Should I do this?

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dove51

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In my math class, there is one kid who wears a Rosary around his neck. He doesn’t appear to be a Catholic by the way he acts, but maybe he is. I was thinking of asking him if he ever prayed it and if he said no or acted like he wanted to but couldn’t, I would give him one of those little cards that tells you how to pray the Rosary (my parish has stacks of them and I sometimes take two and keep them with me).

Should I give it to him if he responds okay? Would that be too Protestant? I don’t want to come off creepy or like a street preacher. And since this is a public school setting, could I get in trouble?
 
I’m pretty sure you won’t get in trouble. The general rule for public schools is that teachers and staff can’t endorse what you’re doing, and you can’t do any sort of mass-evangelization on school grounds; two people having a conversation would fall into the same category as reading a Bible on your own: it’s not distracting anyone, and therefore it isn’t any of the school’s business.

I’d say go ahead and ask, and if you get a good response offer it to him. If he reacts negatively, let it lie.
 
Yes I’d say go for it. Do you think he’s waiting for someone to ask since he’s wearing it around his neck?
 
dove51 said:
Should I give it to him if he responds okay? Would that be too Protestant? I don’t want to come off creepy or like a street preacher. And since this is a public school setting, could I get in trouble?
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Hypothetical situation: Your daughter is a nice, shy Catholic girl who wears her crucifix to school everyday. Her English teacher, an evangelical non-denominational Christian, isn’t sure if she just wears it for decoration, or if she believes in God, or what. So he gives her a pamphlet about how we’re saved by faith alone. Maybe even a Jack Chick tract or two. For good measure, maybe something about how “Catholics keep Jesus on the cross.”

Are you going to thank that English teacher for his attempt to save her immortal soul by exposing her to his personal beliefs and practices? Or would you be angry at his attempt to influence your daughter’s religious beliefs?

The people telling you to “go for it” have it easy–they’re not going to lose their job if his parents go postal.
 
Timidity said:
Hypothetical situation: Your daughter is a nice, shy Catholic girl who wears her crucifix to school everyday. Her English teacher, an evangelical non-denominational Christian, isn’t sure if she just wears it for decoration, or if she believes in God, or what. So he gives her a pamphlet about how we’re saved by faith alone. Maybe even a Jack Chick tract or two. For good measure, maybe something about how “Catholics keep Jesus on the cross.”

Are you going to thank that English teacher for his attempt to save her immortal soul by exposing her to his personal beliefs and practices? Or would you be angry at his attempt to influence your daughter’s religious beliefs?

The people telling you to “go for it” have it easy–they’re not going to lose their job if his parents go postal.
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You have a good point. But I’m not the teacher, he’s a classmate of mine.
 
Even if you were the teacher, I think that there is a way to tactfully and appropriately approach the student. I had an evangelical teacher in high school who helped spark my interest in Jesus through a very appropriate and non-confrontational invitation to discuss the Bible and its historical development (this was a history teacher) Thanks to people like her, I looked into what Jesus had to say and was eventually baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church this Easter.

Dealing with one of your peers, if you feel comfortable doing that, I think that would be great. I know some people think that it is “bad” to wear a rosary (I don’t - I wear mine every day, although under my shirt so that people don’t see it. I try to demonstrate my faith by my actions, and not by my wardrobe.), but if your classmate isn’t interested, I would not confront him about the appropriateness of wearing the rosary. It’s not anybody else’s business, and that would only make him less inclined to see your side of things.

I’ll say a prayer for you and your classmate.
 
dove51 said:
In my math class, there is one kid who wears a Rosary around his neck. He doesn’t appear to be a Catholic by the way he acts, but maybe he is. I was thinking of asking him if he ever prayed it and if he said no or acted like he wanted to but couldn’t, I would give him one of those little cards that tells you how to pray the Rosary (my parish has stacks of them and I sometimes take two and keep them with me).

Should I give it to him if he responds okay? Would that be too Protestant? I don’t want to come off creepy or like a street preacher. And since this is a public school setting, could I get in trouble?
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Another approach would be asking if he would like to say a decade or two while on lunch break or class break.
 
Timidity said:
The people telling you to “go for it” have it easy–they’re not going to lose their job if his parents go postal.
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Hi I’m a public school teacher. A student has the freedom of speech to give something to a classmate. The classmate is wearing a rosary, a gigantic faith statement. Anyone can ask about it. A student can give something to another student, but a teacher can’t.

No worries. Go for it. I had the same discussion today with my plumber. “Hey, that’s a crucifix you’re wearing, are you Catholic?” “Nope, I’m Christian. This cross has saved my life a time or two.”

😃
 
Timidity said:
OOooo!! That changes everything!!! Gor for it! 👍
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Wow, I re-read the Original post, at first I assumed it was a student, I didn’t even notice it could have been either teacher or student. Good call at first, Timidity.

