The Lost Generation of Catholics

[Grace_Angel]

I belong to the Lost Generation of Catholics.

There are so many complaints about the number of Catholics attending Mass decreasing. Did anyone ever think that maybe this happens when you ignore an entire generation of Catholics??

There’s nothing wrong with various generations being reached through their own particular style and context. But what happens when you’ve been skipped over and you don’t have anything that reaches out and hits a chord within you? What happens if all you have to choose from is the Kumbaya Style of the 1960’s or the “Let’s deal with being a teenager!” style?? Yes, the Mass is all about the Eucharist - but what if you can’t go to Mass without being constantly distracted, led into wishy-washy theology and having your space invaded by pushy people who demand that you hold their hand?

I’ve caught a wee glimmer of my generation shining through - in the music of bands such as “Crispin”, “Critical Mass” and some of Father Stan Fortuna’s songs. (He is geared more towards young Catholics but some of his songs reflect the funky jazzy style of my generation. **All **of his music is absolutely fantastic!!)

But…even with these glimmers peeping through I still feel as if my generation is invisible and we’ve been totally skipped over, as well as largely un-educated, by the Church. My generation has had to basically educate ourselves about the Faith and “raise ourselves” without much support or encouragement. When will we start to exist?

From the gatherings I have attended where many of my generation have been present I have seen a great love of Eucharistic Adoration, public recitation of the Rosary, classic hymns, Marian devotion and many of the other practices you don’t often see in post 1960’s parishes. Why is this? Why can’t we have both the fresh freedom style of the 1960’s **and **the sacred devotions and practices? It all seems a bit greedy to expect that only one type of Catholic is allowed to be supported within the Church. The rest get ignored.

From what I’ve observed my generation seems to want to focus on Jesus at Mass and community **after **Mass. So things like having a coffee/tea social hour after Mass is right up our alley. But listening to someone discuss their day on a cell phone three pews down is not.

We also seem to enjoy churches that are decorated - we don’t seem to be into the bare empty church thing. We don’t necessarily need to have only the old fashioned style of art. The modern art deffinately has it’s place. But having an empty church removes that sense of the sacred that we seem to crave. It feels more like a meeting hall then a Catholic church. .

The problem with being the Generation That Never Was is that there are very few parishes where we feel as if we are a part of the Church.

The 1960’s generation have had their fun for the past 47 years. Can it move over now and make some room for us late 20 through early 40-somethings??

Can we have the crucifix back? And the decorations? The high altar? And the confessional where we can indulge in anomnimity? Can we save the band for after Mass - and have the organ returned to its place in the choir loft? (with a choir as well?) And the kneelers - I really enjoy kneeling when I pray and I don’t feel that my self-esteem has been damaged by such a humble posture - If anything it’s kept me from getting too full of my own liberated self importance!

Can we save the socializing for after Mass? Mass is a sacred time - and the half hour before Mass should be a quiet time to reflect and pray and prepare ourselves. Visiting is great fun - after Mass.

I think that there are more then enough Catholic parishes dedicated to teenagers and the folks from the 1960’s. Isn’t it time to move over, make some room for us…and share?

I am tired of being invisible.

Good on you Michelle, well spoken. I am one of those from the generation which has actually lived through the deconstruction, and its been hard. With enough young people like yourself and your friends, you can begin to slowly reclaim the faith of the One True, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Keep demanding it. Keep insisting that you want the whole truth and not some watered down mish mash, new age, concoctions which pass off as spiritualtiy. If you really want to have it back, just really fight for it.
God Bless your endeavours,
Grace Angel.

 

[anamchara]

Um, sure you knew. Uh huh.

Perhaps suggesting a TLM or an FSSP (tradition in the purest form and IN union with Rome) parish would be a little less heredoxical but hey whatever floats your immortal soul, I guess.

wow you are building a nice little case against me aren’t you. Let’s see what sin this might be? You are doing it infront of other so I believe its the sin of calumny. I might have that wrong but slander nonetheless. Whatever floats your sinning heart me dear

 

[netmilsmom]

Count me in, please, netmil(name removed by moderator)! Between you and Karin and KathleenElsie, I’d consider myself in very good company.

