Posted on 07/25/2003 1:38:50 PM PDT by NYer
“On more than one occasion I recall having worn toilet paper, Kleenex, a paper towel, and even a waist-long stocking cap when I’d forgotten my chapel cap,” recalls Anne Kwiatkowski of Perrysburg. She remembers fasting before Masses and how her brothers would pack both breakfast and lunch to eat at school after Mass on the days they were serving.
“I think today’s Catholic Church is much more user-friendly,” says Mrs. Kwiatkowski. “The shortage of priests mandates more involvement from lay people, especially women.” She finds that being more involved makes her want to be at Mass more. And she sees that in her daughters as well. “I don’t know that I’ve ever heard them say, ‘Do we have to go to church today?’ When they were younger they loved the children’s liturgies. Now they enjoy being able to serve — something I wasn’t allowed to do.”
At a recent bridge game, Anne’s mom, Barb Vanderkelen, and some of her friends reflected on the many changes they have witnessed in the church through the years. They remembered 40-Hour Devotions; praying when the Angelus Bells rang at noon and 6; and an endless stream of processions. “It seemed like we wore out our First Communion dresses with all the processions we were in,” says Mrs. Vanderkelen.
The women also recalled Rogation Day, which was one of the three days of prayer preceding Ascension Day, and Ember Days, which were days reserved for prayer and fasting.
Mrs. Vanderkelen also remembers her grandparents paying pew rental. “I think it was 25 cents,” she says adding, “They always sat in the same pew.”
Although Mrs. Vanderkelen believes the Catholic Church is better since Vatican II, she misses some of the processions and other ceremonies that filled the church year. “I think 40-Hours was a nice thing,” she says. “It seems like we’ve cut back on a lot of meaningful services.”
Ann Studer thinks her children miss out by not having sisters teach at their Catholic school. “Our school had Franciscan nuns,” she says. “They were so nice — so kind. I wish my kids could have the opportunity to have nuns for teachers.”
Mrs. Studer remembers her mom telling how she had to go to confession every Saturday before Mass the next day. As a student at Alter School in Rossford, she and her classmates attended Mass twice during the school week and never missed a Sunday. “It’s too bad, but it seems like less and less time is devoted to church in many families’ schedules today.”
On the plus side she believes that she and her children have a greater opportunity to learn more about their faith than her mom’s generation did. “My mom said she never studied the Bible in school, but I did and my children do now. It’s more of a two-way street now — learning process rather than just memorization. My kids understand more about what happened in the Bible and why.”
When reflecting on how the church has changed since her mother’s day, Jan Nicholas of Sylvania recalled a conversation she had with her mom shortly before she passed away. “I remember talking with her about how differently people dressed for Mass,” she says. “When I was younger I would not go to church without a dress or skirt on. Today, you see so many jeans.”
Although Mrs. Nicholas enjoys the relaxed attire, she says she wouldn’t mind going back to the more formal ways of the past, even wearing hats. “I remember how nice it was wearing chapel veils,” she says. Unlike Mrs. Kwiatkowski, Mrs. Nicholas never had to put a Kleenex on her head. “Oh some of my friends did,” she laughed, noting that she frequently carried extra chapel veils in her pocket to loan to friends.
There are many parts of the Mass that Mrs. Nicholas really enjoys today. “I love the Sign of Peace and holding hands during the Our Father,” she says. “It gives the Mass more meaning for me.”
You would never find Carol Stoll’s mom whistling a happy tune. “My mother told me she was never allowed to whistle because it would make the Blessed Virgin Mary cry.”
Ms. Stoll recalls that the Fatima experience occurred when her mom was young and made a profound impact on her mom’s life. “It was fairly common for the first-born girl to be named after the Blessed Virgin,” she says. “My mom was the oldest of five. Her name was Anna Maria.”
“Girls were encouraged to be Mary-like and wear blue,” says Ms. Stoll. “After all, the best girls got chosen to be Mary in the Christmas pageant and to crown the Blessed Virgin Mary (statue) in May.”
Nuns were a big part of both her and her mom’s church history. “The sisters staffed the Catholic schools and along with parents were the primary teachers of Catholicism,” she recalls. She remembers nuns wearing the signature habit with a large dangling rosary and usually a crucifix. “They lived next to the church in convents, didn’t drive, and seemed to be in abundance,” she says.
Although her mother attended a public school in Glandorf, Ms. Stoll says that sisters comprised the entire teaching staff.
She remembers when communion was received from the priest’s hand to your tongue while kneeling at the altar rail. “You never touched the host. Oh, the things that could happen to you if you did!”
As a young Catholic, Ms. Stoll abstained from meat every Friday and fasted every day of Lent. “We would fast from midnight before receiving Communion. The nuns would often cover the drinking fountains to help in this endeavor.”
She remembers adult Catholics being encouraged to carry a card with them that said, “In case of an accident, please call a priest.” She also remembers how families were encouraged to have holy water fonts on the wall of each bedroom in the home.
And, as a youngster, she was frequently reminded that she was always surrounded by both a guardian angel and the devil.
“I am a product of both pre- and post-Vatican II,” Ms. Stoll says. “Pondering this makes me realize that I have witnessed tremendous changes in the Church over time. I have seen the Church evolve from the serious, less accepting, fire and brimstone institution of my mother’s era to the embracing, forgiving, gentler, more lay-involved and inclusive environment of today. There is no question that I am very happy to be worshipping at this point on the Church’s timeline. I enjoyed hearing about the Church of the past at my mother’s knee, but much prefer worshipping in the Church of the present.
“Truthfully, I’m certain my mother would too. To live her religion meant to nurture, guide, support, serve, forgive, and love unconditionally. These all describe the Catholic Church today. I’ll bet like her daughter, Mom would enjoy being a current member.”
Whataya know? Another.....loophole!
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