R
rjg99a
Guest
Hi - I am new to this website and I apologize if I’m posting this in the wrong sub-forum, but I wasn’t sure where the questions would best fit. Feel free to move my question to a another forum if more appropriate.
My husband and I are both in our early 30s and have been married for 8 yrs. We have a 2yr. old daughter and are expecting our second child in April. We both grew up separately in protestant/non-denominational Christianity, but stopped attending church in our college years. We didn’t necessarily “lose” faith altogether, but just became disenchanted with the idea of of the church and stopped feeling the need to attend or associate with a church.
However, in the past several years, we found ourselves longing to become part of a church community again, but we also want to find a place where we feel like our beliefs belong and would be comfortable at. After a long search, I think we are the most interested in the Catholic faith and started visiting a few in our area.
At one Catholic church, there was no cry room, so we sat in the back rows, but the usher kept looking at us every time our daughter fidgeted or talked and it made me uncomfortable feeling that we were being too loud/disruptive, so we didn’t go back there again (we did our best to keep her occupied and quiet; she’s just at a difficult age to keep still, especially since this is the first time we’re introducing her to church
).
The second Catholic church we visited also didn’t have a cry room, but they seemed to be more welcoming of small kids. They had RCIA classes just starting up and I attended one, but was left a bit disappointed. Whereas I was more interested in an intellectual discussion about Catholic traditions and history, instead, the class seemed to focus solely on a fuzzy, happy thoughts, “God is love” sermon - which is exactly why I ended up leaving protestant/non-denominational Christianity in the first place. Not that I don’t think that God is an example of perfect love, but the reason I’m interested in exploring the Catholic religion is because it seems to be based on so much more than just “feelings”. Neither the RCIA instructor nor the assistant seemed capable of answering some of the more hard-hitting questions I had, and I felt discouraged and that this church was going to be just like the churches I left from my upbringing. So we did not go back after two visits.
The third Catholic church we visited I do kind of like. They have a cry room, so I feel like I have an appropriate place to be when my daughter needs to stand up and talk and look around during mass. We have gone to this church three times so far. However, we have not been able to meet anyone or socialize or get plugged in. During mass, my husband and I are so focused on trying to enjoy mass, understand it, and keep an eye on our daughter and ward off potential meltdowns. After mass, we usually have to make a beeline for the car as our daughter is very ready to be out of there. So we have not had a chance to get to talk to anyone and are still strangers there.
So my question is: Any advice on where to go from here??
How do my husband and I, parents of a toddler (with another on the way, so as soon as my daughter is old enough to focus better we’ll have another toddler to deal with), find a Catholic church to get plugged into? Are there any/many Catholic churches in the Los Angeles area (we’re specifically in the East San Fernando Valley area) that would be a good fit for us? I’d like to find somewhere with more of a traditional view on religion/Catholicism, but at the same time, welcoming to families and young children. Does this kind of church exist?
Thank you in advance for any and all advice or help anyone can give - whether it be on how to fit into a church, how to find a church that will fit more intellectual needs, how to enter into the Catholic faith with young kids in tow, or with suggestions of churches to try out in the Los Angeles area.
My husband and I are both in our early 30s and have been married for 8 yrs. We have a 2yr. old daughter and are expecting our second child in April. We both grew up separately in protestant/non-denominational Christianity, but stopped attending church in our college years. We didn’t necessarily “lose” faith altogether, but just became disenchanted with the idea of of the church and stopped feeling the need to attend or associate with a church.
However, in the past several years, we found ourselves longing to become part of a church community again, but we also want to find a place where we feel like our beliefs belong and would be comfortable at. After a long search, I think we are the most interested in the Catholic faith and started visiting a few in our area.
At one Catholic church, there was no cry room, so we sat in the back rows, but the usher kept looking at us every time our daughter fidgeted or talked and it made me uncomfortable feeling that we were being too loud/disruptive, so we didn’t go back there again (we did our best to keep her occupied and quiet; she’s just at a difficult age to keep still, especially since this is the first time we’re introducing her to church
).The second Catholic church we visited also didn’t have a cry room, but they seemed to be more welcoming of small kids. They had RCIA classes just starting up and I attended one, but was left a bit disappointed. Whereas I was more interested in an intellectual discussion about Catholic traditions and history, instead, the class seemed to focus solely on a fuzzy, happy thoughts, “God is love” sermon - which is exactly why I ended up leaving protestant/non-denominational Christianity in the first place. Not that I don’t think that God is an example of perfect love, but the reason I’m interested in exploring the Catholic religion is because it seems to be based on so much more than just “feelings”. Neither the RCIA instructor nor the assistant seemed capable of answering some of the more hard-hitting questions I had, and I felt discouraged and that this church was going to be just like the churches I left from my upbringing. So we did not go back after two visits.
The third Catholic church we visited I do kind of like. They have a cry room, so I feel like I have an appropriate place to be when my daughter needs to stand up and talk and look around during mass. We have gone to this church three times so far. However, we have not been able to meet anyone or socialize or get plugged in. During mass, my husband and I are so focused on trying to enjoy mass, understand it, and keep an eye on our daughter and ward off potential meltdowns. After mass, we usually have to make a beeline for the car as our daughter is very ready to be out of there. So we have not had a chance to get to talk to anyone and are still strangers there.
So my question is: Any advice on where to go from here??
How do my husband and I, parents of a toddler (with another on the way, so as soon as my daughter is old enough to focus better we’ll have another toddler to deal with), find a Catholic church to get plugged into? Are there any/many Catholic churches in the Los Angeles area (we’re specifically in the East San Fernando Valley area) that would be a good fit for us? I’d like to find somewhere with more of a traditional view on religion/Catholicism, but at the same time, welcoming to families and young children. Does this kind of church exist?
Thank you in advance for any and all advice or help anyone can give - whether it be on how to fit into a church, how to find a church that will fit more intellectual needs, how to enter into the Catholic faith with young kids in tow, or with suggestions of churches to try out in the Los Angeles area.
