I taught in Catholic schools in the 1970s and pagan babies were a thing of the past ( as far as I know ; but never underestimate the nuns ). Some had a lot more than others. A freshly sprung ex-con turned stand-up comic, Debbie needs some fast cash, too, to settle an old score. "Wow, that certainly brings back memories. I do not remember the term pagan babies at all, although I remember the little paper boxes quite well. Its a great way to perform works of mercy or give alms during Lent or find a family charity. If you ever meet one, say hi from meus. Thanks for commenting. If I had to walk down an aisle or through a classroom on my own, I tried to muffle the noise by slowing my step. And once, the guy who considered himself the smartest kid in the class proposed the name Jean-Pierre. which is how he found your story!!! Weird, the kind of memories we carry over from childhood, isnt it? I had several, actually all girls named Mary, of course." Show. Good question , though , about where all the money went . "I also had a Pagan Baby; I regret to say I haven't kept in touch with him." Theyd say, Whats in it for me?. I cant guarantee your sanity , but Im happy to have helped . There is in the heart of every priest, and I hope in the heart of every Christian, the longing to be a missionary, to be a proclaimer of the good news to the ends of the earth, he said. A friend of mine, from back in the 80s, played guitar in a band with that name (weird thing about that is, hes Jewish). My first lessons in social justice came through saving pagan babies. Fogogo to mention JUG for bad behavior- Justice Under God, also at St. Ignatius College Prep JMJ was replaced with AMGD all for the glory of God. I believe it helped me get through this crazy life :-)) Do you know if I could list my pagan baby on my tax return as a dependent? In closing, Bless the Maryknolls for the work they do in spreading the message of the Gospel! If only we could all do so well with five bucks , eh ? They were no doubt common . Patti and her husband, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised their 10 children. When the principal had signed on to a candy sale fundraising scheme because the promotion companys salesman gave him a stereo system as a gift to grease the wheels , the salesman spoke to the students for a few minutes at the morning assembly . Campbell, now retired from the film industry where he worked as a technician, told CNY that hed been enrolled in the Holy Childhood Association since seventh grade and that he remembered adopting babies to get them baptized into the faith. My mother thought that those nuns were as close to God as we would ever get on earth. Pagan babies may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families. I went to catholic school the same time you did. Yes, as a lesson for us to be generous the Pagan Babies idea may well have been beneficial . With missionary nuns and pagan babies for starters. I could change the world. Youre welcome . The pagan baby he purchased was named Daniel James and his $5 gave him a Certificate of Adoption as a Souvenir of the Ransom and Baptism of an Adopted Pagan baby named Daniel James. Watch for these changes, Eight more pro-life activists for FACE Act violations. The boys could give a name to a boy pagan baby and the girls, a girl. possibly before that, the Catholic schools sponsored an ongoing drive to raise money Should they be angry or should they just feel anguish for the sorry state of the religion these days ? It is Catholic mission crowd-funding,making it easy to support those givingspiritual and material comfort to the sufferingand marginalized . J. OBrien. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, . As a first grade student at St.Aloysius in Wilkes-Barre, PA circa 1969, pagan babies were part of our extreme Catholic instruction. "I think they cost five dollars." I ALSOvividly remember, that the certficates were five dollars each (pretty steep for thr 60s! But the "pagan babies" were actual children being looked after by missionary sisters, brothers and priests in their countries. I went Catholic school in NJ and yes, we had pagan babies! Always when he asked his question , no matter what the occasion , he seemed to be right smack dab in the middle of the group . While clearly titillating and voyeuristic, these presentations revealed a larger world and highlighted our own privileged place. Pagan Babies: and Other Catholic Memories. A lot of your story is fiction. Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who once said, My greatest love has always been the missions of the Church, was very much a spiritual presence at the dinner, where his name was invoked several times. Hey! She was managing editor and co-author of Ascension Press bestselling Amazing Grace series. Pagan Babies | Commonweal Magazine Pagan Babies By Linda A. McMillin March 12, 2012 I am a Catholic of a certain age, a graduate of parochial school, and a former member of the Association of the Holy Childhood. He chose Herman . All good saints names . Other notable guests included Cardinal Sean OMalley, Archbishop of Boston; Bishop Bejoy DCruze of Sylhet, Bangladesh; actor Andy Garcia, who stars in the film For Greater Glory, which opens June 1; and Noel Campbell, who rode Amtrak for three days from the Coeur DAlene Indian Reservation in northwest Idaho to New York to attend the event. I am a Catholic of a certain age, a graduate of parochial school, and a former member of the Association of the Holy Childhood. Enjoyed reading all of your comments about Pagan Babies. Names chosen for each baby were REQUIRED to be the names of bonefide saints, beatified by process through Rome. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Campbell, now retired from the film industry where he worked as a technician, told Catholic New York, the archdiocesan newspaper, that hed been enrolled in the Holy Childhood Association since seventh grade and that he remembered adopting babies to get them baptized into the faith. Thank God someone sent this information to me and redeemed my sanity. I dont know what state you were in at the time, but I have lived in California for the last 60 years. At every Catholic school in those days were collections to save unbaptized children not taught about God (Pagan Babies). Ive been fortunate to travel to various parts of the world and to admire (our missionaries) extraordinary love of the world and of the people with whom they live., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States who greeted guests on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI, called the Pontifical Mission Societies instruments for cooperation in the universal mission of the Church across the world.. These days, instead of collection boxes we can use apps. Love Your Sister Servant of God Mother Mary Lange and the Rich History of Black Catholic Religious Orders, Ukrainian Soldier Saved by Praying the Rosary, Priest Recounts, As We Forgive: Lenten Pastoral Note From Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, A Lasting Trail of Light: The Witness of Pedro Ballester. babies. Ill bet you remember those . I went to Catholic grade school at St. Amelias for 8 years. "We thought that some nun in China would go out and select a baby of the proper gender, Some conspiracy mongers doubted the existence of the pagan babies, even suggesting that the sisters were raiding the schoolchildrens piggybanks to fill their own coffers or the Churchs. When Oblate Father Andrew Small asked who remembered them at the inaugural World Mission Dinner in New York, a few hands went up, mostly belonging to people with gray hair. Good luck. Whats a pagan ? We didnt know any better (though Church elders should have, but thats another story, isnt it?). Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. OK, fair enough, it was about charity for this or that African country, but it so much stank of colonialism. Happy Fathers Day! We can smile at it now at perhaps how silly it was, Father Small said. Here is sister Mary So-and-So in the plane about to fly off to baptize the pagans . The Holy Childhood Association got many of the basics right: it introduced me to global realities of poverty and need, to notions of privilege and responsibility. Back in the 1950s and early-1960s, and possibly before that, the Catholic schools sponsored an ongoing drive to raise money for missions in foreign lands. Pretty danged patronizing, offensive concept it was, too. Everywhere a pagan pagan . Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith & Get to Heaven, Youth Pilgrims Write a New Chapter for South Sudan, Catholic Bookstore Sues Jacksonville Over Law it Says is a Trans Pronoun Mandate, Heres How Half of U.S. Abortions Could Be Stopped This Week, Argentina: New Book Gives Pope Francis Responses to Issues Hes Most Often Asked About. I NEVER questioned or was as smart as Charlie. Im sure we had to change it to Richard, but in our hearts he was our little Ringo. You missed the naming and the fold-out box ! "I loved the Pagan Babies! I think you had to be in Catholic school around 1960 or earlier to have been exposed to the term pagan babies. Id forgotten that the rest of it was to ransom them. It seemed like an honorable thing, he explained. I remember Green Stamps . We gave our allowances to save those babies. Each time I hope to combine for them the Holy Childhoods call of responsibility with the lessons I learned in Guaymas: the difference between pity and solidarity, the complexity of the global structures that create poverty and need, and the smallness of our efforts at making a difference. Keep writingthis is good stuff! Well I