Is Your Family Catholic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ridesawhitehors
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

ridesawhitehors

Guest
**Ok Ok, Sometimes I feel sorry for myself I guess. :o But I am the only catholic in my ENTIRE family, in-laws, outlaws, and immediate family - (converted after I married). It is often like being on an island. Sometimes it seems like YOU are my catholic family. Sad, huh?

Do you have a catholic family? Are you the only one? What is your situation? **
 
My entire family (mother, father, sibblings, aunts, uncles, cousins etc.) are baptized Catholics but I’ve never seen any of them in a church except for funerals and weddings. They don’t even go at Christmas & Easter. I was baptized Catholic but never taken to church. I grew up knowing nothing about God whatsoever. The only refrence to God was a velvet picture of Jesus in our dinning room. I’m thinking it must’ve come with the house. Anyhow, I accepted Christ at the age of 26 and have been a devout Protestant ever since. I’m investigating the Catholic Faith but it’s very different from what I know. I wish I would’ve been raised in a good Catholic home rather than having to figure out God all on my own.
 
Well, I couldn’t answer your poll. We haven’t been Catholic since Biblical times I don’t think because in each generation we seem to have both Catholic and Prostestant relatives. Some of the marriages like my parents were that both were Catholic, but my Father’s parents, one was Catholic and one was Lutheran. On my mother’s side my grandmother was Catholic and my grandfather was Lutheran. My husband is Lutheran.

Despite the fact that we have mixed households, the Catholic members of our households have been fairly to very devout. I am very blessed. Although my husband is Lutheran, his family has always treated me and my family with the utmost respect and vis a versa. My husband is a very good man and although he doesn’t “agree” with everything about the Church when we were married he did promise to raise our children in the church and he has always been faithful to that promise. He does not allow them to be confused by other religions and even teases the children when they don’t pray the rosary properly as he walks by the room.

God bless you on your journey, and if you need a private ear, drop me a line on the private e-mail system.
 
I consider myself lucky - I am one of four children, and all four of us are still Catholic (and all still practicing). My brother and I both married other “cradle” Catholics, my sister’s husband converted just before they got married, and my other brother’s wife has expressed a definite desire to become Catholic.

That said, most of my aunts, uncles, and other relatives are either not Catholic, or Catholic but not practicing – so I voted for “just my immediate family”.

I certainly feel for you - I can’t imagine what it would be like if I were the only one!!
 
Oh my. I wish it were as simple as the choices given!

My immediate family, yes, all of them, with my wife’s reception into the Church last Easter Vigil (after 36 yrs of marriage).

My mother and her family were/are Catholic.

My father converted from Presbyterianism shortly after I was born. A lot of people on his side of the family never spoke to him again, or had anything to do with us “papists.” (They were Wee Frees from Ontario, Canada).

Four choices is rather sparse, when all roads lead to Rome. 😃

Blessings,

Gerry
 
I prefer to think of it as…

I’m the FIRST of my family to become Catholic! :dancing: but I do dearly hope not the ONLY for always!

(and I’m in the Bible Belt, too! where Catholics are a very serious minority!)
 
I chose most non Catholic with a few devout. However, most of my family is “Catholic” but only a few really practice it. That should be one of the choices :whacky: .

God bless you all!
 
Well, it’s just me.

I come from a rather eclectic family; the dad’s half are all S. Baptists, and the mom’s family are all JW’s

Neither side has been real happy with me for the last few years…
 
Currently, my immediate family consists of myself, my twin brother who is a priest, and a younger brother who wants nothing to do with us. (My parents are passed on…mom was Byz Catholic and my father went to RCIA and became Catholic 15 months before he passed on).

go with God!
Edwin
 
My husband is an ex-Catholic, none of my three daughters who were raised in the Church go to Mass. I do have a 90 yr old aunt by marriage who is a practicing Catholic if that counts, but she lives all the way across the country. It gets pretty lonely sometimes.
 
Well, I voted “Catholic since Biblical times” but that isn’t exactly accurate.

My family roots of Catholicism likely goes back 1038 years though when Poland became converted in 966 AD.

Thankfully, almost my entire relation are practicing Catholics. That includes my parents, my two brothers, my four sisters, all of my aunts and uncles (there’s 29 in all) and most (but sadly not all) of my fifty-plus cousins and there kids.
 
I am one of the lucky ones, born and raised Catholic. As far as I can remember all of my kinsfolk were and still are Catholic. Unfortunately out of 4 siblings, only 2 are practicing Catholics. I bring my nieces and nephews to church as often as possible.
 