"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:12
 
He may not be a Catholic. A rosary is not supposed to be worn as jewelry. The poster who wore it under clothes is not exposing it as jewelry.
 
BSHoop96 said:
He may not be a Catholic. A rosary is not supposed to be worn as jewelry. The poster who wore it under clothes is not exposing it as jewelry.
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In some cultures it’s worn the same as a medal or scapular. My suggestion is to ask if the person is Catholic and offer a pamphlet if he/she isn’t. You could offer to answer any questions too.
 
Claire_from_DE said:
In some cultures it’s worn the same as a medal or scapular. My suggestion is to ask if the person is Catholic and offer a pamphlet if he/she isn’t. You could offer to answer any questions too.
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Hmmmm…according to the Church it shouldn’t be. Worn as jewelry, I mean. Claire, isn’t a scapular usually worn under clothing anyway? A medal would be different than a rosary.
 
Timidity said:
Hypothetical situation: Your daughter is a nice, shy Catholic girl who wears her crucifix to school everyday. Her English teacher, an evangelical non-denominational Christian, isn’t sure if she just wears it for decoration, or if she believes in God, or what. So he gives her a pamphlet about how we’re saved by faith alone. Maybe even a Jack Chick tract or two. For good measure, maybe something about how “Catholics keep Jesus on the cross.”

Are you going to thank that English teacher for his attempt to save her immortal soul by exposing her to his personal beliefs and practices? Or would you be angry at his attempt to influence your daughter’s religious beliefs?

The people telling you to “go for it” have it easy–they’re not going to lose their job if his parents go postal.
Click to expand...
I am very sure by your post that you don’t believe that the Catholic Church holds the full deposit of the Faith. If you were, you would understand the original post.

Since the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church teaches the fullness of faith, and has deposited to it the fullness of truth, it is our duty always and everywhere to do what is right and instruct those who are still lacking this fullness.

See the only thing we have to worry about when Protestants try to prize away the soundness of doctrine from a Catholic soul is the weakness of the faith in the soul under attack. If parents have reared their kids to have a weak faith, or indeed no faith at all, then their kids will go for all sorts of strange doctrines anyway.

Whereas, if children are raised to know and love the fullness of truth and sound doctrine, see that it makes a difference in their parents lives and know that it will make a difference in their own, we will worry nothing for those kids. They will hold fast to the truth and will come back to the parents when they come across something they either don’t comrehend or are unsure about. I would only worry about undue influence if I had not put in the ground work that each and every parent has the duty to do in relation to their childrens faith.

By the way this goes both ways across the divides.
 
BSHoop96 said:
Hmmmm…according to the Church it shouldn’t be. Worn as jewelry, I mean. Claire, isn’t a scapular usually worn under clothing anyway? A medal would be different than a rosary.
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Wearing rosaries is currently a popular street fad in “the hood” – I work in spitting distance of East Harlem.

I think it would be a great idea to carry a handful of those how to pray the rosary brochures to give to anybody **you know **who might express any positive response to your question about the rosary.

I would not volunteer this service to strangers, though!
 
dove51 said:
In my math class, there is one kid who wears a Rosary around his neck. He doesn’t appear to be a Catholic by the way he acts, but maybe he is. I was thinking of asking him if he ever prayed it and if he said no or acted like he wanted to but couldn’t, I would give him one of those little cards that tells you how to pray the Rosary (my parish has stacks of them and I sometimes take two and keep them with me).

Should I give it to him if he responds okay? Would that be too Protestant? I don’t want to come off creepy or like a street preacher. And since this is a public school setting, could I get in trouble?
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By all means ask him and by all means give him the booklet if he needs and wants it.

Don’t worry about appearing to be “creepy” or behaving like a “protestant”.

We are called to live our catholicism in an obvious way. Your friend wearing the rosary around his neck is reason for conversation. If he does not want to converse about it then maybe he’ll consider not wearing it. However, if you are being called to “love and serve the Lord and be a witness onto other” then you would be neglecting and wasting a precious opportunity to be like Mary - take Jesus to others.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
I am surprised that only one person so far has hinted at the affiliation of wearing rosaries with gangs. I even saw a local tv news story on it a few years ago. Most of the people in my life that I have seen wearing rosaries were of the thug-ish variety. Same thing with Virgin Mary tattoos on folks whose lifestyles are at odds with Church teachings. So when the OP says that the person wearing the rosary doesn’t act like a Catholic, I tend to think that it is just a fashion statement rather that wearing it for devotion. Of course, I could be wrong. I wouldn’t go handing out pamphlets off the bat, but I wouldn’t see any harm in asking why the person chooses to wear a rosary or if he prays it.
 
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