In closing, Bless the Maryknolls for the work they do in spreading the message of the Gospel! 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. We believed that somewhere in the world would be a pagan with a stupid name chosen by the silly students of Corpus Christi Catholic School . Over 50, attended Catholic schools from 1970-77 in Latin America. Remember the "Pagan Babies"? I remember someone once making a comment about that phrase, but I can't remember what it refered to. Many students adopted several All rights reserved. for missions in foreign lands. 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. Steve Stahley. I still think of those days and have many wonderful memories. How many people who raised their hands the first time were still in contact with their pagan babies? I thought they would all come in a box and be distributed at the end of the school year. When I attended Corpus Christi Catholic School in the 1950s and 1960s there was a program we all called Pagan Babies . But for five dollars we could play Name That Pagan Baby . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. Im late to this party, but want to add my two cents. OK, fair enough, it was about charity for this or that African country, but it so much stank of colonialism. Pretty danged patronizing, offensive concept it was, too. Show. Thanks for the comment . except the last. Youre welcome . I did the saving bond thing , too . I won one month & remember excitement at winning but total confusion & a sense of dread. Im sure that Beverley Anne is fine and doing well . Sold by themeekdontwantit | Ends on 2023-03-07 21:40:38. I think that the white kid had flowers in his hand and maybe a halo on his head. I still have the ransom certificate to prove it. If you register with MISSIO by noon February 2, 2017, youll be entered for a chance to join the Pontifical Mission Societies on their pilgrimage to Rome in May 2017, and an audience with Pope Francis. Take a look and see why Im so excited about this app and will be promoting it every chance I get. 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. Davey; We all worked hard to buy four boy pagan babies so we could name them John, Paul, George, and Ringo. They were befuddled . She was managing editor and co-author of Ascension Press bestselling Amazing Grace series. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. They were missionaries working somewhere in Africa . That means that many of our grandbabies are pagan babies! At first, Sister tried to dissuade me from using Karen, as this was not a name on the published roster of saints. But are those even the worthy ideals to strive toward? In Common Good Constitutionalism, Adrian Vermeule argues with straw men and cites blog posts. Yes, as a lesson for us to be generous the Pagan Babies idea may well have been beneficial . One of my fellow employees is reading a book called Pagan Babies. 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? . Congratulations for moving on and helping children in other countries. 2000 Elmore Leonard, Inc. (P)2000 Recorded Books Inc. Unabridged Audiobook. What did we kids know ! Once some missionary priest visited and told us how the communist Chinese forced chop sticks into the ears of missionary priests there. I went to Marymount Jr. School in the 60s too. Now I am teaching fourth grade in a little Catholic school in Venice . I also seem to recall mention of it in some dimly remembered memoir I read years ago about growing up catholic. The teacher had a stack of them . This is my question , said little Charlie Bloomquist to the salesman , If I wanted that bike , why wouldnt I go get a job and save my money until I could buy a bike . The problems were global, structural, and often ambiguous. So how many pagan babies did you sell in Brentwood ? A kid in my class took a five dollar bill from his mother ( without her knowledge ) and a similar result happened . I used to take my dads loose change 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. I Googled it because of my conviction that it was an acronym and I just couldnt quite figure out what the E stood for. By letting civility happen, we take better care not only of others and of the world itself, but of ourselves. Maybe it was a Toledo thing?! If you know tell me . But the pagan babies were actual children being looked after by missionary sisters, brothers and priests in their countries. It seemed like an almost daily ordeal for the class nun to individually quiz each student, asking if they had made a contribution on that particular day. I could fold bandages and scrub floors in the dispensario, change diapers and scrub floors in the orphanage, wash vestments and scrub floors in the churchyou can see the pattern. I assume that all of the other Catholic schools in the archdiocese were doing the same thing . This brings back a memory now. Thanks for your thoughtful comment . Pagan babies are certainly a unique experience us Catholic schoolkids share! Fierce competition existed between some of the nuns as to whose class had the most pagan babies. Chapter 1: Catholic Kids Make Great Faces I love the four Beatles pagan babies idea and the adultery thing ! I have my doubts that any of ours got past downtown L.A. I guess we survived . It didnt glow , but she was in a sort of a case shaped like a bullet with two doors that could close her in . Steve, Thanks for the kind comment . A collection of writing that wrestles with contemporary spirituality, within and without the doors of the church, 2023 Commonweal Magazine. , Those madcap Catholics. