If you were building a Catholic Town, what would it look like?

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

JSmitty2005:

T.A.Stobie:

Preference for and special use of electric vehicles with gasoline vehicles limited to special streets.

I’d actually prefer something old school - only bikes and horsedrawn carriages in town and have a bypass not too far away where you can drive normally if you want to leave town.

Horsedrawn carriages have the problem of manure droppings.

My electric vehicles are more like golf carts than SUV’s. I favor packing garages near the outside of communities for storage of vehicles for out-of-town use. Enclosed moving sidewalks connecting areas (prossible with electric subway connecting major areas within the city proper.).

 

[JSmitty2005]

T.A.Stobie:

Horsedrawn carriages have the problem of manure droppings.

Haha! This is true. :yup:

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Education done on the apprenticeship model with mostly more knowledgeable students teaching less knowledgeable student on a per subject basis. Assistance available for students who have difficultly learning either in general or in specific areas.

No grade levels, but evaluations on subject skill levels.

Physical education generally grouped by sex, size, and ability.
Higher skilled students may have small paid work opportunities with local companies.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

With some housing that requires so many hours of service to the housing community, such as yard work, communal kitchen work, etc., and with quantity buying of the construction of durable long-term housing, low cost housing should be available ranging from (1) inexpensive single communities with private suites of a bedroom, sitting room (with small kitchette), and a bathroom combined with communal kitchens, cloth washing areas, gathering rooms to (2) simple house with dual occupancy bedrooms, small kitchen, a couple of sitting rooms for families combined with the communal rooms.

 

[JSmitty2005]

Boys and girls would have separate summer camps to go to in a rural area nearby. They would grow in their faith and in their friendships. Priests, nuns, and lay spiritual advisors could run it with the assistance of the more mature younger adults.

 

[Eileen_T]

T.A.Stobie:

Horsedrawn carriages have the problem of manure droppings.

Horse manure droppings are excellent for growing roses. There would be magnificant gardens to provide flowers for the churches all year round.

 

[_SunShine]

JSmitty2005:

Boys and girls would have separate summer camps to go to in a rural area nearby. They would grow in their faith and in their friendships. Priests, nuns, and lay spiritual advisors could run it with the assistance of the more mature younger adults.

Yes, and they would all dress modestly. The women and girls would wear veils to mass.
The Ten Commandments would be displayed in/on all public buildings. There would be a “niche” on every block where one could stop and pray. The Angelus would ring out and everyone would stop what they were doing and pray.

 

[JSmitty2005]

~SunShine~:

The Angelus would ring out and everyone would stop what they were doing and pray.

That’s a good one. Church bells should be able to be heard anywhere in the town. Every time someone passes a church, they would cross themselves and say, “O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament divine! All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine!”

 

[JSmitty2005]

Eileen T:

There would be magnificant gardens to provide flowers for the churches all year round.

Especially for the Feast of the Assumption. Speaking of which, all the traditional customs for the feasts would be done. Also, there would be a HUGE nativity and crucifixion scene in the center square for Christmas and Easter. There could also be a little “saint-of-the-day” shrine where statues of saints could be placed when it’s their feast day. (although that might be a lot of work since it would have to be changed daily…plus, where would you keep 365 statutes?! )

 

[Eileen_T]

In parks and gardens, where there would be shrines.

 

[Island_Oak]

Lots of sidewalks and front porches…(you get to know your neighbors better that way). There would be no “big box” mega stores, and the town would be built around a village center so you could walk/bike/golf cart it over to the store, pharmacy, church, cafe, school, etc…and not drive anonymously from parking lot to your garage like in the current sidewalk-less cul-de-sac suburbs miles from the town center.

 

[Penny_Plain]

Lots of homeless shelters and low-income housing.

ESL classes.

Job training programs.

Good rec programs for kids, especially teens.

Public oceanfront beaches…

 

[pira114]

I gotta take this in a different direction. I know, some of you are probably tired of my “different directions.”