~~ the phoenix

Check out my new signature!!!
I am very blessed to be in such fine and revernt company!
Paramedicgirl is nominated!

 

[paramedicgirl]

Don’t say there’s nothing wrong with the way I worship after you have already made comments in the past about what you call “modern” parishes and as you call “Happy Catholics” .

Aren’t Happy Catholics the ones who are attending indult Masses? Or reverent Novus Ordo Masses like Netmil(name removed by moderator)'s Church?

I’ve read the OP and already gave my advice, our diocese has one sspx parish if that is what people want I don’t have issues with it as long as they don’t come on here and start belittling “modern” parishes.

By that token, it should not be OK for modernists to come on here and belittle SSPX parishes or Traditional parishes. Yes?

 

[netmilsmom]

Good on you Michelle, well spoken. I am one of those from the generation which has actually lived through the deconstruction, and its been hard. With enough young people like yourself and your friends, you can begin to slowly reclaim the faith of the One True, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Keep demanding it. Keep insisting that you want the whole truth and not some watered down mish mash, new age, concoctions which pass off as spiritualtiy. If you really want to have it back, just really fight for it.
God Bless your endeavours,
Grace Angel.

God Bless you too!
We will be the ones who support the young. Stand tall. Pray to St. Michael for strength and St. Monica for the conversion of those have no clue what they do.

Thank God for my wonderful Pastor (God Bless him and grant him long life) and his understanding of VII the way it was meant to be.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Check out my new signature!!!
I am very blessed to be in such fine and revernt company!
Paramedicgirl is nominated!

Yeah, put me on the team. What team? The Toe Tag Team?

 

[netmilsmom]

Aren’t Happy Catholics the ones who are attending indult Masses? Or reverent Novus Ordo Masses like Netmil(name removed by moderator)'s Church?

Ya know PG, you may be right, I may have had it wrong the whole time. WE are the Happy Catholics. Talk to someone like Elzee, who’s stuck in a modern parish and has no where to go. She is not very happy, but the innovators don’t mind at all.

By that token, it should not be OK for modernists to come on here and belittle SSPX parishes or Traditional parishes. Yes?

Oh that doesn’t happen, does it?

 

[ComradeAndrei]

That article CatQuilt posted describes me pretty well, and probably describes much of the generations that came along during the time when the “Spirit of Vatican II” held sway. By the Grace of God (without a doubt) I re-catechized myself.

As Pope St. Pius X, Bon. Mem., said, “Indeed, the true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators: they are traditionalists.”

Perhaps suggesting a TLM or an FSSP (tradition in the purest form and IN union with Rome) parish would be a little less heredoxical but hey whatever floats your immortal soul, I guess.

You know what they say, I’d drive 100 miles for a Latin Mass! However, not that many folks have an FSSP or ICKSP parish even that close to them.

 

[anamchara]

Aren’t Happy Catholics the ones who are attending indult Masses? Or reverent Novus Ordo Masses like Netmil(name removed by moderator)'s Church?

By that token, it should not be OK for modernists to come on here and belittle SSPX parishes or Traditional parishes. Yes?

aww how cute you are all ganging up on me now your calling me a modernists? and when did I belittle SSPX parihes or Traditional for that matter? Show me a posts where I did this? If you can’t find then one then perhaps I should report your post? We are going off topic and getting personal, I believe this not allowed, yes?

 

[mnowlin1]

I have to ask. Is what you are looking for an EWTN type Holy Mass?

I too am part of that lost generation. I can’t help but wonder if the solemnity and beauty of an EWTN type mass wouldn’t go miles to bringing back exactly what so many of us seem to be missing.

