K
kellifickel
Guest
Greetings!
I ws prompted to start this thread from a couple posts I read in other family life threads. The “What have you heard in homilies” thread included a response from a participant that she “lives in a Catholic paradise.” In some threads on family size, a participant said large families were the norm at her parish. These responses had me inquiring to the individuals about where they live!
This is not just an idle question. My husband and I, married in '02 and with a 13 month old girl, hope to be able to raise a large family. Regardless of size (as this is up to God’s will) we endeavor to raise a devout Catholic family. Recently, we have been discussig the fact that our town may not be the best place to do so.
Our town is called Holland, in Michigan. Though it is quite a pretty town, it is so overwhelmingly Protestant. It is even in the Guiness book of world records for the most churches per capita, literally almost one on every street corner. It is mainly reformed, a Dutch presbyterian, calvinist, lutheran mix. The town has protestant colleges. The culture is so Potestant, that even the one Catholic church is so liberal it has lost much of its Catholic identity. I am a convert from the Reformed faith, and I respect its good qualities, but really feel this is not the place for surrounding your family with Catholic values.
Well, to get to the point, I would like participants who love their town to give it a commercial here on this forum on why it would be a great place for a family to move to. I am looking for a true Catholic culture, understanding, of course, that no place is perfect. I would like a place where people don’t think I must be leading a daycare if I walk a family of 5+ kids around the store.
A place where I can learn from my neighbors and parishoners, where there are excellent Catholic schools and strong priestly vocation programs.
So far, we are already tentatively planning a trip to Front Royal, VA, one “catholic paradise.”
Thanks for any responses. But be careful, we might come invade your town if you are convincing.
KElli
I ws prompted to start this thread from a couple posts I read in other family life threads. The “What have you heard in homilies” thread included a response from a participant that she “lives in a Catholic paradise.” In some threads on family size, a participant said large families were the norm at her parish. These responses had me inquiring to the individuals about where they live!
This is not just an idle question. My husband and I, married in '02 and with a 13 month old girl, hope to be able to raise a large family. Regardless of size (as this is up to God’s will) we endeavor to raise a devout Catholic family. Recently, we have been discussig the fact that our town may not be the best place to do so.
Our town is called Holland, in Michigan. Though it is quite a pretty town, it is so overwhelmingly Protestant. It is even in the Guiness book of world records for the most churches per capita, literally almost one on every street corner. It is mainly reformed, a Dutch presbyterian, calvinist, lutheran mix. The town has protestant colleges. The culture is so Potestant, that even the one Catholic church is so liberal it has lost much of its Catholic identity. I am a convert from the Reformed faith, and I respect its good qualities, but really feel this is not the place for surrounding your family with Catholic values.
Well, to get to the point, I would like participants who love their town to give it a commercial here on this forum on why it would be a great place for a family to move to. I am looking for a true Catholic culture, understanding, of course, that no place is perfect. I would like a place where people don’t think I must be leading a daycare if I walk a family of 5+ kids around the store.
A place where I can learn from my neighbors and parishoners, where there are excellent Catholic schools and strong priestly vocation programs.So far, we are already tentatively planning a trip to Front Royal, VA, one “catholic paradise.”
Thanks for any responses. But be careful, we might come invade your town if you are convincing.
KElli
We don’t live in Combermere, Ontario, but sometimes we wish we did. It’s a small town, surrounded by Canadian wilderness. Mosquitoes and blackflies in the summer; freezing temperatures in the winter. A 3-hour drive from the nearest city.
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