If it’s in today’s society, it would definately come under attack quickly and frequently. It would need an Army and Air Force to defend it. A Marine Corps if it had a beach front. Ah, the heck with it, we’ll just have the Marines defend all of it. That will be easier and better!

The inside would probably look similar to all the above posts, except I would not be so quick to get rid of modern things like gas powered cars, diverse movie selection, coed summer camps for kids, etc… If the children are raised right, and supported 100% by their parents, there should be minimal concern about the camps being coed. With supervision of course.

 

[JSmitty2005]

pira114:

I gotta take this in a different direction. I know, some of you are probably tired of my “different directions.”

If it’s in today’s society, it would definately come under attack quickly and frequently. It would need an Army and Air Force to defend it. A Marine Corps if it had a beach front. Ah, the heck with it, we’ll just have the Marines defend all of it. That will be easier and better!

I was actually thinking this too! But it shouldn’t be the American government’s military. We’ll have to have our own (maybe that’s what you meant).

 

[VonMrs]

Fun thread!

My Catholic town would have a group of Catholic midwives who would attend most births. Women could have their babies at home or perhaps in the town’s birth center (whatever her preference). There would be a respectful, pro-life physician available should any mothers or babies need medical assistance.

Moms would be friendly and helfpul to each other. Mothers would have a six week “baby moon” with their newborns. Other moms would take care of the new mom’s house and older children during that period. Raising large families would be a natural and delightful thing, made much easier by a community of families supporting families.

There would be many families with at home businesses. Members of the community would look to their needs first from these families before going to outside businesses. There would be no need for day cares. Women would be free to take care of their own children… either full time at home or while working at a home businesses. For women who are working at home, the other mothers would provide help with the children as needed. Women who are not called to the vocation of wife and mother would be supported in their professional pursuits in the single vocation. Women who have already raised their families and choose to enter the professional work force would also be supported.

I could go on and on, but that’s a good start! On a serious note, I can see the counter-argument to such a community being a hinderance to evangelization. If I had such a community to live in, I would probably never want to leave!

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

There would be communal areas devoted to communal daycare where parents who have to be away can entrust their children to loving individuals. Parents should share the duty of watching the children in daycare.

 

[VonMrs]

T.A.Stobie:

There would be communal areas devoted to communal daycare where parents who have to be away can entrust their children to loving individuals. Parents should share the duty of watching the children in daycare.

I think you and I agree in spirit on how kids could be taken care of! I don’t really see the need for a daycare, per se, though. I’d like it to be the way it used to be between women and families. If you need help with the kiddos, you drop them off with someone you know and trust. As a stay at home mother, it would be easier for me to watch a friend’s children at my own home than to have to go to a facility outside of my home.

 

[maryfullofgrace]

crohnie4life:

…what about having prolife physicians to take care of us…especially for women. I am tired of seeing MDs who push either taking the pill or having a hysterectomy to prevent pregnancy esp. if one has a serious health condition.

I want doctors who respect life as well as the lives of their patients.

The Hospitals in this town would be true Catholic Hospitals and abide by the Catholic Mission. Everyone would receive medical attention when in need and no families would be singled out and either refused care or charged astronomical fees that they could not possibly pay. Charitable care would once again be given out, like when the nuns once ran hospitals.

This is a fun post!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

First off, I would put the town’s parish church in the center of town, with easy access. I would work the streets in circles instead of grids, leading into the center of town.

I would NOT put in communal kitchens. That defeats the purpose of the nuclear family. I would, however, encourage fish fries and the like on communal basis.

 

[Penny_Plain]

This is a great topic.

I was talking it over with the Huz last night, and he made an interesting point. Many of the things presented here are communal ideas, whether communal day care or things that are designed to bring people in closer contact with each other.

Here’s the Huz’s question: Is there something inherently anti-Catholic about being a loner, assuming one fulfills the Mass obligations?