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Every time we got 5.00 together, we got to buy and name a pagan baby. The teachers all smiled . And my mother prayed. Anyone else do this? They also helped keep things quiet. Sorry man , no money for you . I dont remember . Five bucks sure went far in 1958! His parents cant now change the little pagans name , right ? 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 . Christians have always believed that baptism is the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Youre an idiot that is exactly what happened at my grade-school as well. Along the way, in all the villages we passed through, there were people who were full of joy to see young people. Hearts of Gold, A Gilded Age Historical Romance Series. The publics had no idea what we were talking about. The mission has a Church, Cardinal Dolan reminded his guests in his opening remarks. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Every month after the money was collected, a students name was randomlypicked out of a bag with the chosen name becoming the Pagan Baby of the Month. Certificates were horizontally displayed above the green & yellow cursive writing examples atop the blackborads. Im thinking, maybe, that I qualify as a pagan baby. I named all my pagan babies after my cousin Karen, who had died at age 2. Its a mystery! Boys usually purchased boys, and girls purchased girls. Thats 40 babies right there. My Catholic neighborhood friends and I would have a carnival like MD carnivals sponsored by Jerry Lewis. Do you know if I could list my pagan baby on my tax return as a dependent? They projected slides of their missionary adventures onto the wall of the church hall . Or maybe Pagan Babies: and Other Catholic Memories. 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. The bookstore is receiving pro bono legal services from ADF for the lawsuit. At every Catholic school in those days were collections to save unbaptized children not taught about God (Pagan Babies). In our class it was the boys vs the girls. As I write this I still feel the hurt and frustration 50 years later. You never know what I might post about next! Hello Mike. Thanks for sharing that. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. I also had a more personal reason for hitting the $5 markthe point at which you actually saved a baby and got naming rights. RENEE! Sure would love to hear from anyone that remembers. Pagan baby naming makes good memories but was , I guess , conditioning in deception . talking about!" Happy Fathers Day! When the class received the certificate the class just stoppedto think that our class really had another Pagan Baby! "I also had a Pagan Baby; I regret to say I haven't kept in touch with him." Along with the Pagan babies does anyone remember selling books of small stamps people could use on envelopes? In the background it shows mosques, pagodas, etc, all the better to drive home the horrors wed saved him from. None of my non-Catholic friends ever believed my pagan baby stories, either. Philadelphia 76ers Premier League UFC. She prayed, and she prayed, and she prayed with her rosary novena for my vocation. We maybe learned a little about giving though ? The assembly was buzzing . The salesman had charts and pictures and a poster for every classroom of the glorious prizes . Any questions ? This reading is starting to stir up memories of holy water, chapel caps, rosaries that lit up a green color in the bed at night, memorizing the Catechism in case the Arch-Bishop asked me a question at our Confirmation, being chosen to carry up the gifts, and on and on. That bring back memories!" But, in fact, the entire program was rooted in a sense of solidarity and charity in the broadest understanding of the word. God Bless you. Thanks for your comment . I could change the world. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the I cant guarantee your sanity , but Im happy to have helped . Prizes were given if we were successful. Theres the priority. Im thinking, maybe, that I qualify as a pagen baby. These babies needed to be baptized, and so they needed missionaries, and the missionaries needed money. I also remember a certain boy who came from a wealthier family who could buy his own pagan baby. When they reached $5, they then ransomed a child overseas, got a certificate and the right to name the child. 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. Remember what he said? If memory serves, it shows a black child being led by a (white) boy and girl towards a (white) Jesus, while two (white*) nuns look on approvingly. NFL NBA Megan Anderson Atlanta Hawks Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics Arsenal F.C. Seriously has anyone ever ran into a pagan baby named Herman or Mary or any other name?? or school. . Great mix of early US HC punk & the then emerging "Youth Crew" sound. Herman . Some of those Jesuits spoke directly to God . The class received a certificate for each child they named. The missionary spirit was evident as Pontifical Mission Societies honored three people at the May 2 gala. You missed the naming and the fold-out box ! 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. More and more babies are not getting baptized or raised in the faith. I went to Catholic grade school at St. Amelias for 8 years. Good hunting , though . The rice they used was really good which I think defeated the purpose since a lot of kids looked forward to it, myself included. I remember a little plastic Jesus and pencil cases . I served lunch to old people and I received so many compliments from the old people that I thought that I was a goner . EDIT: On second thoughts, I think that was **not **an official school thing, but kids bringing in this charity appeal from their church thing. Not many hands went up. 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.. Oh those Catholics had some great fund raising ideas. I hope my Pagan Baby, Elizabeth Cecilia, is alive and well. