[RnMomof7]

However, my mother, sisters, female cousins, aunts, and grandmothers knew the the Latin and the meanings of the mass. It is sad that you attribute your deficiencies to the Church and not yourself.

Wow you are a special family.. My dad graduated from college in an era where most were considered educated if they finished 8th grade.. he taught Latin and English . I took Latin as well and still had to have a missal that had English on one side and Latin on the other.. (as i bet your grandmas had)

The church explains the lack of supplying or encouragement the reading scripture by saying that people were too illiterate (thats the excuse for statues as well) but they were all literate in latin ..amazing that they were all bi-lingual inspite of their illiteracy

[Mad Dawg]

I don't think being multi-lingual AND illiterate is all that unusual. We have the coolest new friar. he's the first Dominican from Kenya. Of course he's not illiterate, but he grew up with his tribal language, Swahili, and English.

I think one of the greatest deprivations in the nurture of most US kiddies is that they don't start foreign languages until late. When I unite in myself the office of Pope and Emperor of the Universe, as I plan to do any day now, kids are going to have to learn more than one language starting in kindergarten.