CATHOLIC DOGTOWN IN LENT PRIOR TO VATICAN II

First posted item in this e-history, a modern cousin of oral history

What kind of Lenten Resolutions do you all recall making as youngsters? And how do they differ from the Lenten Resolutions they make THESE days??

I'm sooo interested in hearing what folks have to say, hopefully I'll be able to resist sodas for 6 weeks among other things...

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3/2/01

I remember Fr. Oates talking to our 6th or 7th grade class about his experiences in Brazil. I also vividly remember he brought an anaconda skin which seemed miles long. One of his stories was about what an anaconda could do with a horse or other pig, which was swallow the animal whole. Anybody else in the class of 49 remember that or any of his other stories?

Pat Dolan Gillin

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Jennie Gnau's letter brought back some memories for me too. When I was in grade school I was a quiet little girl. None of my friends, who know me now, believe that, but I was. So, I was not one to speak up in class, normally, but I have always been a "thinker" and I guess when I didn't understand something, I felt that you didn't learn unless you ask. So, "Free Will" was the subject of our religion class that day. And try as hard as I could, it just didn't come through to me that we have a Free Will, but God knows what we will decide. Remember, I was young then and this took place in the '30's . So, quiet, little, LaVergne McEvoy raised her hand and put into words that I didn't understand how we could have a Free Will and yet God knew what we were going to decide. It was an innocent question for a young person. But, the nun called me a Heretic and she said it very emphatically. I was crushed, this was in front of the whole class. When you think of this being said in front of an entire class- wow - that hurt. The LaVergne of 200l would argue that point, but certainly not back then. But, when I think back, those nuns did not have it easy. When you look at the size of a class, it was big. I saw Sister Ancilla at my 50th reunion . I had her in Kindergarten, and she still had her beautiful smile and I told her that looking at her, that she was must have been practically a kid when she had us in that class. She laughed and said that she was. Some of them were very young and to have the challenge of handling so many in one class, all day long, that must have been tough. And times haven't really changed all that much. We called them, "Teacher's Pets". Don't know what they are called now, but they are there and always will be.

LaVergne McEvoy Lee
Class of 42

From: Chris Scherzinger

Lots of emphasis was put on the "pagan/mission baby" program at St. James--with special little paper boxes, if I recall correctly. I often wondered if--given the opportunity to travel into Pakistan as an adult--I would meet an inordinant number of Marilyns and Jennifers and Thomases and Kevins--the babies we named back then. (And if allowed, we probably would have named them all Dawn and Tammy.) Although the concept was good, the naming hoax seems to taint the memory somewhat.

According to my mother, my dad--a three-packs-of-Lucky-Strikes-a-day man--used to give up smoking for Lent in his younger days. She said he would walk the floors in the evening and would sometimes have to retire early, but never gave in. (I wish he had never started again, he may have lived to be much older than 45.)

I like my Mom's new approach. Rather than denying herself the few simple luxuries she enjoys, she makes a contribution to the Food Bank (I think you can do this at the checkout counter) in an amount equal to that which she spends on her treats or extravagances.

Although the exercise of sacrifice may be good for the soul, it stays with us. Hopefully we can all find a way to extend ourselves to others as well. That is my most precious gift from a Catholic upbringing (aside from the Rosary)--an appreciation for the value of service to others. It is certainly not unique to Catholics, but it is very consistently found among them.

My own resolution this year is a daily Rosary for my special friends at Our Little Haven . . . five siblings who need a home together.

I've sat here looking at the empty screen contemplating my reflections on Lent and the Lenten Season. It was not all good. There are to conflicting old adages that come to mind immediately. One being "If you can't say anything good. Don't say nothing at all." The other "The truth shall set you free." Which implies tell it like it is or tell the truth and shame the devil.

My Lenten experience was not quite as idealistic as most. Looking back on my childhood days during the Lenten season I recall the pennies, nickels, dimes, quarter, dollars and, even five dollar bill were donated to the missions by my classmates.

I can recall many of them walking; (more like strutting) very proudly up the isle, and dropping their contributions into bank like box. The first ten or fifteen minutes of class were devoted to nothing but collecting mission contributions. I admit that during my early grades I participated, as did every one. When I was very young I donated pennies sometimes a nickel, given to me by my parents to contribute. As I grew older I contributed, my own money, but to my recollection never more than a quarter. A quarter then was the equivalent of movie and a bag of popcorn.

