Some Questions about Catholicism

[mom2bee]

I'm writing a story and one of the main characters is an Irish girl and Catholic, she's visiting the USA for a summer to stay with her estranged father so there is no personal agenda behind this question, I'm not trying to start a debate.

 

I'm just hoping to get the details correct/realistic. Since I'm writing the girl as an Observant-Catholic and her dad who is Catholic but not very religious in his day to day life, I would really like to make sure that the details are at least reasonable.

 

Would some of the Catholic boardies be willing to help me understand the basics of typical day-to-day Catholic stuff? Bonus points if you're Irish and can offer some insight on that front.

 

If you feel more comfortable PMing your responce that is fine. Here are my questions/comments:

 

I've seen in a documentary where a Catholic parent says a prayer and makes the sign of the cross over their child in the morning before school? Is this something a lot of parents would do for their kids, and does it have a name?

 

The beads that some Catholics wear--do they pray with them daily and what would be some prayers that a observant/devout Catholic would pray throughout their day/week?

 

Confirmation and Communion--can you explain these two me, briefly. Would a 13yo have recieved/done them(both) already? (Assume said child has been in a Catholic school all her life, is raised by an observant, Catholic mom, in a predominantly Catholic area so it would have been done "on time", whatever that means.) I vaguely remember someone IRL telling me that it happened in 8th grade at their Catholic school, but some online research mentioned doing it at 7 years old. Am I confusing the two? Which should happen first?

 

 

Also, how often does the Communion happen? I read a few articles about "the First Communion", so the very name implies that there would be, ya know a 2nd, 3rd,...Nth Communion, but I can't find a schedule about them. When would you take your last Communion?

 

Would a Catholic church host a Mass everyweek? (I'm sure that question is really stupid to someone who knows the answer.) and would an observant Catholic attend everyweek, or only on certain occassions?

 

About how long does Mass or a Catholic church service last?

 

What language would Mass most likely be hosted in the state of California? English, right?

 

I've been reading articles on Wikipedia and from Catholic.com but I'm still a little unsure.

 

[Twolittleboys]

I am Catholic (but not an expert) but not Irish so I will try to answer but have no idea about anything specific to Ireland.

I'm writing a story and one of the main characters is an Irish girl and Catholic, she's visiting the USA for a summer to stay with her estranged father so there is no personal agenda behind this question, I'm not trying to start a debate.

 

I'm just hoping to get the details correct/realistic. Since I'm writing the girl as an Observant-Catholic and her dad who is Catholic but not very religious in his day to day life, I would really like to make sure that the details are at least reasonable.

 

Would some of the Catholic boardies be willing to help me understand the basics of typical day-to-day Catholic stuff? Bonus points if you're Irish and can offer some insight on that front.

 

If you feel more comfortable PMing your responce that is fine. Here are my questions/comments:

 

I've seen in a documentary where a Catholic parent says a prayer and makes the sign of the cross over their child in the morning before school? Is this something a lot of parents would do for their kids, and does it have a name?

 

No idea. It isn't common where I live (maybe some very devout parents would do so before a long journey etc.?) but maybe in Ireland...

 

The beads that some Catholics wear--do they pray with them daily and what would be some prayers that a observant/devout Catholic would pray throughout their day/week?

 

The beads are for praying the rosary (a certain string of prayers - the beads help so you don't lose your place). Devout Catholics would have a rosary and quite possibly use it. Typical prayers would be Hail Mary and the Lord's Prayer for sure. Also probably morning, evening prayers and grace before meals.

 

Confirmation and Communion--can you explain these two me, briefly. Would a 13yo have recieved/done them(both) already? (Assume said child has been in a Catholic school all her life, is raised by an observant, Catholic mom, in a predominantly Catholic area so it would have been done "on time", whatever that means.) I vaguely remember someone IRL telling me that it happened in 8th grade at their Catholic school, but some online research mentioned doing it at 7 years old. Am I confusing the two? Which should happen first?

 

Communion refers to partaking of bread (and possibly wine) during mass. You are not allowed to do so until you understand the significance so children generally take special  classes before the First Communion (which is really the same sacrament as every week but is celebrated for being the first). At least here girls wear special dresses (kind of like bridal gowns), boys suits and it is a fairly big deal. Catholics are baptized as babies but because the children themselves of course are not asked for baptism we have confirmation - it basically completes baptism by asking the child if it wants to be part of the faith. As far as I know, confirmation is usually between the ages of 11 and 14 (where we live it depends on the grade level so of course kids vary a bit in age)

 

 

Also, how often does the Communion happen? I read a few articles about "the First Communion", so the very name implies that there would be, ya know a 2nd, 3rd,...Nth Communion, but I can't find a schedule about them. When would you take your last Communion?

 

I think I explained that above. Every Mass will have a Communion. Last Communion would probably be on your death bed unless you die unexpectetly in which case it would be the last time you went to Mass (and took part in Communion).

