I attended a Catholic school from 1st to 8th grade with about the same 21 kids the whole time. During the school year I attended mass 3 times a week; Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. And for as long as I can remeber; any time myself or one of my brothers would ask my mother (and always my mother never my father) if we had to go to mass she would say "as long as you live under my roof you will go to mass". When I was growing up I used to think, when I'm on my own I'll never go to mass. But here I am a sophmore in college; 4 and a half hours away from my mother and I still attend mass every Sunday; and guess who I go to mass with the girl to the right of the boy in the black suit who is wearing white gloves; my best friend since first grade. And while there were many different things in my life that have shaped me I think one the largest things that has shaped me is the religion I grew up with. I can honestly say that if my mother did not make it so that I had to attend mass each Sunday or attend a Catholic school I may not have ever attened mass regularily or viewed certain things in life the way I do. Out of all my friends from high school , I was probably one of the few who regularily attended or practiced a religion. And this definately impacted some of the choices I made and will make in my life. In high school I used to get teased and not enough that it ever bothered, but enough that I remember it and was consicous of it when I made decisions. I got teased about the fact that I went to a Catholic grade school and atteneded mass each Sunday; silly things like if I ever sweared, the musics I listened to, or if I said something about someone were made to be big deals. And while these things are silly and small it made it so sometimes I would say or do things people would not expect but other times I would play the role or be the way people expected. And while sometimes I specifically choose one or the other, sometimes it just happened.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Catholic Grade School
This is a picture of my First Communion in second grade. I am in the front row with a crown of real flowers on my head and to the left of the boy in the black suit.
I attended a Catholic school from 1st to 8th grade with about the same 21 kids the whole time. During the school year I attended mass 3 times a week; Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. And for as long as I can remeber; any time myself or one of my brothers would ask my mother (and always my mother never my father) if we had to go to mass she would say "as long as you live under my roof you will go to mass". When I was growing up I used to think, when I'm on my own I'll never go to mass. But here I am a sophmore in college; 4 and a half hours away from my mother and I still attend mass every Sunday; and guess who I go to mass with the girl to the right of the boy in the black suit who is wearing white gloves; my best friend since first grade. And while there were many different things in my life that have shaped me I think one the largest things that has shaped me is the religion I grew up with. I can honestly say that if my mother did not make it so that I had to attend mass each Sunday or attend a Catholic school I may not have ever attened mass regularily or viewed certain things in life the way I do. Out of all my friends from high school , I was probably one of the few who regularily attended or practiced a religion. And this definately impacted some of the choices I made and will make in my life. In high school I used to get teased and not enough that it ever bothered, but enough that I remember it and was consicous of it when I made decisions. I got teased about the fact that I went to a Catholic grade school and atteneded mass each Sunday; silly things like if I ever sweared, the musics I listened to, or if I said something about someone were made to be big deals. And while these things are silly and small it made it so sometimes I would say or do things people would not expect but other times I would play the role or be the way people expected. And while sometimes I specifically choose one or the other, sometimes it just happened.
I attended a Catholic school from 1st to 8th grade with about the same 21 kids the whole time. During the school year I attended mass 3 times a week; Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. And for as long as I can remeber; any time myself or one of my brothers would ask my mother (and always my mother never my father) if we had to go to mass she would say "as long as you live under my roof you will go to mass". When I was growing up I used to think, when I'm on my own I'll never go to mass. But here I am a sophmore in college; 4 and a half hours away from my mother and I still attend mass every Sunday; and guess who I go to mass with the girl to the right of the boy in the black suit who is wearing white gloves; my best friend since first grade. And while there were many different things in my life that have shaped me I think one the largest things that has shaped me is the religion I grew up with. I can honestly say that if my mother did not make it so that I had to attend mass each Sunday or attend a Catholic school I may not have ever attened mass regularily or viewed certain things in life the way I do. Out of all my friends from high school , I was probably one of the few who regularily attended or practiced a religion. And this definately impacted some of the choices I made and will make in my life. In high school I used to get teased and not enough that it ever bothered, but enough that I remember it and was consicous of it when I made decisions. I got teased about the fact that I went to a Catholic grade school and atteneded mass each Sunday; silly things like if I ever sweared, the musics I listened to, or if I said something about someone were made to be big deals. And while these things are silly and small it made it so sometimes I would say or do things people would not expect but other times I would play the role or be the way people expected. And while sometimes I specifically choose one or the other, sometimes it just happened.
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I can totally relate to this, I personally am religious and while my story is the opposite from yours (I found religion later on in life and chose to go instead of being made to go) I think that people and situations play a huge impact but sometimes things just happen. It's not like your mom pushes you to go now so it is interesting how life plays out sometimes. Things can seem more important then they actually are once the opportunity presents itself.
ReplyDeleteI also went to a Catholic school from kindergarten to 4th grade and we would attend mass every Sunday and Thursday. I respect that you kept up with it even during college. Once I went to a public school I always made excuses why I stopped going to mass, and then I suddenly realized that my beliefs about religion changed.. I wish I would have continued to practice religion just like you so I wouldn't be so confused about it all.
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