GROWING UP CATHOLIC: Remembering Tradition

Since Michael Matt is out of town this week—attending the Catholic Identity Conference planning meeting in Pittsburgh—we're offering heavily edited excerpts of a recent episode on growing up Catholic. Some of our viewers requested this so that they could share these stories from the old days with non-Traditionalist friends and family. Our regular weekly Remnant Underground schedule will resume next week.

[soup]

I'm a 16 year old Catholic convert, I'll be officially Catholic in 13 days. Hearing this makes me hope and pray that things turn back this way!

[ddeldoe]

I long for that old catholic life to be restored

[floadd]

God bless you, Michael. I'm probably just a little older than you at 71. Thank you for making it clear that the nuns were good and we were lucky to have them. I too never saw a ruler on knuckles. We loved them and there was discipline. I used to serve the six a.m. Mass and be the first one there on a cold winter morning having walked four blocks to church. Nobody ever thought of any bad people. I went to the seminary and it after twelve years of Catholic school and it was like the world was turned upside down with Vatican II and we didn't know what was happening until a few years later we started to read. Keep up the good work.

[davidwm]

Amen, Michael. I agree with everything you've said here. V2 brought the Church to its knees. It changed society, morals, values and the family. Thank, God you remember the Mass. There is ONE Mass and ONE means of salvation. The Catholic Church. I proudly talk about my faith and the importance of the Church as the source of Grace and the way back to God! Thank you for sharing your story with us!

[juliekozlowski]

I went to Catholic grade school. I LOVED it! Our religion teacher was Sister Louise she was awesome! When your parent was late getting you the nuns took you into the convent and fed you if you didn't have a lunch the nuns would make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich a snack usually home made cookies and milk. I grew up after Vatican II but it was a good life. I miss seeing nuns all the time. I pray we can get back to where we use to be. Pray, pray, pray!

[mintyjang]

I remember when I was a kid in Catholic School. The nuns started wearing shorter skirts and teaching us "new" Catholic songs with a guitar. Even though I was young, I felt somehow that was wrong. I felt sad when our church got rid of the beautiful statues, candles and wonderful decorations that used to adorn the chapel. After some time, even the nuns left and were replaced by regular teachers who weren't even Catholic. When I go to any Catholic church nowadays, I feel like I"m a stranger.

[melissa]

Om my gosh. This is wonderful! Yes, keep and love the old Faith. Thank you so very much for posting this. Times were simpler back then for sure. I was born right before Vatican II began, but I learned of Vatican II and it's new reformation for Holy Mother Church in my late 40's. The first time I heard a Traditional Latin Mass, I wept. I was also a little perturbed too. Where had this Mass been all my life, and why wasn't it being said today? That's when I did my homework and discovered how the New Mass, the Norvus Ordo, was invented by Protestants. How dare they. But worse of all how dare Holy Mother Church to allow this to happen. Well, let's just say, there was no turning back for me and my family after that. The TLM is our home now and if every Catholic would do his or her own research on the Mass of All Time, which by the way, is the Most Beautiful Thing this Side of Heaven, it would be their home too. One should also do their research on Vatican II. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

[sklenars]

Brings joy to my heart to hear Michael recalling a bygone era that I remember well. I have no problem identifying myself in our parish as "traditional", having experienced the last of the glory days of old mother church in the 1950's and sickened to hear people of my generation (baby boomers) say how much better and easier it is now to be Catholic. Only having to abstain for one hour before mass/communion, no ritual of Saturday confession in preparation for Sunday, standing and sticking out the paw to receive the body and blood of Christ. No alter rails, people wandering in and around the sanctuary before and after mass, loud chattering before and after mass. Come as you are dress code etc etc....

[elviradonaghy]

Thank you Michael Matt this was wonderful I too and my children have the most wonderful memories of living when the Holy Catholic Church was alive and well. Oh how I wish is was now. Childhood was great! Just like you said and we had plenty of other children to play with people were outgoing, kind and Faith was strong. God bless you.

[thecatholicteen]

I find it hard to listen to these sometimes because it feels painful to know what it was like back then, sometimes I'm envious of the old church. I was born in 2002 and of course, lived after Vatican II. I was born near the end of Pope John Paul II's end as Pope since he died in 2005. I am not being raised in a Catholic (but have Catholic parents) household, but I got initiated in the novus ordo in RCIA. But I've been to the Latin mass many times and feel betrayed by my own church that this was taken away from me as a Catholic, something that as a Catholic would have been something I've been born into. I have faith the new mass will be abolished once the Pope consecrates Russia!

[johnraymond]

All my nuns were very kind, smart. I miss them and hope they are doing well, and if they have passed away, are in Heaven

[dianecraig]

"Making a visit"...I remember when they started locking the church doors...I felt robbed and cheated of my liberty to "stop in and make a visit". Crossing myself and looking longingly at those doors...trying them, just in case, just possibly that someone hadn't locked that one...  Remember coming home for dinner when you hear the Angelus bells at 6:00...

[yvonneagnes]

Dear Catholic Teen I admire the work God has done in your life. Go on the path which honours God, Holy Scriptures will confirm your steps. You are part of a new generation God is preparing for the Church! Thanks for your commitment and faithfulness. God bless you!

[thomasryan]

Every year a collection is taken for retired religious. The pastor says, it is the easiest fund raiser of the year. It's hard to believe it would be so if the only memory people had of the old nuns was of being beaten with rulers.

[Nitnyline]

He took a funny route to Pittsburgh as I saw him at mass on Sunday. And seeing how I am from Pittsburgh I know that it isn't anywhere near here. God Bless him and I hope he has a pleasant and fruitful time in my hometown.

[thisisanalt]

I vaguely remember echoes of this sort of life when I was a child growing up here in Northern Ireland (born 1990) but never to this extent. It literally makes me tear up hearing about how life used to be and how badly I wish it was still existed.

[mastiff]

That is the way i remember it to brother.

[bev]

I came from a family of 10 so my parents were rabbits also! It is painful to see were the Church is today, especially having a granddaughter. I teach her about the church using the Baltimore Catechism.

[franciscaviani]

Boy you sure hit it right. I am 86 yrs. old and I know how things were. Being an altar boy was a highlight of my youth.

[SamuelCalciator]

It's very good hearing your memories. For young Catholics like me, it's very hard to get a rounded view of what Catholic life was like before the changes. I hope to do my part to (re)embrace tradition and have started my own YouTube channel to help do so, which, if you like, you can check out by clicking on my name.