 

Would a Catholic church host a Mass everyweek? (I'm sure that question is really stupid to someone who knows the answer.) and would an observant Catholic attend everyweek, or only on certain occassions?

 

Definitely (only exception would be in an area where a priest only comes every couple of weeks but this shouldn't be the case in Ireland or the US). Observant Catholics would attend every Sunday (unless sick etc.) as well as on certain occassions at a minimum. Often older devout people would go several days a week or even daily.

 

About how long does Mass or a Catholic church service last?

 

Generally about 40 to 60 minutes. Longer on important holidays (Easter, Christmas)

 

What language would Mass most likely be hosted in the state of California? English, right?

 

There are plenty in English. However, churches will try to serve their parishioners so in a multi-ethnic place like California you could find Mass in different languages (definitely Spanish). There might be some in Latin but that is uncommon.

 

I've been reading articles on Wikipedia and from Catholic.com but I'm still a little unsure.

 

Hope this helps (though it is not Ireland specific). Please let me know if you have further questions.

 

[ktgrok]

No, only the most devout families would do a blessing of children. I've never known anyone to actually do it. 

 

The beads are a Rosary. Yes, the most devout pray the Rosary daily, many do it here and there.  

 

First Communion is in 2nd Grade in the USA, not sure about Ireland. After that you receive communion every week at Mass unless you are sick and unable to attend. Many of the most devout attend Mass daily, but most families go weekly. Growing up I had a few friends whose parents went daily, but only a few, and they were considered VERY religious. That said, someday, when i don't have littles, I'd love to go to daily Mass, especially if I lived in walking distance, as they did. 

 

Confirmation is in highschool in my area. 

 

Catholic children either attend a Catholic school where they receive religious education alongside their other studies, or, if they go to public school, attend a class once a week. It used to be called CCD here, now it's usually "Faith Formation" class. Again that's in the USA. Ideally the child attends from at least 1st grade through highschool. 

[Ellie]

I'm writing a story and one of the main characters is an Irish girl and Catholic, she's visiting the USA for a summer to stay with her estranged father so there is no personal agenda behind this question, I'm not trying to start a debate.

 

I'm just hoping to get the details correct/realistic. Since I'm writing the girl as an Observant-Catholic and her dad who is Catholic but not very religious in his day to day life, I would really like to make sure that the details are at least reasonable.

 

Would some of the Catholic boardies be willing to help me understand the basics of typical day-to-day Catholic stuff? Bonus points if you're Irish and can offer some insight on that front.

 

If you feel more comfortable PMing your responce that is fine. Here are my questions/comments:

 

I've seen in a documentary where a Catholic parent says a prayer and makes the sign of the cross over their child in the morning before school? Is this something a lot of parents would do for their kids, and does it have a name?

I don't know if many Catholic parents do it--I did not grow up in a Catholic home--but I can easily imagine some of my Catholic friends doing that. I'm thinking it would just be called a blessing.

 

 

The beads that some Catholics wear--do they pray with them daily and what would be some prayers that a observant/devout Catholic would pray throughout their day/week?

People don't usually *wear* their rosaries. Many people pray the rosary daily. 

 

Confirmation and Communion--can you explain these two me, briefly. Would a 13yo have recieved/done them(both) already? (Assume said child has been in a Catholic school all her life, is raised by an observant, Catholic mom, in a predominantly Catholic area so it would have been done "on time", whatever that means.) I vaguely remember someone IRL telling me that it happened in 8th grade at their Catholic school, but some online research mentioned doing it at 7 years old. Am I confusing the two? Which should happen first?

It's high school age where I live. I don't know what it is in Ireland (there's no "law" about the age).

 

 

Also, how often does the Communion happen? I read a few articles about "the First Communion", so the very name implies that there would be, ya know a 2nd, 3rd,...Nth Communion, but I can't find a schedule about them. When would you take your last Communion?

Communion is part of every Mass. Those who are able would receive Communion every time they attend Mass.

 

Would a Catholic church host a Mass everyweek? (I'm sure that question is really stupid to someone who knows the answer.) and would an observant Catholic attend everyweek, or only on certain occassions?

The Mass is the most important thing that happens. Catholics are obligated to attend Mass on Sundays (or on a Saturday after 5 p.m. unless they are incapable of getting there; many parishes will have a Sunday Mass on Saturday evening (which is often referred to as a "Vigil Mass"). There are several other Holy Days of Obligation during the year, such as Christmas and Easter. Many parishes have daily Masses, but these are not obligations and they do not take the place of the Sunday Mass.

 

About how long does Mass or a Catholic church service last?

A Sunday Mass is about an hour long. Some Masses are much longer--Midnight Mass at Christmas and Easter, for example. A daily Mass is about 45 minutes. The length of the Mass can be affected by the number of people who are receiving Communion, how long the priest's "homily" (his sermon) is, how many readings (scriptures from Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospel) there are, and more.