 

[netmilsmom]

Yeah, put me on the team. What team? The Toe Tag Team?

You’re there! We are the Happy Toe Tag Team!!!
I think we should take Our Lady of Akita as our patron. What do you think?

 

[netmilsmom]

I too am part of that lost generation. I can’t help but wonder if the solemnity and beauty of an EWTN type mass wouldn’t go miles to bringing back exactly what so many of us seem to be missing.

Exactly.
Mother Angelica did so much good but so much pain. She showed us what the Holy Mass should be and now some of us are in Diocese that are Innovation Central.

It’s pleasure and pain to watch an EWTN Holy Mass for some people.

 

[Julianna]

Aren’t Happy Catholics the ones who are attending indult Masses? Or reverent Novus Ordo Masses like Netmil(name removed by moderator)'s Church?

By that token, it should not be OK for modernists to come on here and belittle SSPX parishes or Traditional parishes. Yes?

No, it is not OK for modernists (your term) to come on here and belittle SSPX or Trad parishes, it is against forum rules.
But not the other way around.

However, you and others can gang up on the modernists (your term), Happy Catholics (another posters term) or those who don’t have problems with the allowance of female altar servers (or who have no opinon one way or the other), Democrats, Independents, feminists, liberals, Centrists, any any one else who has a “difference” of opinion. Oh, yeah, “those” people.

The poor OP is probably so confused by now. I’m sorry about that.

 

[netmilsmom]

You know what they say, I’d drive 100 miles for a Latin Mass! However, not that many folks have an FSSP or ICKSP parish even that close to them.

You have hit the nail on the head.
Not even close to them.

And find a reverent NO without innovation. As few and far between.

 

[Karin]

No, it is not OK for modernists (your term) to come on here and belittle SSPX or Trad parishes, it is against forum rules.
But not the other way around.

However, you and others can gang up on the modernists (your term), Happy Catholics (another posters term) or those who don’t have problems with the allowance of female altar servers (or who have no opinon one way or the other), Democrats, Independents, feminists, liberals, Centrists, any any one else who has a “difference” of opinion. Oh, yeah, “those” people.

The poor OP is probably so confused by now. I’m sorry about that.

I am sorry but there is a “basic standard” for Mass…and many, many parishes dont come close
Every wonder what our beloved Pope would do if he walked into one of these Happy-clappy, touchy-feely masses with guitars playing and other whacky things going on???

 

[netmilsmom]

No, it is not OK for modernists (your term) to come on here and belittle SSPX or Trad parishes, it is against forum rules.
But not the other way around.

However, you and others can gang up on the modernists (your term), Happy Catholics (another posters term) or those who don’t have problems with the allowance of female altar servers (or who have no opinon one way or the other), Democrats, Independents, feminists, liberals, Centrists, any any one else who has a “difference” of opinion. Oh, yeah, “those” people.

The poor OP is probably so confused by now. I’m sorry about that.

Backward, old-fashioned and behind the times. We toe-tags (not your term) get it all.
But let a person give the same generalizations about innovators and suddenly it’s personal.

The poor OP is probably seeing thing just crystal clear about now. If some of the “Catholic Communities” have their way, she’ll never see an EWTN type mass except on tv.

 

[anamchara]

No, it is not OK for modernists (your term) to come on here and belittle SSPX or Trad parishes, it is against forum rules.
But not the other way around.

However, you and others can gang up on the modernists (your term), Happy Catholics (another posters term) or those who don’t have problems with the allowance of female altar servers (or who have no opinon one way or the other), Democrats, Independents, feminists, liberals, Centrists, any any one else who has a “difference” of opinion. Oh, yeah, “those” people.

The poor OP is probably so confused by now. I’m sorry about that.

Agreed Juli! and AMEN!!

 

[ComradeAndrei]

Democrats, Independents, feminists, liberals, Centrists, any any one else who has a “difference” of opinion. Oh, yeah, “those” people.