The idea, I thought, was to donate in cash what you would have spent on whatever you would have bought. In our class there were a couple of children who donated quite large sums of money and almost on a daily basis. It was quite evident, at least to me; the spirit of donating was fast becoming an exhibition or perhaps competition. Classes were in competition with one another for the honor of being the class who collected the most money. It (the competition) extended to the classroom as well. Each student sitting in a particular row in class was encourage to contribute so the kids in that row would have the bragging rights for the day, week, month or Lenten season. Some nuns kept running totals contributed by row. Pitting one row against the other in the spirit of competition most assuredly enticed larger contributions. But the spirit of giving was nearly if not completely removed from the process. It appeared that either some children had saved their money all year in order to donate it to the missions come lent, or their generous parents were subsidizing their child in order for him/her to be recognized as being the top donor in the class.

How true it is "the eyes of a child see many things so differently." I'll admit to me, in retrospect, Lenten resolutions were akin to New Years Resolutions altruistically made but soon abandoned. I didn't abstain from going to a movie. The quarter I donated simply prevented me from see more movies than I would have. I suppose that was a backdoor approach: in the end it had the same affect.

As an altar boy, I listened to the Gospel every Sunday. As a student I also read the gospel of the day, in our St. Joseph Missal while attending daily mass. Every day during lent and repeatedly over a few of years. Even children have memories.

One passage or phrase in the gospel struck me; the passage had to do with Christ telling his disciples a parable about how God watches over all creatures large and small. To paraphrase... Christ instructed his disciples how God was aware... if a sparrow falls, in the field...does he not know about it... How much more a person ...etc. And that they the disciples should fear not. For God ever present, knowing, loving, and caring shall how God was aware... if a sparrow falls, in the field...does he not know about it... How much more a person ...etc. And that they the disciples should fear not. For God ever present, knowing, loving, and caring shall provide. Give me some room here, at my age and my poor eyesight, I don't want to search for the exact quote from my Bible - and I no longer have my St. Joseph Missal. But I feel certain you'll recall the passage.

That troubled me because if that was "RELAY" true. Why then, were the priest and nuns constantly asking for donations for the church and for the missions? We all had our little envelopes for the Sunday collection basket to support the church.

I can remember Father Oates a Dogtown, St. James Parish resident who joined the Maryknoll Missionary Order who came to visit his family and say mass at least once a year. He was wore a white cassock and would talk about him missionary work, I believe in South America perhaps Brazil. A special collection would be taken up that Sunday for his particular cause.

As a naive child, I equated that gospel with collecting money for the missions. In particular soliciting contributions from parishioners of any sort by the Church, for any other religious purpose since the gospel said "God would provide." I took that parable literally. Was he or wasn't he (God) providing financial support for the church and missions or not?

Well, as you can imagine, one day during lent in the church sacristy while we were cleaning up I stalled around waiting to be alone with P. J. O'Connor so I could pose my question to him. When everyone had gone and he and I were alone I asked him. "How old are you young man," he asked? What difference does that make father I replied? He knew who I was. He visited our home occasionally: had tea and Irish Soda Bread with my Grandmother. I sat at the table with them, on several, occasions in the afternoon when I got home from school. Well, I got a, very strong, first class lecture from him about being insolent. He ordered to pose that question to my teacher, as it was apparent to him I hadn't learned my lessons very well. But after that lecture from him I wasn't about to ask my teacher. Order or no Order. I was already on the wrong side of her to be sure. You see I was considered incorrigible by most of my teachers because I've always been skeptical.

Bill Vorbeck Class '47

In Answer to Bill Vorbeck's writing...

I too remember the large sums donated by the fortunate few and the special favors that were bestowed upon those few. There was never much extra money in our house, so my lenten giving was limited to the soda bottles I collected and returned for the change. My memories reflect the same image as yours Bill, I suppose not much changed from your day to mine. I also remember that it was usually the girl who gave the most money to the missions who was chosen to portray Mary in the May procession. Unfair as it was and probably still is, we have come away with a lesson in fairness and what is right. We just learned it in a convoluted way.