 

What language would Mass most likely be hosted in the state of California? English, right?

Many parishes have Spanish as well as English Masses. There may also be Latin Masses. Mass is "celebrated." :-)

 

I've been reading articles on Wikipedia and from Catholic.com but I'm still a little unsure.

There's so much to know about a 2000-year-old Church. Even those of us who are practicing Catholics are unsure about some things. :-)

 

[chiguirre]

In Venezuela and Latin America in general, the blessing you're describing is done by older relatives (grandparents or great uncles or God parents). IT's not a daily thing. Before Vatican 2, there was a morning prayer kids would recite when they woke up. It was a bit traumatic, But I'm not sure of the exact words. It did involve being forgiven your sins if you died that day.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I can't speak about Ireland, but would expect them to have their family culture to strongly reflect their faith, based upon the Irish Catholics in my family. 

I'm writing a story and one of the main characters is an Irish girl and Catholic, she's visiting the USA for a summer to stay with her estranged father so there is no personal agenda behind this question, I'm not trying to start a debate.

 

I'm just hoping to get the details correct/realistic. Since I'm writing the girl as an Observant-Catholic and her dad who is Catholic but not very religious in his day to day life, I would really like to make sure that the details are at least reasonable.

 

Would some of the Catholic boardies be willing to help me understand the basics of typical day-to-day Catholic stuff? Bonus points if you're Irish and can offer some insight on that front.

 

If you feel more comfortable PMing your responce that is fine. Here are my questions/comments:

 

I've seen in a documentary where a Catholic parent says a prayer and makes the sign of the cross over their child in the morning before school? Is this something a lot of parents would do for their kids, and does it have a name?

 

I have some friends who bless their children every day before they leave the house.  It really doesn't have a name as far as my research goes.  I wouldn't say it is common, but it may be part of some families' cultures to do so. 

 

The beads that some Catholics wear--do they pray with them daily and what would be some prayers that a observant/devout Catholic would pray throughout their day/week?

 

Catholics don't wear their rosary.  They carry them, often in a little pouch.  They use the beads to keep track of the prayers.  Most of the observant Catholics I know pray the Rosary daily ... some do so before bed, some have a family rosary devotion after dinner.  I try to do so while out walking my dog - I have an app that walks me through the prayers, so I don't actually carry my rosary with me.  

 

Confirmation and Communion--can you explain these two me, briefly. Would a 13yo have recieved/done them(both) already? (Assume said child has been in a Catholic school all her life, is raised by an observant, Catholic mom, in a predominantly Catholic area so it would have been done "on time", whatever that means.) I vaguely remember someone IRL telling me that it happened in 8th grade at their Catholic school, but some online research mentioned doing it at 7 years old. Am I confusing the two? Which should happen first?

 

Most Catholic parishes do First Communion after the "age of reason", which is around 7 years old.  Older, more traditional parishes would would have Confirmation in the later elementary years - 4th or 5th grade.  In the US, the trend to move it later happened in the 70s.  I made mine in 8th grade.  Our local churches do it in high school, but many parents are rejecting that and asking to have it done earlier.  For two of my kids, we found a Catholic homeschool group that worked with a bishop to have them done earlier.  (That opportunity did not exist for one of my kids.) 

 

 

Also, how often does the Communion happen? I read a few articles about "the First Communion", so the very name implies that there would be, ya know a 2nd, 3rd,...Nth Communion, but I can't find a schedule about them. When would you take your last Communion?

 

Communion is received at each Mass for Catholics who are able to receive.  No one keeps track after the First Communion. 

 

Would a Catholic church host a Mass everyweek? (I'm sure that question is really stupid to someone who knows the answer.) and would an observant Catholic attend everyweek, or only on certain occassions?

 

Just about every Catholic church would celebrate Mass every week (except for mission churches in very rural areas who may not be able to get a priest out to them every week - as we found on vacation in Colorado.)  There is the Sunday obligation - all Catholics are required to go to Mass each Sunday except for extraordinary circumstances (illness, unable to physically get to mass, etc. )  Most parishes celebrate daily mass.  At most Catholic schools, children would attend a daily mass at least once a week.  There are also other Holy Days of Obligation where Catholics are supposed to go to mass as well. 

 

About how long does Mass or a Catholic church service last?

 

Usually about an hour for an ordinary Sunday Mass.  Special services like Easter Vigil would be much longer.  It depends on the length of the Homily ("sermon") or how many people receive communion.  I did notice that in the South, Mass is much longer.  Dd and I were traveling and I had allotted an hour for Mass before we had to be somewhere.  The Homily was 40 minutes long.  An excellent Homily, but it made us very late for where we were supposed to be.  I felt bad that I was so antsy about the length, but it was only because I was unaware of their norms and didn't plan for it.

