Cradle Catholics vs Converts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts feel so unwelcoming to converts

I’m guessing that’s how culture works. You feel left out because you didnt get have the shared experience.

The thread wasn’t about debating religion it’s about funny crazy sh!t we all went through as cradle Catholics vs converts.

I think maybe it was specific to previous generations of cradle Catholics. I am a convert who commented above and my kids are in Catholic school and will be cradle Catholics but I am not seeing any of those superstitions taught in school, and I am certainly not teaching them, so I guess they won't be cradle enough for those tik toc video producers.

Going to Catholic school and being baptized as a baby doesn’t really make you a cradle catholic…. I mean by the strict definition I guess it would. It’s like people who are generations and generation generations of Catholics and you have aunts and uncles and cousins and everybody’s Catholic and it’s a cultural thing.

Stop gatekeeping. I know you’ll say you’re not, but you obviously think converts are not “real Catholics.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts feel so unwelcoming to converts

I’m guessing that’s how culture works. You feel left out because you didnt get have the shared experience.

The thread wasn’t about debating religion it’s about funny crazy sh!t we all went through as cradle Catholics vs converts.

I think maybe it was specific to previous generations of cradle Catholics. I am a convert who commented above and my kids are in Catholic school and will be cradle Catholics but I am not seeing any of those superstitions taught in school, and I am certainly not teaching them, so I guess they won't be cradle enough for those tik toc video producers.

Going to Catholic school and being baptized as a baby doesn’t really make you a cradle catholic…. I mean by the strict definition I guess it would. It’s like people who are generations and generation generations of Catholics and you have aunts and uncles and cousins and everybody’s Catholic and it’s a cultural thing.

Stop gatekeeping. I know you’ll say you’re not, but you obviously think converts are not “real Catholics.”

You are clearly misunderstanding that poster. Cradle Catholics have shared experiences but they maybe also don’t have shared experiences. It could be just 2%. But converts are totally supposed to feel like the other in the church founded by Jesus of Nazareth because converts just won’t understand since their grandmother was totally different from that poster’s grandmother. It just cannot be clearly defined but it is also a broad club and people who know just know.

Also, speaking of grandmothers, she will denigrate what her faithful ancestors like her grandmother and aunt believed and what the Catholic Church teaches as mere “superstitions.” But she and the cradle Catholics also understand so much better what the Catholic faith is regardless of what the Catholic Church actually has taught for nearly 2000 years or what the Holy Father instructs the faithful on. And besides, she doesn’t really go to Church but she understands Catholicism better than anyone else because as a cradle Catholic she just knows better. And, if you’re a cradle Catholic like me and disagree, well, you are just a convert in disguise.l and she knows how to spot you. And don’t even get her started on those crazy converts like the Canaanite woman who begged for Jesus to heal her daughter or the Roman Centurion who had a faith that Jesus praised, or St. Paul! What could those converts possibly know?

She is just an incoherent troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

Please consider that your kids may leave Catholicism when they get older - and they may not really believe it right now, but have no choice in the matter. Kids don't turn out the way we want them to in many different respects, including religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

I think that is awesome and your paternal grandmother is proud! The other poster said your kids may leave the faith. While that technically is true, my spouse and I view it as our job to do everything we can so the faith has the best chance possible to take hold in our children. But, ultimately, Catholicism believes in free will and it will be up to each of our children to make faithful choices or not. All we can do is pray for them and educate them. The rest is up to them and responding to the call of the faith.

If you are relatively recently returning to your faith, pilgrimages are a great way to reconnect. Even if you start with baby steps. For example, we recently found ourselves driving through Oklahoma City and we stopped and spent a half day at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine. For my kids, about 2/3 of them have really connected with pilgrimages while the rest have been more of the “that’s cool, can we go?” reaction. And that’s okay. As long as they are respectful, we respect as parents they everyone’s journey will be different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts feel so unwelcoming to converts

I’m guessing that’s how culture works. You feel left out because you didnt get have the shared experience.