I also remember being one of the skeptics and being chastised more than once for all my questions by nuns, priests and lay persons. I went to public school the last three years of grade school. Because of this, I attended Catechism Classes Very late in my eighth grade year, I was learning science and the theory of evolution. I was so torn between the creationism I was previously taught and the new lessons that seemed so plausible to me. I, of course, needed some truth, so I asked in Catechism Class what was "real". Could there by a way to explain both and so forth and so on. Well, you would have thought that Satan himself put those words in my mouth and you cannot imagine what a lecture I received about faith, who was I to question?, what my life would be if I didn't just believe the way I was taught and not to bother with any of that nonsense. Oh yes, and I should go to confession immediately to expunge my sin of doubt. The sad truth is that I didn't return to catechism class nor did I return to church for a very long time after that encounter. Father Flynn was not very happy with me at that time. The clarity I needed as a child never came to me until long after that incident and it seems to me that a lot of the people of the Church back then, threw the baby out with the bath water so to speak. The laws of the Church are so pure but many of the men and women of the church had an amazing way of muddying that purity. In many ways our Church has given us so much, but in other ways, in the time I grew up, we were unarmed because we were not encouraged to read, study and question. I am so glad that the Church now encourages us to read the Bible and to deeply study all the things we were taught in school and at Mass in our daily St. Joseph Missal.

Jennie Gnau Class of '64

Laverne McEvoy Lee

Jennie Gnau's letter brought back some memories for me too. When I was in grade school I was a quiet little girl. None of my friends, who know me now, believe that, but I was. So, I was not one to speak up in class, normally, but I have always been a "thinker" and I guess when I didn't understand something, I felt that you didn't learn unless you ask. So, "Free Will" was the subject of our religion class that day. And try as hard as I could, it just didn't come through to me that we have a Free Will, but God knows what we will decide. Remember, I was young then and this took place in the '30's .

So, quiet, little, LaVergne McEvoy raised her hand and put into words that I didn't understand how we could have a Free Will and yet God knew what we were going to decide. It was an innocent question for a young person. But, the nun called me a Heretic and she said it very emphatically. I was crushed, this was in front of the whole class. When you think of this being said in front of an entire class- wow - that hurt. The LaVergne of 200l would argue that point, but certainly not back then.

But, when I think back, those nuns did not have it easy. When you look at the size of a class, it was big. I saw Sister Ancilla at my 50th reunion . I had her in Kindergarten, and she still had her beautiful smile and I told her that looking at her, that she was must have been practically a kid when she had us in that class. She laughed and said that she was. Some of them were very young and to have the challenge of handling so many in one class, all day long, that must have been tough.

And times haven't really changed all that much. We called them, "Teacher's Pets". Don't know what they are called now, but they are there and always will be.

LaVergne McEvoy Lee
Class of 42

I hadn't thought about this in years.Palm was very special to my dad, Tom O'Shaughnessy. Long pieces of Pam Sunday palm were always put behind the two crucifixes in our house. One crucifix was the one that Father O'Connor gave my parents on the day he married them (a tradition with Father, I believe) and the other behind the crucifix that was originally on my Dad's mother's casket. (Nora O'Sullivan O'Shaughnessy). The crucifix from Father O'Connor had what we children called a secret panel. Behind it was a hollowed out section which held items that my father said were for use in the Last Rites. I seem to remember a bottle of holy water, candles, and a small piece of that palm being in there. We were always told that palm could never be thrown away, but must always be burned. For that reason, old palm always stayed around until the beginning of the barbecue season, when it was placed in the flames. Thanks Bill for bringing this memory back to me.

Ann Patrice O'Shaughnessy

From Bill Vorbeck

Tomorrow will be Palm Sunday and as I sit here typing this E-mail story I'm looking a vase that contains Palm received sometime in the l950's. I never bothered to take it out and pitch it. No particular reason why I just hadn't.

I wonder how many Catholic Irish, or for that matter, any other Catholic ethnic group living in Dogtown had a ritual connected in any way with the Palm they received on Palm Sunday?

I recall that the undistributed Palm was burned and the ashes from that Palm were used on Ash Wednesday. However the church did that. What did the parishioners do with theirs? How did they disposed of it? ANYONE?

My Grandmother Mary Aughivan-McKelvey always wanted my brothers and I to get extra palm so it would be on hand in case of an emergency. She never explained what type emergency she had in mind.

The only time I ever saw it used was when there was a terrible rainstorm with lots of lightning and thunder. She would get it out of our China Cabinet where we kept it and burn it in a saucer. She believed it would protect the house and of us in it.

I wonder what if any readers would share their story of how they used the palm they received on Palm Sunday. We used to cut the palm in small pieces and make crosses out of it and wear them on our suite coat, sweater or our shirt.

I've never heard how people disposed of their palm. As a subject I think it would be interesting to know how many different methods Palm if any was used.

Bill Vorbeck Class of '47