Hello, from Boise, ID

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I, an American man age 55, was baptised a Methodist at age 17 and went to church for a couple of years then as I got older I became weak in my faith. I became turned off by the women ministers as allowed in that denomination and the reference to God as “Father and Mother” in at least one prayer led by the minister. The only thing I had appreciated was that my former Methodist church still used the term “Holy Ghost” as it is proper to do. My mother was raised Catholic but I wasn’t because she slipped away from the faith in her adult life. She said she no longer believed in Christianity (in terms of doctrine or theology) but that Jesus Christ did teach good things while he was living as a man. I had a local Catholic priest say a good word for her at the graveyard’s chapel when she had died, to cancer, in 1991. He said something to the effect that “may our sister’s body rise as did the Lord’s” and I was impressed.

I have some interest now in learning more about the Catholic faith. I enjoy the beautiful churches and organ music and the majestic garb and solemn practices of priests, other clergymen and their lay assistants in administering the Mass the way God intends it to be carried out. The swinging censers of smoky incense are mysterious and arouse my curiosity. The candles are heartwarming. The choir is divine in voice. I’ve seen a few Catholic Masses on YouTube and they are inspiring to behold.

My mother said that in her girlhood, the Church did not adhere to the teachings of the protestant bible. Catholic laymen/churchgoers received their Christian education through catechism. I’ve read that the Vulgate was the original bible of the Catholic church. Some people I’ve known claimed to have been “Roman Catholics” and I gather that’s the purest and most correct denomination of the Church. My grandmother, raised a Catholic, said that going to see the priest at confession was scary to her as a child. Some “Roman Catholics” I have met said they are distinct from" Catholics".

Questions

How can Catholics and prospective Catholics know whether the local parish or diocese of their community adheres to the ideals of the Traditional Catholic faith and practices Christianity strictly in accordance with the Traditional Catholic faith?

Does Pope Francis permit Catholic churches in America or anywhere in the world to strictly adhere to traditional Catholic practices?

Should a Traditionalist Catholic denomination be formed?

The SSPX is along my old-fashioned ways of thinking in regards to what Holy Mother Church should be.

I saw this inspiring video of Archbishop Sheen:
Venerable Fulton J Sheen -The Blessed Virgin Mary- The Woman I Love on YouTube

Why women cannot be priests: the seed is given by the man: the woman conceives it in the womb.
the Lord Jesus Christ gave His Word, the Seed
Jesus Christs’ twelve original disciples, the Apostles, were all men.
 
Furthermore…

The only thing I don’t appreciate is the term “Holy Spirit” as opposed to “Holy Ghost”. I’m a stickler for old-fashioned language.

If I were to hypothetically convert to the Catholic faith, this is what I would wish for:
  1. to be a churchgoer at a local parish or a cathedral in a diocese that strictly adheres to traditional Catholic ways in liturgy, doctrine and theology
  2. to be a member of a church that frowns heartilly upon the Second Vatican Counsel
  3. to be a member of a church where altar boys are just that, boys, not girls
  4. attend such church that practices the Holy Mass in the Latin rite
  5. as an adult layman/congregation member, to be trained, instructed and educated to be a proper and good Traditionalist Catholic and be baptized by a Traditionalist Catholic clergyman and properly confirmed: perhaps be a true Tridentine Roman Catholic
 
"The Novus Ordo Mass has no grandeur, no aristocratic allure. It shows no cultural and religious refinement and lacks the spirit of devotion and awe. It is a mechanical construct devised by Vatican bureaucrats. And the common practice to recite it while facing the congregation instead of “facing east” (i.e. the tabernacle) is a break with tradition which is as old as the Christian Church itself and which finds its origin in the ancient Jewish practice to pray in the direction of Jerusalem.

I ceased to attend Novo Ordo Masses a long time ago, and am completely determined to never attend them again. They are boring, styleless and superficial."

-anonymous Catholic (can’t cite the source here due to restrictions on link posting)
 
Welcome to CAF, Jonathan. I am a bit confused by your post. You seem to know an awful lot about the Catholic Church. I am not really sure what you are asking. I think you know what you want already, as evidenced by your three part post. What is it you would like help with?
 
Are you flaming us? Because There are several statements in your thread that are going to bring discord and disharmony to your thread and could lead to moderator penalties.

Its also not a good idea to attempt to cite an anonymous source that appears to have issues with Vatican II and the Ordinary form of Mass.
 
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I was stating what I would wish for should I convert.

Well, here are some questions:

Ok, what is the first step one should take if one is an American adult, having already been baptized in a Protestant church, and wishes to convert to Catholic faith? Should one speak with a local priest?

Is there a good primer for becoming a Catholic?

How does one, a layman churchgoer, once converted, become a Traditionalist Catholic?

How does one recognize a local church or parish that practices the faith in traditionalist fashion?

What I know about the Catholic church is a few things my grandmother had told me, a few things my mother had told me, a few things school teachers had told me, a few things I’ve read from tracts handed out from people, a few things I read in books, a few things various Catholic people had told me over the years and a few articles and videos I’ve seen on line.

In a Protestant church, the congregation members are usually handed out programs by ushers that explains what is happening during the worship service which is helpful for new churchgoers. I’ve taken the Protestant version of Holy Communion. I’ve also attended some church bible lesson sessions for adults.
 
To be honest, like LateranBasilica said, you do come across as a SSPX troll because you bring up a lot of issues that separate them from the Roman Catholic Church, the one that is headed by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. Particularly the part about rejecting Vatican II.

There are two kinds of Traditionalist Catholics: those who are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, who accept Vatican II, and a slew of groups that are not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and reject Vatican II.

You seem to be interested in the SSPX, which is effectively a schismatic group that is evolving into a separate religion independent of the Roman Catholic Church. If that’s what floats your boat, as I suspect it does, there is plenty about them on the internet to keep you busy for a long time, and several forums on the internet that are more geared to your needs than this one, which is mostly frequented by Roman Catholics in communion with the Pope who accept Vatican II.

Apropos Idaho, there are two towns in Idaho that have small, but notable Traditionalist communities. Post Falls has one that is connected to the FSSP, which is communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Coeur d’Alene has one that is connected with the SSPX.

You could check them both out. That’s almost four hundred miles from Boise, but it will give you the best idea of both forms of Traditionalist practice.
 
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You’ve got a whole set of per-conceived ideas about the Catholic Church going on in your head, based on your childhood and other factors. I’d suggest you open yourself to the reality of the Church and consider that some of your ideas are wrong or based on your assumptions of the truth. Open yourself to the action of the Holy Spirit in your life, read about the Church, and especially pray for direction. Humility is the key–not preconceived ideas of what the ideal Church is in your mind. It is not what you seem to believe.
 
I believe what my mother told me about the Church as she knew her. I do believe it’s old-style discipline is good for the soul.

My ideas about what the Church should be is that she should be only in strict accordance with what the Lord Jesus Christ preached to His disciples, the 12 men who were Apostles, and to all other people who followed Him in His days in this world.

I don’t recognize the “Holy Spirit” but rather the “Holy Ghost” by such name. Whenever “Christians” nowadays utter “Holy Spirit” it makes me so mad I want to chew nails.
 
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You certainly have some odd notions and strong prejudices. Good luck to you. CAF will probably not be a good forum for you.
 
Perhaps, then I will just seek a traditionalist priest for counsel.
Ask him about joining the faith.

Perhaps, my thinking is just too old-fashioned.

God bless!
 
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