The thread wasn’t about debating religion it’s about funny crazy sh!t we all went through as cradle Catholics vs converts.

I think maybe it was specific to previous generations of cradle Catholics. I am a convert who commented above and my kids are in Catholic school and will be cradle Catholics but I am not seeing any of those superstitions taught in school, and I am certainly not teaching them, so I guess they won't be cradle enough for those tik toc video producers.

Going to Catholic school and being baptized as a baby doesn’t really make you a cradle catholic…. I mean by the strict definition I guess it would. It’s like people who are generations and generation generations of Catholics and you have aunts and uncles and cousins and everybody’s Catholic and it’s a cultural thing.

Stop gatekeeping. I know you’ll say you’re not, but you obviously think converts are not “real Catholics.”

You can’t gate keep an experience.

It’s not something you can give or take.

It does point out on this thread like it does on the other threads, the lack of humor, some people have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts feel so unwelcoming to converts

I’m guessing that’s how culture works. You feel left out because you didnt get have the shared experience.

The thread wasn’t about debating religion it’s about funny crazy sh!t we all went through as cradle Catholics vs converts.

I think maybe it was specific to previous generations of cradle Catholics. I am a convert who commented above and my kids are in Catholic school and will be cradle Catholics but I am not seeing any of those superstitions taught in school, and I am certainly not teaching them, so I guess they won't be cradle enough for those tik toc video producers.

Going to Catholic school and being baptized as a baby doesn’t really make you a cradle catholic…. I mean by the strict definition I guess it would. It’s like people who are generations and generation generations of Catholics and you have aunts and uncles and cousins and everybody’s Catholic and it’s a cultural thing.

Stop gatekeeping. I know you’ll say you’re not, but you obviously think converts are not “real Catholics.”

You can’t gate keep an experience.

It’s not something you can give or take.

It does point out on this thread like it does on the other threads, the lack of humor, some people have.

What a weak bailout. “It’s just a joke guys. Chill out.”

Here’s a hint my super Catholic ethnic abuela taught me: if other people aren’t laughing, then you are the problem, not their sense of humor.

[Anonymous]

Let’s talk about a claddagh ring… you better be wearing that in the right direction if you got a boyfriend. lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

I think that is awesome and your paternal grandmother is proud! The other poster said your kids may leave the faith. While that technically is true, my spouse and I view it as our job to do everything we can so the faith has the best chance possible to take hold in our children. But, ultimately, Catholicism believes in free will and it will be up to each of our children to make faithful choices or not. All we can do is pray for them and educate them. The rest is up to them and responding to the call of the faith.

If you are relatively recently returning to your faith, pilgrimages are a great way to reconnect. Even if you start with baby steps. For example, we recently found ourselves driving through Oklahoma City and we stopped and spent a half day at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine. For my kids, about 2/3 of them have really connected with pilgrimages while the rest have been more of the “that’s cool, can we go?” reaction. And that’s okay. As long as they are respectful, we respect as parents they everyone’s journey will be different.

I wonder how respectful you'll be if/when one of your kids rejects Catholicism

[Anonymous]

Jesus would have wanted converts to be embraced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

I think that is awesome and your paternal grandmother is proud! The other poster said your kids may leave the faith. While that technically is true, my spouse and I view it as our job to do everything we can so the faith has the best chance possible to take hold in our children. But, ultimately, Catholicism believes in free will and it will be up to each of our children to make faithful choices or not. All we can do is pray for them and educate them. The rest is up to them and responding to the call of the faith.

If you are relatively recently returning to your faith, pilgrimages are a great way to reconnect. Even if you start with baby steps. For example, we recently found ourselves driving through Oklahoma City and we stopped and spent a half day at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine. For my kids, about 2/3 of them have really connected with pilgrimages while the rest have been more of the “that’s cool, can we go?” reaction. And that’s okay. As long as they are respectful, we respect as parents they everyone’s journey will be different.