 

What language would Mass most likely be hosted in the state of California? English, right?

 

In California, most masses would be in English, but it would not be uncommon for a parish to have at least one Mass in Spanish in Southern California.  All over the US, if there is a large ethnic population in an area, they often have Mass in the language of that population.  Dh remembers attending Mass in Slovenian as a kid.  We have a parish here that has Mass in Tagalog for the Filipino population. 

 

 

 

[mom2bee]

In Venezuela and Latin America in general, the blessing you're describing is done by older relatives (grandparents or great uncles or God parents). IT's not a daily thing. Before Vatican 2, there was a morning prayer kids would recite when they woke up. It was a bit traumatic, But I'm not sure of the exact words. It did involve being forgiven your sins if you died that day.

That makes sense. I saw it in an education documentary called Waiting for Superman, the girl was from a Hispanic family and as she was leaving for school, her mom (or a female relative) said a blessing for her and made the sign of the cross for the girl. Since the film was about Education then I figured that the blessing had to just be a part of her day.

[AimeeM]

I'm writing a story and one of the main characters is an Irish girl and Catholic, she's visiting the USA for a summer to stay with her estranged father so there is no personal agenda behind this question, I'm not trying to start a debate.

 

I'm just hoping to get the details correct/realistic. Since I'm writing the girl as an Observant-Catholic and her dad who is Catholic but not very religious in his day to day life, I would really like to make sure that the details are at least reasonable.

 

Would some of the Catholic boardies be willing to help me understand the basics of typical day-to-day Catholic stuff? Bonus points if you're Irish and can offer some insight on that front.

 

If you feel more comfortable PMing your responce that is fine. Here are my questions/comments:

 

I've seen in a documentary where a Catholic parent says a prayer and makes the sign of the cross over their child in the morning before school? Is this something a lot of parents would do for their kids, and does it have a name? A blessing maybe? We pray throughout the day.

 

The beads that some Catholics wear--do they pray with them daily and what would be some prayers that a observant/devout Catholic would pray throughout their day/week? We do not wear them :) I think you're talking about a rosary? Yes, we pray with them - if you google "how to pray the rosary" you would know the prayers that are said with the rosary; we do not deviate from those prayers.

 

Confirmation and Communion--can you explain these two me, briefly. Would a 13yo have recieved/done them(both) already? (Assume said child has been in a Catholic school all her life, is raised by an observant, Catholic mom, in a predominantly Catholic area so it would have been done "on time", whatever that means.) I vaguely remember someone IRL telling me that it happened in 8th grade at their Catholic school, but some online research mentioned doing it at 7 years old. Am I confusing the two? Which should happen first? This varies by parish (church family), but here First Holy Communion is received in grade 2; Confirmation in grade 8. In the 70's/80's, my husband was Confirmed in grade 5, though.

 

 

Also, how often does the Communion happen? I read a few articles about "the First Communion", so the very name implies that there would be, ya know a 2nd, 3rd,...Nth Communion, but I can't find a schedule about them. When would you take your last Communion? For every Mass there is communion (there are exceptions to this, I believe, but they are few).

 

Would a Catholic church host a Mass everyweek? (I'm sure that question is really stupid to someone who knows the answer.) and would an observant Catholic attend everyweek, or only on certain occassions? Most host Mass every DAY, but definitely every sunday. A Mass is a church service. Yes, we are required to attend at least on Sundays, barring sickness or other major "issue" - this is a holy day of obligation; there are other Holy Days of Obligation that aren't on Sunday. For example, the Immaculate Conception, which is on December 8th, is a Holy Day of Obligation and we must attend Mass.

 

About how long does Mass or a Catholic church service last? Roughly an hour.

 

What language would Mass most likely be hosted in the state of California? English, right? Depends on the parish. Our Mass (not in CA) is in English or Latin, depending on the time of day (the noon Mass is Latin).

 

I've been reading articles on Wikipedia and from Catholic.com but I'm still a little unsure.

 

[mom2bee]

Thank you much to everyone for the very helpful replies. I appreciate the feedback, it helps me move on.

 

I know that its just a story, but I can't write when I'm fretting about the details. Nothing takes me out of story faster than when there are glaring errors in the "background". Goofs in shows completely throw me and shake me out of the story.

[Murphy101]

It's rare for an "observant" catholic to wear rosaries beads. They are not jewlery. Tho most will have them nearby. Pocket, purse...

 

A morning/bedtime blessing might be more Irish. It's one of those things that outsiders wouldn't ever really know about bc they don't typically wake up with the family. If it matters, I give bedtime blessings. Even to my grown kids that live at home. I'm not sure anyone knows I do that.

 

Most catholics will call communion Eucarist. It is at every mass. An observant catholic will be going to mass at least to fulfill their Sunday obligation. Some go daily. Some go somewhere in between. I would suspect a child of age 7 to be receiving eucharist in most cases. Usually by age 14 they are confirmed in Ireland.