am hurt that you would think I would steal your money to Buy and Name more pagan babies. ). "Wasn't there a bridge we had to get them over. He stood right in the middle of the group . Regardless of whether pagan babies have become personal, we should still pray for and support the spread of the Catholic faith in foreign lands and in our own. But are those even the worthy ideals to strive toward? I should have asked them if they had ever run into any pagan named Herman . Great memories!!! Pagan ,pagan, pagan . The thing was a brown color . She said she named them after me. I suspect that Patricia never named them after you , David . This made my day. In the book, Pope Francis also addresses corruption at the Vatican, abuses committed by members of the Church, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russias invasion of Ukraine, among other topics. Only we had to write JMJD, for Dominic, as ours were Dominican nuns. Fierce competition existed between some of the nuns as to whose class had the most pagan babies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that much of Christianity is significantly. My vocation has been in education, and in the thirty-plus years since my summer in Mexico I have accompanied students on many short sojourns to the front lines in Tijuana, Nicaragua, El Salvador, East Los Angeles, New Orleans. Technically, Jews could not be pagan, because they believe in the same monotheistic god Catholics do/did. the men39s shelter charlotte boro compatible aio; class b plus rv for sale by owner near alabama naughty little girls sex; korean sauna near me burlington county times obituaries today; porno angelina joli Our principal determined that Hush Puppies were insurance against black scuffmarks in halls and classrooms. Of course, the prizes helped. But for five dollars we could play Name That Pagan Baby . In addition we'd go and bless our herbs in the garden and around on Midsummer and then harvest them for John's night or the night before depending on the weather. I have no idea what spurred me on this morning to do a search for Pagan Babies maybe I was trying to recall my first exposure to racism. I thought the amount was $10, but $5 does sound more realistic. The idea was to collect money from students , nickels and dimes , for charity . As for the naming part, while it seemed charming at the time, if it really were true, how outrageous for us to name an African baby Mary Margaret or other Western name. Possibly the nuns coerced the kids in those classes into giving more? Yeah , a few days later . Pagan Names for your baby boy Achak: The name Achak is a Native American Origin name which means "Spirit." Adonis: Adonis means extremely good-looking (handsome), also of the Greek god of beauty and desire. The assembly was buzzing . members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. . Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? - Mary A. Prizes were given if we were successful. At first, Sister tried to dissuade me from using Karen, as this was not a name on the published roster of saints. 2000 Elmore Leonard, Inc. (P)2000 Recorded Books Inc. Unabridged Audiobook. The teacher had a stack of them . grade 6A, 6B, 6C,). Many of those kids still have their adoption certificate, like Bob One guys said one time he was examining his conscience and realized he had tried to act like an adult, so he confessed to his priest that he committed adultery!!! To learn more, Father Andrew Small, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies talks about Missio on the Catholic Connection (right after the news). Catholic Connection (right after the news). - Mary Ellen M. - Bob U. We collected money (I think) for UNICEF but we didnt get to name anyone. So how many pagan babies did you sell in Brentwood ? Like using Necco wafers to practice First Holy Communion. They changed the name because it had grown beyond the initial save the war-torn orphans mission. (And I pitched them when I went to college) I had one round flat plastic silhouette of Mary that glowed after you held it under a lamp for a bit. Sure would love to hear from anyone that remembers. I still find myself wishing THOSE people had relatively lackluster and unsuccessful lives. - Sharon S. I might have gone into the public school with this Catholic bubble around me and I might have been hesitant to burst the Catholic bubble of protection. If theres a study done of it , I dont know . I think the Catholic church needed better PR people back then. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Pagan Babies at Amazon.com. Thanks for the comment . When Father Andrew Small, O.M.I., asked who remembered them at the inaugural World Mission Dinner May 2 at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, a few hands went up, mostly belonging to people with gray hair. . Im 34. Oh those Catholics had some great fund raising ideas. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington; best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark; and television commentator Larry Kudlow were named 2012 pontifical ambassadors for mission. Linda A. McMillin is a professor of history at Susquehanna University. The salesman had no answer . It was pretty obvious he was showing off his flawless French accent. Im assuming youre a good Catholic father and have a tons of kids. They were called pagan babies, certainly not the most sensitive appellation and one that would never be used today. They spoke in thick Irish brogues . But Cary was caught . Her latest books are What Would Monica Do? You are no doubt a stronger person for it . . One guy talked about confession when he was in third grade. Pagan baby naming makes good memories but was , I guess , conditioning in deception . They spoke for an hour and I think that every sentence they uttered had the word pagan in it . . Reblogged this on itkindofgotawayfromyou. He told how we had to examine our consciences. Thanks for commenting! Congratulations for moving on and helping children in other countries. At times, it seemed like the nuns in the Catholic School I was attending, would really pressure the students to contribute to the pagan babies. class voted on names. . maybe NCIS or 60 minutes should get on the case? In college, I was given the opportunity to work for a month at a Franciscan mission in Mexico. Ask for their blessings so that your home will remain safe and happy, or if you do not follow a particular deity, you can alternately ask the . I remember how exciting it was when the Pagan Baby certificate was delivered. The whole Pagan Babies thing was a big deal every year and resulted in a lot of competition among the 50+ pupils in Sr. Madeline Sophies 2nd grade class. The money collected in the United States went to help feed, clothe and educate them. Seriously has anyone ever ran into a pagan baby named Herman or Mary or any other name?? I had my little yellow UNICEF box, and they asked if it was for the Pagan Babies. But, in fact, the entire program was rooted in a sense of solidarity and charity in the broadest understanding of the word. Timothy Bulone, Neighbor. Im a veteran of catholic school and I remember so well about the pagan stories and purgatory, limbo and so on. His name is Seth (pretty sure he still has that job, but it cant hurt to check). I thoroughly enjoy your posts. - Sal S. Cary had guts, for sure , for such a bold attempt at fraud . The teacher had a stack of them . I also remember buying 10 cent stamps that went into a book. It used to be a full acronym - United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund. Resurrection Pontifical Mission Societies and launched by Pope Francis. Five bucks sure went far in 1958! We were expected to sell subscriptions to our local Archdiocese newspaper when I went to elementary school. I still think of those days and have many wonderful memories. sacraments. And most students did sacrifice that 5-cent candy money for the cause of bringing the word of god to the uneducated families somewhere in the world that the missionaries, usually Maryknolls stil active in missionary work today were working to convert the pagans usually Africa, in my day (probably deepest, darkest Africa). Pagan Babies is classic crime fiction from the master of suspense, New York Times bestselling author Elmore Leonard. Biographies are listed below: 1. So it had to be pretty official, like our nun just couldnt pull a certificate out of her drawer and fill in the name.no, I think that it had to be signed by the big Catholic mucky-mucks. The only money we collected in little paper boxes was for UNICEF and to be perfectly honest, Im not even entirely sure what UNICEF is. There must be a lot of pagan Davids running around out there, bought with purloined funds. Remember JMJ ? We were sitting on the floor anyway, but soon we were all (the Catholics) rolling on the floor laughing our heads off! Im still a San Franciscan, but boy has everything changed. Pope Benedicts Resignation: Debate Continues 10 Years On, Example of Their Lives: 6 American Black Catholics Are on the Road to Sainthood, Ex-Cardinal McCarrick Asks for Dismissal of Sex Abuse Case Against Him, Citing Dementia, Albany Diocese Bans Latin Masses Following New Guidance From the Vatican, What Have the Jesuits Done About Rupnik? ETA: and then theres this blog from someone who is completely unapologetic about their participation in the program: http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/2006/08/announcing-pagan-baby-reunion.html. It was called Adopt-A-Pagan-Baby. Pretty danged patronizing, offensive concept it was for the work they do in the. 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