I wonder how respectful you'll be if/when one of your kids rejects Catholicism

Really? Why do you wonder that?

Obviously, we do not know what the future holds but I hope and pray I would be respectful in that scenario. I cannot make my children believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

I think that is awesome and your paternal grandmother is proud! The other poster said your kids may leave the faith. While that technically is true, my spouse and I view it as our job to do everything we can so the faith has the best chance possible to take hold in our children. But, ultimately, Catholicism believes in free will and it will be up to each of our children to make faithful choices or not. All we can do is pray for them and educate them. The rest is up to them and responding to the call of the faith.

If you are relatively recently returning to your faith, pilgrimages are a great way to reconnect. Even if you start with baby steps. For example, we recently found ourselves driving through Oklahoma City and we stopped and spent a half day at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine. For my kids, about 2/3 of them have really connected with pilgrimages while the rest have been more of the “that’s cool, can we go?” reaction. And that’s okay. As long as they are respectful, we respect as parents they everyone’s journey will be different.

I wonder how respectful you'll be if/when one of your kids rejects Catholicism

Really? Why do you wonder that?

Obviously, we do not know what the future holds but I hope and pray I would be respectful in that scenario. I cannot make my children believe.

I don't think it's unusual to wonder how parents will react to desires of adult children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The demarcation throws the conversation off.

There are absolutely cradle Catholics who are deep in Bible study (Bible in a Year was a smashing success in Catholic circles), know the catechism well, and generally try to actively live out their faith/the sacraments.

There are also cradle Catholics who are (a) poorly formed in the faith; (b) not particularly active in the faith; or (c) do not identify with it as a faith but rather as a cultural identity. There are other types, too.

On (a) I once had someone in total shock tell me they had never heard of HDOs and they had been educated by Jesuits for 13 years (you don’t say!) and clearly I was making it up.

On (b) a poster up thread mentioned not being particularly active in the Church.

On (c) there is the poster who mentioned Jewish and Catholic interfaith marriages working well; which sort of fits the bill (both ways).

These are all individuals captured by “cradle Catholic” along with everyone else. Just too broad of a term.

Given that converts are more likely to be conservative (not always), and that the swath of cradle Catholics is just way too broad to categorize, I don’t think these comparisons are helpful.

I do think that converts can be caught by surprise by just how big the tent of Catholicism is and the many ways people practice within that tent.

I also think converts can struggle with the mysticism within Catholicism. One of my closest friends is a convert (but his wife is cradle). We’ve taken our families on multiple pilgrimages together to places like Mexico City and Rome and he is still learning to embrace the mysticism. We’re planning on going to Fatima next year and that will be another interesting case.

Nobody said that cradle Catholics don’t read the Bible. They said they don’t go to Bible study.

Also, nobody said that cradle Catholics are all the same what was said is that they have some themes and shared experiences that are the same that make them feel connected to each other.

They could have 80% of their experiences be different but the 20% that is the same that other people don’t experience is what they were bonding over.

I’d be really surprised if a cradle cat was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything. I haven’t been to Fatima yet but most my family has and it’s just like oh wow that was cool. There’s no spiritual awakening or anything.

This is an example of the poor formation category of cradle Catholics. Perhaps the mysticism is not for you. Perhaps it does not speak to you. But the idea that you would be “really surprised if a cradle [Catholic] was getting all wrapped up in the mysticism of anything” reveals a shallow contact with the faithful and a disengagement from the faith. I’m frankly shocked any Catholic who is engaged with the Church would say such a thing. I mean, what do you believe you are receiving in the communion line?

I do think there is a tendency for low engagement/poorly formed cradle Catholics in America to assume that their low engagement/poor formation is the universal experience of Catholics. First, there are literally hundreds of millions of Catholics outside of the USA who embrace the mysticism of Catholicism, especially outside of Europe.