 

Mass can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours. It depends on the rite and the size of the parish. The language it is said in will also depend on the rite being used. English with some latin, all latin except for the homily. Depends.

 

Also a church does not host mass. A priest concelebrates it. Doesn't matter whether it is in a Catholic Church building or in the woods or a prison camp.

 

One would hope their last communion, Eucharist, would be on their deathbed when they receive their last rites.

 

I would recommend the book "Why do Catholics do that?" I think that's the right name. I covers a bunch of little things like when and why and how to genuflect and such things.

[Carol in Cal.]

I am not Catholic but I grew up in a blue collar Irish Catholic neighborhood two blocks from a predominately Irish Catholic church and school.

A few things I remember of my next door neighbor family:

1.  Lots of kids close together, unusually so for the fairly expensive urban life--5 in maybe 8-9 years.  The mother once told my mother that she wished that they were allowed to use birth control like everybody else.

2.  I visited shortly after a baby was born, and the daughter who was my age (9 or so) cautioned me not to touch the baby because he had not been baptized yet, so he was unclean and therefore dangerous, according to her mother.  (I take this with a grain of salt, but that is what she said.  Honestly, I doubt that her mom really said that.)

3.  Everyone went to the Catholic school, and they had to wear uniforms with white blouses and plaid skirts.  I felt sorry for them for this.  The kids who went to public or Lutheran schools did not have to wear uniforms.  Looking back on it, the Catholic school was a huge expense for them since the kids were so close together in age.

4.  The parents had heavy Irish accents.   The kids did not reflect this. 

5.  The dad was a real do it yourselfer.  He added a whole illegal back section to their house, with two bedrooms upstairs and a living space downstairs, by himself, without permits.  He just figured they needed it so he was going to do it.  Not a trivial project!  He also worked on the family car and appliances.
6.  When the daughter my age talked about religion to me, it was Mary she told stories about, never God or Jesus or any Bible stories.

7.  I don't remember being particularly aware of their First Communions, but I do recall seeing racks of gorgeous, very ornate, wedding dress-ish white dresses for little girls in the stores, and wanting one because they were so fancy, and my mother telling me that they were not for us because we were not Catholic.  They had wide skirts and a lot of decorative lace and pearly beads.
8.  The church was old enough not to have much parking, so they had a wink/nod agreement that cars could double park on Sundays during mass on the street in front.  Looking back on it, this required a fair amount of patience--those who got their early were completely parked in and couldn't leave until others did. 
9.  Around St. Patrick's Day each year, (he being the patron saint of Ireland), the church painted over the center divider in the street in front, changing it from yellow to green, and also painted a big green shamrock right in the middle of the street in front of the church.
10.  The church also sponsored bingo nights as fundraisers every Saturday evening.

This was all during the 1960s to early 1970s.

 

[bensonduck]

Another important detail about our faith. An observant Catholic likely would go to confession (also called Reconciliation). This is where the person goes before a priest to confess sins and the priest asks God to forgive their sins and gives the person a penance (often a series of prayers) to do. Many churches have weekly Reconciliation times where priests are available. For certain serious kinds of sins, one needs to go to confession before receiving the Eucharist.

 

Oh, and we also need to fast before receiving Communion.

[Violet Crown]

Remember that Catholicism, like any religion, is very inculturated. Most of the things you ask about are matters of Catholic cultural life and so likely to be different in other countries. Many answers you've gotten are very specific to Anglo US Mainstream Catholicism.

 

I've seen in a documentary where a Catholic parent says a prayer and makes the sign of the cross over their child in the morning before school? Is this something a lot of parents would do for their kids, and does it have a name?

Blessings are given to children, even adult children, by parents, grandparents, or godparents, making the sign of the cross on their forehead with one's thumb. I bless my children when I put them to bed or when I or they are about to leave home on a long trip.

 

The beads that some Catholics wear--do they pray with them daily and what would be some prayers that a observant/devout Catholic would pray throughout their day/week?

Among Anglo Catholics in the US, wearing a rosary on one's neck is considered disrepectful; however in Texas, Hispanic men often wear them and it's not considered disrespectful. Many of us do try to pray the rosary daily.

 

Catholics are supposed to pray at regular times during the day, particularly at rising (the Morning Offering) and going to bed, and before (and sometimes after) meals. The Angelus prayer is prayed at morning, noon, and evening; our family prays it at noon. You can find standard forms of these prayers on-line.

 

Confirmation and Communion--can you explain these two me, briefly. Would a 13yo have recieved/done them(both) already? (Assume said child has been in a Catholic school all her life, is raised by an observant, Catholic mom, in a predominantly Catholic area so it would have been done "on time", whatever that means.) I vaguely remember someone IRL telling me that it happened in 8th grade at their Catholic school, but some online research mentioned doing it at 7 years old. Am I confusing the two? Which should happen first?