Ridesawhitehors,

About that feeling sorry for yourself… 🙂 …I suspect being the only Catholic in your family makes you feel pretty alone. My only thought is that you’re in good company in feeling alone in your faith. I voted “Catholic since Biblical times,” but I feel pretty alone in my faith quite often. Both my parents are super-liberal-activist Catholics. With my parents, I feel more alone than when I’m with non-Catholics because any differences I have in faith with them (which are many) are not even legitimized since we are technically of the same faith (as opposed to my Jewish friend who is much more “tolerant” of my beliefs). If you asked my husband’s parents, they would tell you they are good Catholics, but they are (to paraphrase the Gospels) “in the world AND OF the world.” So when it comes down to many of the decisions that we make based on our faith, they don’t get it. As far as the extended family, they range from downright resentment of the Church to apathy (similarly to society in general). Sometimes I feel alone among Catholics here, because it seems like good orthodox Catholics usually come from one of two camps: either Converts or the Cradle Catholics whose families are model faithful Catholics. I’m neither. Anyway, I’m not trying to convince you that it’s not so bad (cause sometimes it really is a bummer), just sitting here with you in your alone-ness 🙂 .

God Bless,
TKC
 
My husband’s family is Catholic, out of 6 children, only he and his parents are practicing.

My family is Lutheran, me being the exception as of this past Easter…I even convinced my only brother to have his wife convert to Lutheranism, as I didn’t want him to have to go through what my husband and I went through regarding mixed marriage. That was before I converted or I may have convinced him otherwise!!!

It is very difficult to try and reason with them. It causes conflicts with baptisms, confirmations…etc…My family still thinks they are right, I have to get better with apologetics!!! 😃
~Weezir
 
I wasn’t sure how to vote. My whole family is Catholic and not one of them practices any part of it, short of my brother actually receiving Communion (without confession no less) at the occasional time they have to go to Mass (and we’ve discussed this several times).

My husband’s family is not Catholic, and my husband practices no form of Christianity (although my daughter insists he’s “part Catholic”–she’s 6–because he goes to Mass once in a while and prays with us before eating). However, my husband has asked an awful lot about Catholic beliefs and Traditions/traditions, so I’m thinking somewhere there may be a little spark that just needs a bit more fanning.

JELane
 
Thanks for your replies, brothers and sisters.
I realize now that the poll choices should have been more descriptive :o - but it was difficult to define the choices as you may see.

I just wondered mostly how many “lone catholics” there are out there - in catholic families or not.
Peace and blessings ~
 
40.png
elgom:
Well, I couldn’t answer your poll. We haven’t been Catholic since Biblical times I don’t think because in each generation we seem to have both Catholic and Prostestant relatives. Some of the marriages like my parents were that both were Catholic, but my Father’s parents, one was Catholic and one was Lutheran. On my mother’s side my grandmother was Catholic and my grandfather was Lutheran. My husband is Lutheran.

Despite the fact that we have mixed households, the Catholic members of our households have been fairly to very devout. I am very blessed. Although my husband is Lutheran, his family has always treated me and my family with the utmost respect and vis a versa. My husband is a very good man and although he doesn’t “agree” with everything about the Church when we were married he did promise to raise our children in the church and he has always been faithful to that promise. He does not allow them to be confused by other religions and even teases the children when they don’t pray the rosary properly as he walks by the room.

God bless you on your journey, and if you need a private ear, drop me a line on the private e-mail system.
Click to expand...
Like so many others here, I also had a hard time answering the poll. The above situation parallels mine. I would be the Lutheran husband with a Catholic wife raising our four children Catholic. It seemed like a simple commitment to make at the time we were married, and I am still very committed to it. But as the children get older (12, 10, 8, and 6) the questions get more difficult. I am hoping these forums and Catholic Answers can help me to answer their faith questions in a Catholic Way.
 
I voted for immediate family…that is so far. I came into the Church in 2000, my husband in 2002, and my daughter-in-law, who was baptised Catholic but never had the benefit of any catechesis or any other sacraments was welcomed back this past Easter.

In the meantime, I am doing my best to imitate St. Monica, and praying, praying, praying for my sons.:gopray2:
 
I didn’t answer…

My husbands family is catholic, although only his mother attends mass…and then only occasionaly.

My family is mainly protsetant.

My husband is catholic, but not fully initiated. He is in confirmation classes now however.

My son is baptized catholic and will be raised in the faith.

I came into the church in 2000.

Hope you don’t feel so alone now! <>

🙂 Lilder
 
ridesawhitehors said:
Ok Ok, Sometimes I feel sorry for myself I guess. :o But I am the only catholic in my ENTIRE family, in-laws, outlaws, and immediate family - (converted after I married). It is often like being on an island. Sometimes it seems like YOU are my catholic family. Sad, huh?

**Do you have a catholic family? Are you the only one? What is your situation? **
Click to expand...

I guess I’m feeling sorry for myself too today. My immediate family (husband and two girls) just changed parishes due to some liturgical abuses. The parish we are going to now is 40 minutes away, so we aren’t around too many people that go there. I too feel very lonely. My mother is a devout Catholic, but never really shared her faith with her children. It was “because I said so.” I’ll admit I fell away from the faith while in college, but when our 1st child was on the way, my husband and I had a conversion. I feel so good about what we are doing, but feel at times that I have no one to share this with. The rest of my family: siblings, father, and in-laws are so far away from the faith now. Although I’ve started reading the book called Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid and am finding it very helpful. Maybe if I can get my family on the same page with me, I’ll be able to find some friends.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top