Catching the Culture: Catholocism

When I was a baby I was baptized in the Catholic church because my dad is Catholic. He was raised as a Catholic and my mom was raised as a Methodist so when they got married my mom didn't want to change religions so she continued going to the Methodist church and my dad continued going to the Catholic church. Anyway as you can tell I get a lot of both religions. I mainly go to the Methodist church with my mom because she was the one willing to take us on Sunday mornings to Sunday School and on Wednesday nights to youth group. My cousins are Catholic though and sometimes when my mom doesn't want to get up in the morning I go to church with my dad so I know a little about Catholicism. Recently (like over the weekend recently) I went to my cousin first communion at St. Judes Catholic church. I had never been to a first communion because although I was baptized catholic I don't consider myself a catholic (although my father would argue otherwise). I didn't really know what to expect. It was the same day as my sisters confirmation so we arrived a little late. When I walked in I saw a bunch of little girls sitting with their parents dressed in pretty little white dresses wearing adorable white veils and little boys wearing cute suits. It was so adorable!!! The Catholics have very many traditions that they keep sacred. They were the original Christianity religion that many other sects branched off into later after Martin Luther. Catholics are kind of known for being more strict. They believe in the holy trinity, father, song and holy spirit. And that is their symbol for when they cross themselves. They go head, father, chest, son, shoulders, holy spirit. Catholics also believe in going to Confession which is when they go and talk to their priests about their sins and ask forgiveness for what they have done. Catholics do not believe in divorce or abortion and they are very conservative. They also believe in holy water and they have it everywhere in their churches. One time while at my great aunts funeral my sister was only about four or five she saw the big bath of holy water and thought "Hey! Looks like a swimming pool cool!" So she went and started splashing around in the holy water which was kind of frowned upon by Catholics....lol And that is Catholicism in a nutshell!!!

~Mildred