It's hard to give a short explanation of these: Confirmation and the Eucharist (communion) are two of the seven sacraments, which are means given by Christ to the Church by which the faithful receive grace. Wikipedia is probably helpful.

 

The ages of Confirmation and first reception of the Eucharist vary greatly according to country. Bishops of a diocese set the guidelines, though most bishops follow the guidelines of their country's bishops' conference. In the US the usual age for first communion is about 7; however eastern rite Catholics in the US and elsewhere usually receive both sacraments, together with baptism, in infancy. Confirmation in the US is generally in the teen years, in some dioceses as late as 16. In Scotland, first communicants are confirmed also at the age of 7; so you might Google the ages in Ireland.

 

Also, how often does the Communion happen? I read a few articles about "the First Communion", so the very name implies that there would be, ya know a 2nd, 3rd,...Nth Communion, but I can't find a schedule about them. When would you take your last Communion?

Most practicing Anglo Catholics in the US receive communion every time they go to mass. One is only to receive if one is in a state of grace (that is, has not committed any unconfessed mortal sins), has observed the pre-communion fast, and is in a fit state to receive (has made some spiritual preparation). Hispanic US Catholics are less likely to go forward automatically for communion when at mass; I gather this is the case in many other countries.

 

(ETA: On re-reading, this sounded judgmental. It's not meant to; it's just a cultural difference.)

 

Catholics can, and some do, receive communion daily.

 

You would receive communion for the last time as part of the Last Rites, a sacrament administered (hopefully) when a Catholic is near death.

 

Would a Catholic church host a Mass everyweek? (I'm sure that question is really stupid to someone who knows the answer.) and would an observant Catholic attend everyweek, or only on certain occassions?

Yes, and yes. Mass must be attended on all Sundays and holy days of obligation (like tomorrow!).

 

About how long does Mass or a Catholic church service last?

A Sunday mass will generally last anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the longwindedness of the priest, the kind of mass, the patience of the congregation, and the tightness of the scheduling in a busy parish with lots of masses.

 

What language would Mass most likely be hosted in the state of California? English, right?

Probably English, but depending on the community, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, or even Latin.

 

I've been reading articles on Wikipedia and from Catholic.com but I'm still a little unsure.

Good for you for doing research. It's a big subject!

[AimeeM]

Another important detail about our faith. An observant Catholic likely would go to confession (also called Reconciliation). This is where the person goes before a priest to confess sins and the priest asks God to forgive their sins and gives the person a penance (often a series of prayers) to do. Many churches have weekly Reconciliation times where priests are available. For certain serious kinds of sins, one needs to go to confession before receiving the Eucharist.

 

Oh, and we also need to fast before receiving Communion.

Yes, and beyond the weekly confession times, most parishes also offer "confession on demand", lol - wherein you can call the parish office and ask for a private one-on-one whenever necessary.

[Violet Crown]

Last Rifes isn't called that. It's the Annointing of the sick and you don't need to be near death or dying. It's not a one off.

 

And tomorrow isn't obligatory.

 

Also in 40 years I have never attended a two hour mass except on easter vigil

You're right, Epiphany isn't a day of obligation. My mistake.

 

Last Rites is indeed called that. Extreme Unction (Anointing) is part of the Last Rites. I should have been more exact and explained that communion (viaticum) is received as part of the Last Rites, which strictly speaking is three sacraments in one rite. However I was using the terminology as it's generally, if not precisely, used.

 

I didn't say it was a one-off, nor did I imply it could not be received on other occasions. I was answering the question asked.

 

I have attended many two-hour masses. However my regular Sunday mass is usually only an hour and a half. How different people's experiences can be.

[Violet Crown]

Last Rites is an archaic term no longer in common use.

It is the correct term: a dying or seriously ill person receives the Last Rites, which include the Anointing, but also Confession and Viaticum. A prisoner about to be executed receives the Last Rites, which do not include in that case Anointing. It would be absurd to call what he received "Anointing of the Sick."

 

The term is familiar and frequently used. I hear it used by both Catholics and non-Catholics. The OP was asking how normal Catholics would actually speak, not how Chancery officials and RCIA teams insist that Catholics speak.

 

Calandalsmom, forgive me if I am mistaking your tone, but this seems to be very important to you, for reasons unclear to me but which I am worried threaten to derail the thread from the OP's questions. Perhaps it should be taken to private discussion?

[Murphy101]

It is the correct term: a dying or seriously ill person receives the Last Rites, which include the Anointing, but also Confession and Viaticum. A prisoner about to be executed receives the Last Rites, which do not include in that case Anointing. It would be absurd to call what he received "Anointing of the Sick."

 

The term is familiar and frequently used. I hear it used by both Catholics and non-Catholics. The OP was asking how normal Catholics would actually speak, not how Chancery officials and RCIA teams insist that Catholics speak.

