work. Oh well. I guess the cat’s out of the bag anyhow now, huh?
But again, thank you! It was very sweet of you to say.

 

[whatevergirl]

Ugh, never!
I mentioned in another thread that I had to come to work AFTER Ash Wednesday Mass.
Worst.
Ever.
I would never, ever, EVER let on that I am Catholic. That day, I just kept my head low. Ugh.
Have I mentioned that was the worst ever?
It’s wonderful that you all can show your faith at your work place!
What a blessing.
No such luck here. Now, if I were an atheist or agnostic, I could join the party, but

Aw…don’t ever hang your head low over your faith. Sorry that your work environment is such that you feel you have to behave that way.

 

[jgaryCNC]

In all of my positions, over the last 20 years, I have never had any problem at all with identifying as a Catholic. I don’t go out of my way one way or another to discuss my faith, but I have had lapsed Catholics join me to get ashes, and to attend our Parish Life nights. God bless.

John.

 

[mozier]

All at my place know that I am a Roman Catholic. We are from all different backgrounds, but we respect each other. In fact, one of the best relationships I have is with an atheist co-worker who was quite cool towards me for ages, but has since slowly warmed up to me

One of the greatest shows of respect to me and to my faith was last year, when I applied for the deacon program. Almost all of my co-workers, none of them Catholic, actually wrote letters of recommendation for me to the deacon candidate selection committee. Now how about that!

 

[maryjk]

Hmmm, yea, they know. I don’t hide it.:ehh:

But since I work for the Church, I figure they know.



Sorry, feeling silly today.

 

[djrakowski]

maryjk:

I have no problem admitting I’m a Catholic at work, though other Catholics don’t like it when I dare to stand up for the teachings of the Church.

I once got into a shouting match about the need to go to confession with the guy on the other side of my cubicle wall. He told me that he never goes to confession, and that his priest says that it’s fine to just go to communal penance services. I told him what the Church actually teaches about the sacrament, and he jumped down my throat.

Other than that, I’ve had no problems, though a few of my evangelical co-workers, who knew me before I converted, no longer talk to me

 

[KarenElissa]

Yup, I’m very open about my faith, both with co-workers and the kids. I don’t push it our anything, but it is a big part of my life, so does come up. There are a number of other Catholics, varying degrees of faithfulness, and my boss is Jewish. I’ve never had any issues.

 

[Em_in_FL]

Of course I do! It’s who I AM!

 

[PetoVeritas]

At this job I haven’t had any problems. It’s a bit embarassing when people mistake the ashes on your forehead for something else. A girl last year said, “Oh, you have ink on your forehead.” I told her that it was ashes for Lent and she seemed embarrassed so I tacked on, “Thanks for telling me. Don’t ever let me go by with something on me and not say anything.” Of course, it did make me wonder this year, ‘how many people see something on you that shouldn’t be and just don’t say anything?’ Kick me signs, boogers in your nose, food in your teeth, etc.
Although, one jackass did say, “I remember when I was trapped in the Catholic faith and I gave up such and such for Lent.” Right in front of me. What a jerk! Everyone else openly and politely accepts my faith and kindly asks me about it.

At my old job I wasn’t vocal about being Catholic because that, to me, like many other elements of my life, is a private and personal thing. One of the ladies in my group had many Catholic things hanging in her cube and so her faith was well known. We were ordering pizzas for the entire department one Friday during Lent when I mentioned that we should order a veggie one and a plain cheese one since it was Lent and that those observing that would have the chance to eat as well.
One of the very loud mouthed vocal ladies piped up and said, “Why they don’t eat regular pizza like the rest of us?” I explained about Lent and the no meat on Friday. To which she replied, “Well, I’m a Christian and I never heard about such a thing.” I took a deep breath because this is one of my biggest pet peeves and said patiently, “Catholics ARE Christians.” She said, “Say what? If they Christians then what’s that make me?” I said slowly, “… A Protestant!” WOW! God gave me patience with that one. After that she just kind of muttered some incoherant stuff.
It just made me want to be infinitely more visually Catholic.

 

[jwashu]

Pretty much anyone at work who knows me knows I’m Catholic and a convert. The good thing is, for a fortune 500 company, we have a LOT of active Catholics where I work.

Joe

 

[Ganyssa]

At this job I haven’t had any problems. It’s a bit embarassing when people mistake the ashes on your forehead for something else. A girl last year said, “Oh, you have ink on your forehead.” I told her that it was ashes for Lent and she seemed embarrassed so I tacked on, “Thanks for telling me. Don’t ever let me go by with something on me and not say anything.”

2008 - I was nearly the person who told my boss he had something on his forehead on Ash Wednesday. I caught myself just in time.
2009 - I went to work on Ash Wednesday with ashes on my forehead.
2010 - Swimming the Tiber

Turns out many people at work are Catholic. I was explaining when I received a call on the weekend about a downed server by saying “Well, I went to 11:30 Mass, and my cell phone vibrated while the priest was consecrating the host.” Out of 10 people in the meeting, only two couldn’t work out what time it was without further explanation.

edited in an attempt to work out my spelling issues. this may not have helped