Depends on where the difference of opinion exists, in the realm of where divergence can be tolerated in legitimate discourse or if that opinion breaches the line between acceptable and erroneous.

Pope St. Pius X, Our Apostolic Mandate, 42

Further, whilst Jesus was kind to sinners and to those who went astray, He did not respect their false ideas, however sincere they might have appeared. He loved them all, but He instructed them in order to convert them and save them. Whilst He called to Himself in order to comfort them, those who toiled and suffered, it was not to preach to them the jealousy of a chimerical equality. Whilst He lifted up the lowly, it was not to instill in them the sentiment of a dignity independent from, and rebellious against, the duty of obedience. Whilst His heart overflowed with gentleness for the souls of good-will, He could also arm Himself with holy indignation against the profaners of the House of God, against the wretched men who scandalized the little ones, against the authorities who crush the people with the weight of heavy burdens without putting out a hand to lift them. He was as strong as he was gentle. He reproved, threatened, chastised, knowing, and teaching us that fear is the beginning of wisdom, and that it is sometimes proper for a man to cut off an offending limb to save his body.

Everyone has a right to be respected as a person and child of God, but no one’s erroneous “opinions” have a right to be aired to the injury of the Faithful.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Hi–maybe I’ve found the problem.

When anamchara said :I’ve read the OP and already gave my advice, our diocese has one sspx parish if that is what people want I don’t have issues with it as long as they don’t come on here and start belittling “modern” parishes.

I believe that this could have been (was) interpreted as meaning that those who were perceived of as belittling (by not prefering) ‘modern’ parishes were SSPX sympathizers and should stay there (and be quiet).

Now of course, the problem is that SSPX members are not in communion with Rome.

Therefore, for Anamchara to say in effect that if the people in her parish didn’t want the ‘modern’ parish that they could go to the SSPX and she had ‘no problem’ with that. . .

That raised the hackles of those of us who while they certainly do not belittle or dislike “modern” parishes happen to prefer a “traditional” parish. One that is in union with Rome–not a schismatic.

I think that Anamchara was certainly not suggesting that people should go to a schismatic group. I think that she genuinely thought that SSPX ‘was’ the traditional group!!

People get defensive about what they love and I think Anamchara loves her parish and its modernity, and felt hurt that others might not; just as we feel hurt to have our traditional parishes scorned. . .or even ‘not preferred.’ It’s human nature.

But modern or traditional–we still worship the same God and we’re still brothers and sisters, and we can certainly get along. . .the happy-clappy toe-tagging lot of us.

 

[Julianna]

Hi–maybe I’ve found the problem.

When anamchara said :I’ve read the OP and already gave my advice, our diocese has one sspx parish if that is what people want I don’t have issues with it as long as they don’t come on here and start belittling “modern” parishes.

I believe that this could have been (was) interpreted as meaning that those who were perceived of as belittling (by not prefering) ‘modern’ parishes were SSPX sympathizers and should stay there (and be quiet).

Now of course, the problem is that SSPX members are not in communion with Rome.

Therefore, for Anamchara to say in effect that if the people in her parish didn’t want the ‘modern’ parish that they could go to the SSPX and she had ‘no problem’ with that. . .

That raised the hackles of those of us who while they certainly do not belittle or dislike “modern” parishes happen to prefer a “traditional” parish. One that is in union with Rome–not a schismatic.

I think that Anamchara was certainly not suggesting that people should go to a schismatic group. I think that she genuinely thought that SSPX ‘was’ the traditional group!!

People get defensive about what they love and I think Anamchara loves her parish and its modernity, and felt hurt that others might not; just as we feel hurt to have our traditional parishes scorned. . .or even ‘not preferred.’ It’s human nature.

But modern or traditional–we still worship the same God and we’re still brothers and sisters, and we can certainly get along. . .the happy-clappy toe-tagging lot of us.

while not agreeing on some of your posts…this one…oh this one is…is…great! Thanks