 

Calandalsmom, forgive me if I am mistaking your tone, but this seems to be very important to you, for reasons unclear to me but which I am worried threaten to derail the thread from the OP's questions. Perhaps it should be taken to private discussion?

I agree with both your last two posts and think they were clear and accurate. And in your perspective of the tone.

[Murphy101]

Annointing of the sick is the appropriate term. I'm not sure why my pointing this out is bothersome.

 

In the case of a death row inmate it may be for spiritual or mental illness if not physical.

It was petty and not an absolute and nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking.

 

If I'm visiting someone at the hospital and find they are dying, I'm going to call for last rites and it is unlikely anyone is going to be even slightly confused about what I'm talking about whether they are catholic or not.

 

Same is true of a soldier getting last rites before heading into a war zone.

 

No priest is going to act confused or annoyed or like it is being called the wrong thing. He is going to know exactly what is being asked of him and one would hope swiftly provide it as best he can.

 

If a soldier told his superiors he needed annointing of the sick before heading out, they'd likely be confused.

 

So yes, especially for a novel's purpose, "last rites" is both an accurate and realistic term.

 

Good grief.

[LucyStoner]

Annointing of the sick is done with reconciliation and holy communion. Annointing of the sick used to be called extreme unction before Vatican II. All three of those rites/sacraments given at the same time to a dying person was generally called the last rites, and sometimes some people still use the term for all three of those things together, not for annointing of the sick alone. Because there is more than one sacrament people need before they die. For the life of me I can't figure out why it would be unacceptable to say last rites.

 

The priest from my then parish who visited my mother everyday in her last weeks at hospice was bringing her Eucharist and praying with her but it's not like he had any idea when that very last time would be, you know?

[Twolittleboys]

I had no idea tht correct terminology is considered nitpicky.

 

Of course there is nothing wrong with correct terminology but for the purposes of a novel it seems quite appropriate to use expressions commonly used (even if they are not quite correct). Obviously, several board members would call it Last Rites so there is no reason people in a book shouldn't (I realize that this probably won't even be mentioned in the story).

 

Anyway, things can be quite different depending on where you live. I have been Catholic my entire life (including religious education is school) and so much I hear mentioned here is completely new to me. Catholic teachings here have quite a liberal slant, partly from necessity. I realize that means they are not quite in accordance with official rules but they are a fact.

[brehon]

<snip>

 

Also in 40 years I have never attended a two hour mass except on easter vigil

The Mass my family attends (an NO Mass) regularly lasts at least an hour and fifteen minutes. We're usually rushing out as the Spanish Mass folks are rushing in.

 

Not better or worse, just different.

[JFSinIL]

Oh, in our neck of the woods, we also have Mass in Polish.  ;-)  

 

One of my SILs is a Dominican Sister (don't call them nuns!).  My in-laws were very devout. My FIL once got mistaken for the Pope (they were visiting a friend, Father Sparks, who was working at the Vatican and gave them a "backstage" tour. Then he led them out a door at the side of the alter to get seating for Mass...my silver-haired FIL was mistaken for Pope John Paul for a few moments "Papa! Papa!"  )

 

I'd run your story past a local Catholic once it is done, to check for any errors re: religion.  :-)

[Carol in Cal.]

Hopefully the OP won't put that nonsense in the book.

What a rude comment.

You have a lot of nerve calling affectionate and accurate observations 'nonsense'.

[Guest]

What a rude comment.

You have a lot of nerve calling affectionate and accurate observations 'nonsense'.

Well, your list does include several stereotypes that most Catholics don't care for. But, she could have disagreed with you in a kinder way.

[8circles]

Well, I can only speak for myself, but stuff like #6 just perpetuates the stereotype that we worship Mary. It's quite exhausting to hear over and over.

 

But if that's her experience...?

 

Goodness, my experience is very similar to Carol's so I can attest that it isn't nonsense.  She isn't saying it's an accurate reflection of Catholic doctrine but it is her experience nonetheless.

[Carol in Cal.]

They are observations, not statements of belief.  I know what the Catholic church officially teaches, and I have also observed what these particular neighbors, who I lived next door to for over a decade, said and did.  The fact that those two contradict each other does not make the observation untrue.  It's an observation, not a revision of doctrine or whatever.

 

I even said that I did not believe what the girl quote her mother as saying about baptism.  Sheesh.

[8circles]

 

2.  I visited shortly after a baby was born, and the daughter who was my age (9 or so) cautioned me not to touch the baby because he had not been baptized yet, so he was unclean and therefore dangerous, according to her mother.  (I take this with a grain of salt, but that is what she said.  Honestly, I doubt that her mom really said that.)

 

 

Obviously I don't know if the mom actually said that but this belief wasn't unusual in "the old country" but it was across religions.  So I wouldn't be surprised if she did say it.

[Guest]

But if that's her experience...?