There are also millions of Catholics in the USA who do as well. I know a very highly educated family who is moving their children to a different Catholic school because they sincerely believe the patron saint of the school has cared for their family over the years. There are literally Catholics who in this country wake up every single morning and go to Mass with religious orders that guard and treasure Catholic mysticism.

I was deeply moved by my own pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and observe her feast day every year. I also sequester myself on the Feast of the Holy Innocents because I mourn them. And All Souls Day is a feast day we stringently observe in our family.

My 12 year old son still laments over a Cross of the Good Shepherd touched by Pope Francis that he lost a year ago.

Many of the commonalities cradle Catholics experience are cultural in nature. Not necessarily spiritual or driven by the faith.

I am a revert cradle Catholic. My dad rejected the faith (put in the envelope then bee line to Dennys the times we did have to go to Mass) and my mother was Methodist. My paternal grandmother poured so much faith into us, rosary, Blessed Mother, Go to Joseph, holy days of obligation, but it was all yea yea yea whatever old lady. Then Covid, churches shutting, witnessing others’ faith through that, a surprise unwanted pregnancy that I feared … brought me back to the Catholic faith. It’s at the center of my life now in a way that would’ve been “so cringe” a few years ago. I have convert friends, trad friends, cradle friends. We are moving states soon bc I want my kids to marinate in a stronger Catholic culture.

I think that is awesome and your paternal grandmother is proud! The other poster said your kids may leave the faith. While that technically is true, my spouse and I view it as our job to do everything we can so the faith has the best chance possible to take hold in our children. But, ultimately, Catholicism believes in free will and it will be up to each of our children to make faithful choices or not. All we can do is pray for them and educate them. The rest is up to them and responding to the call of the faith.

If you are relatively recently returning to your faith, pilgrimages are a great way to reconnect. Even if you start with baby steps. For example, we recently found ourselves driving through Oklahoma City and we stopped and spent a half day at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine. For my kids, about 2/3 of them have really connected with pilgrimages while the rest have been more of the “that’s cool, can we go?” reaction. And that’s okay. As long as they are respectful, we respect as parents they everyone’s journey will be different.

I wonder how respectful you'll be if/when one of your kids rejects Catholicism

Really? Why do you wonder that?

Obviously, we do not know what the future holds but I hope and pray I would be respectful in that scenario. I cannot make my children believe.

I don't think it's unusual to wonder how parents will react to desires of adult children.

Are you the person appointed to rain on everybody’s parade?

Do you tell pregnant women to consider what will happen if their child is born with a disability? Do you wonder how young children may handle the untimely and horrid death of their parents?

It is actually odd to wonder about how total strangers may hypothetically handle difficult disappointment within their families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus would have wanted converts to be embraced.

Jesus would want them to get a sense of humor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts feel so unwelcoming to converts

I’m guessing that’s how culture works. You feel left out because you didnt get have the shared experience.

The thread wasn’t about debating religion it’s about funny crazy sh!t we all went through as cradle Catholics vs converts.

I think maybe it was specific to previous generations of cradle Catholics. I am a convert who commented above and my kids are in Catholic school and will be cradle Catholics but I am not seeing any of those superstitions taught in school, and I am certainly not teaching them, so I guess they won't be cradle enough for those tik toc video producers.

Going to Catholic school and being baptized as a baby doesn’t really make you a cradle catholic…. I mean by the strict definition I guess it would. It’s like people who are generations and generation generations of Catholics and you have aunts and uncles and cousins and everybody’s Catholic and it’s a cultural thing.

Stop gatekeeping. I know you’ll say you’re not, but you obviously think converts are not “real Catholics.”

What is ironic is that many converts don't think people like OP are real Catholics. Wearing medals and having superstitious grandmas does not a Catholic make. Converts call you guys cafeteria Catholics. So I guess we should all just stop. God is laughing at us.