...but a friend of mine who is a solid and doctrinally-sound Catholic -- and a catechist in his solid parish--- holds the view that it's so hard to get Catholics to go to Adult Ed classes, that the only time you can "catch" them is by pressing them pretty firmly into Sacrament Prep when they or their children are up for Matrimony or First Confession/Communion or whatever. Your one,-and-only chance for Remedial Catechesis.
Thoughts?
In my family, if you waited too long to have the Baptism ( according grandma\aunts), they’d take the baby into the bathroom and do a quickie baptism.
My children got the full-blown Latin baptism.
Are the classes pro bono?
If not, I’ve got a pretty good idea why they’re “required”.
I read this a couple of times, and I honestly have no idea what he is complaining about. Sacraments are too bourgeois and middle class?? What the heck is he saying?
It takes 3 years in law school to become a lawyer. It takes at least 8 years to become a priest. It takes Dominican Sisters 7 years before they profess perpetual vows. It takes a few 20 minute classes to get married. Anybody see a problem?
When we are considering vocations, and something as important as marriage, doesn’t it deserve some serious thought, discussion, and spiritual guidance? Perhaps better marriage formation is the answer.
Regarding Baptism classes, I’m sure more people went to CCD than Catholic school. They probably don’t remember very much from their 6th grade discussion.
Yeah, people work on Saturday. However, should the church do nothing in the formation or preparation for the vocation of marriage?
We just had 26 Baptisms at our church, and, yes, all the parents had to take classes or else their children couldn’t get baptized.
A neighboring church recently held 59 baptisms. I don’t know about the classes there.
This guy’s disdain for the middle class is palpable.
Church aside, I don’t know middle class folks who are like the ones he described.
His pride in being *different* and above all that is nasty.