 

Goodness, my experience is very similar to Carol's so I can attest that it isn't nonsense. She isn't saying it's an accurate reflection of Catholic doctrine but it is her experience nonetheless.

But, random peoples experience of Catholics wasn't the question.

 

It would be like if someone asked Jehovah's Witnesses a question and I responded, "They are always knocking on my door at the worst times!!" My experience but not a good answer to the question.

[8circles]

But, random peoples experience of Catholics wasn't the question.

 

It would be like if someone asked Jehovah's Witnesses a question and I responded, "They are always knocking on my door at the worst times!!" My experience but not a good answer to the question.

 

Well, "at the worst times" is subjective so that's not an accurate comparison.  There is certainly a significant number of people who have the same experience with JW's coming to the door of people who were uninterested, so If the OP were asking about JW's, I think that would be a relevant experience to mention.

 

Carol's experiences are not unusual in my world at all, by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike and it isn't considered nonsense to mention it.  It is what a large & significant portion of people in this country have experienced.

[unsinkable]

But, random peoples experience of Catholics wasn't the question.

 

It would be like if someone asked Jehovah's Witnesses a question and I responded, "They are always knocking on my door at the worst times!!" My experience but not a good answer to the question.

:lol:

 

"Hey, Catholics, I have a question..."

 

"Well, I'm not Catholic but..." proceeds to answer question incorrectly and post is subsequently "liked" by at least a half dozen people.

 

If I had a nickel for every post like that, I'd take your mother, Dorothy Mantooth, out for a nice seafood dinner.

[Deee]

I grew up in an Australian Catholic family, from Irish stock. I went to Catholic schools run by Irish nuns from primary to high school. I have never seen a parent bless a child. Irish Catholics do not wear Rosary beads : they carry them. Each bead represents a prayer, and the beads function as counters. Getting around the whole Rosary takes a while, especially if you are concentrating. Many people stop at a decat. The Rosary is a prayer to Our Lady, not because Catholics worship her, but because, as the mother of Christ, she has the ability to intercede on the pray-ers behalf. It has particular resonnance with women.

 

Children make three sacraments (there are 7 in all). In the 70's we made our first confession at age 7. It was a big deal. I spent weeks cataloguing sins! A few months later we made our First Holy Communion (Catholics will string that together so it sounds like one word). The girls all wore white dresses, white shoes and veils (I still have my dress - its has outlasted my faith. Its beautiful). It was a pretty big day. We were photographed with a statue of Our Lady and had a party in the Church Hall. Our Confirmation happened in 4thGrade. I was 9. It now happens much later. Its the adult acknowledgement of faith, a receiving of the Holy Spirit. We wore our school uniforms and, because we were between Bishops, had the beloved Cardinal Bede do the honours. We were threatened with death if there was any funny business in front of him. Weeks of school time was spent preparing. We had to choose a saint to add to our name. Another celebration in the Church Hall.

 

Communion is given at every Mass, and is the culminating point. Mass generally takes an hour. The Easter Vigil is a night service on Easter Saturday and always seemed to take the better part of a week (sorry- I was always starving during the Vigil). If you go to the Vigil, you can miss the Easter Sunday Mass, which is helpful if you have two sets of relatives in visit. We don't fast before communion in Australia. We still use the term "Last Rites". My grandfather received the Last Rites 7 times.

 

Irish Catholics can be quite superstitious and it would be worth talking to an Irish family to get some info. Its hard to seperate the religion from the culture. I'm no help there: my mothers family were devout rather than superstitious, and my father superstitions all came from his Scottish mother.

 

Good on you for trying to get accurate info. Just please don't make her a eldest of 9! Its a terrible stereotype. Most of my friends only had one or two siblings, and I'm an only child!

[Murphy101]

Also the question was specificly, what would a observant catholic likely be doing.

 

Many holy days are not actually day of obligation, but as far as observant practicing catholics go, they are still a foregone might as well be days of obligations.

 

Examples of such type very common/popular days treated by the laity as days of obligation would be:

 

Ash Wednesday

Epiphany

Our Lady of Guadalupe (in states)

St Patrick (in Ireland)

All Souls

The feast date of their patron saint

Corpus Christi

[Deee]

Ash Wednesday is a Holy Day of Obligation here

D

[scholastica]

Ash Wednesday is a Holy Day of Obligation here

D

No, it's not http://www.cam.org.au/Catholic-Faith/Church-Teaching/Articles/Article/732/the-precepts-of-the-church

According to the Archdiocese of Melbourne, only Christmas and Assumption are holy days in Australia.

[Murphy101]

No, it's not http://www.cam.org.au/Catholic-Faith/Church-Teaching/Articles/Article/732/the-precepts-of-the-church

According to the Archdiocese of Melbourne, only Christmas and Assumption are holy days in Australia.

Yep. But proves my point perfectly. ;D