[NYer]

What the clans in the culture do share, Otway said, is a nomadic lifestyle, a language called ``Scelta'' with roots in Gaelic and Romani, an almost ``pathologic'' devotion to Catholicism, and an anti-bureaucratic form of self government that he describes as a ``consensus democracy.''

Have any of you encountered these people at mass?

[EggsAckley]

I think I HAVE encountered people like these, but not as Catholics, and not in the East. Right here in California, and about 35 years ago. I was living in a small house on a lot with a larger house, and there were about twelve people living there. I was never able to discern who "belonged" to whom; they were all just "there."

They had a decidedly "midwestern" air about them; sort of like offspring of the "dust bowl" immigrants of the thirties. One morning they were just gone. Vanished.

Upon inspecting the "garage" areas, we found thousands of cancelled checks, and unwritten checkbooks, with hundreds of different names. It was very weird.

[ofMagog]

Click on Gypsy Criminal Groups at left. The entire site is a keeper.

[Aquinasfan]

an almost ``pathologic'' devotion to Catholicism

AP connects the dots:

1) Pathologic devotion to Catholicism = devout Catholic

2) Pathologic devotion to Catholicism = nomadic theif

3) Devout Catholic = nomadic thief.

Q.E.D.

[Desdemona]

No. Can't say that I have. Although, I do know a fair number of people of Irish heritage who have gaudy or plainly bad taste (one of my grandmothers for one).

Is this the American version of gypsies?

[sinkspur]

Have any of you encountered these people at mass?

The Greenhorn Carrolls attend St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Ft. Worth. According to the associate pastor there, Fr. Dennis Smith, they are very generous and faithful about attending Mass, but do tend to put the arm on parishioners as they're leaving Mass, asking for "coins" for the bus, then drive away in Cadillas Escalades. Most of the parishioners are on to them, however.

[Barnacle]

They no more represent Catholics than they do Americans.

[RightWhale]

any of you encountered these people

Yes, many right here in the middle of the Alaskan wasteland, and members of many similar groups. Kind of a parasitical existence, but not usually parasitoidal.

[wideawake]

I love the reference to "pathologic Catholicism" as if faith is a disease.

In Ireland these people are called tinkers. They're scam artists and ne'er-do-wells who wander from place to place. Their "Catholicism" is much like Santeria in the Caribbean - they hide their predilection for the occult behind a respectable facade of piety.

There has recently been an upsurge in Gypsy identity politics, and now some Irish people who are upset that they weren't born black have adopted this identity so they can be cool and claim to be an oppressed minority.

Another tinker scam.

[Freedom2specul8]

Would you mind adding me to the irish travelers related ping list? Thanks so much!