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. The Mary list is endless. The poor pagan was already named Herman , right ? Lord, LordCatholic schools. Those who would like to know what became of their pagan babies will soon get a chance to find out when Pontifical Mission Societies formally launches its Great Works Campaign in the coming months. Through their action the proclamation of the Gospel also becomes an intervention on behalf ones neighbor, justice for the poorest, possibility of education in the most remote villages, medical aid in isolated places, emancipation from poverty and rehabilitation for the marginalized, overcoming ethnic divisions and respect for life in all its stages, Archbishop Vigano said. And so I traveled to Guaymas in the Sonoran desert expecting to accomplish great things. Really thought I was saving a baby!" I think it has something to do with the "Poor starving babies overseas" that people send money to when they donate at Church, but I'm not sure. I remember those statues . But Im a bit cynical . It really didnt have anything to do with Jesus, per se. They folded out . Who could choose the most ridiculous name ? Whether or not they converted is one thing, giving up their cultural ties is quite another. Some became doctors and lawyers and schoolteachers and others became lay catechists, sisters and priests, operating clinics and schools, colleges and seminaries, Father Small explained, and let me tell you something they need your help today as much as they needed it 30 and 40 years ago. 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. It took $10.00 to save a baby. Through their action the proclamation of the Gospel also becomes an intervention on behalf ones neighbor, justice for the poorest, possibility of education in the most remote villages, medical aid in isolated places, emancipation from poverty and rehabilitation for the marginalized, overcoming ethnic divisions and respect for life in all its stages, Archbishop Vigano said. I actually went to St Charles, but attended Corpus Cristi mass once in awhile. Ah , maybe it taught us some basic values , anyway ( or maybe it screwed us up so badly that we dont even realize how much ) . I still find myself wishing THOSE people had relatively lackluster and unsuccessful lives. Im glad youu got a kick out of it . Thanks for the comment . Scotland, late 60s/early 70s, Catholic primary school (ages 5-12) we had this, only we called it something like the black baby fund, rather than pagan babies. I believe it helped me get through this crazy life :-)) And yet sometimes the answer was as simple as getting down on hands and knees to join the woman scrubbing the floor, to learn her technique and listen to her story. This made my day. My allowance was 25 cents a week . Seems like the boxes looked like animal crackers boxes . "Wasn't there a bridge we had to get them over. We thought up the stupidest , weirdest names we could manage and , as I remember, the teacher wrote that name on the box with the five dollars and it went off to the pagans . However, this 2012 article from Catholic News Service might be of interest: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1202140.htm. My first lessons in social justice came through saving pagan babies. ago. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Then Father Small asked for a second show of hands. Hopefully its from the old days. kids were allowed to give their baby a Christian name. "Me too! I found a bunch of them in my moms cedar chest she saved all of them! Glad to have confirmed this for you , John . Hosted a supper the other night for some friends from church. Names chosen for each baby were REQUIRED to be the names of bonefide saints, beatified by process through Rome. Patti Maguire Armstrong Patti Maguire Armstrong is host of the TV talk show Ladies of Another View and an award-winning author and journalist. possibly before that, the Catholic schools sponsored an ongoing drive to raise money I dont remember what exactly the certificates were certifying Im assuming that little Christine Marie had been duly baptized but I know when we were younger we were told that we were buying the pagan babies. We can smile at it now at perhaps how silly it was, Father Small said. Of course, the prizes helped. Jump forward to 1980 . Kind of a weird experience when we look back on it , eh ? I wonder if the students understood anything through the Irish accents . It was boy versus girl Marymount ? Did the Catholic Schools consider Jewish People Pagans? With touching little pictures of hungry children. Bingo, and thanks. It is so very true the whole Pagan baby scam my mom complained to the principal about how us kids were made to feel guilty for not coming up with the cash every day some of the richer kids would buy 10s of these Pagan babies I think we came close to sponsoring an entire small tribe in those days, Funny as hell reading this story great memories! We would use the proceeds to buy pagan babies. Happy to know I am still sane. We'd all suggest names, and then vote for the one we liked best. Thanks for the comment . Were they some mythic group like the starving kids in China, Hungary, Elsewhere who would have been happy to have your brussels sprouts? The idea was to collect money from students , nickels and dimes , for charity . Ah , yeah . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Yeah , a few days later . He didnt mention that 60% of the profits went to the promotion company . On the other hand, the central charitable action of my generationsaving and naming pagan babieswas clearly a fiction (I mourn those African Karens), one that reinforced my American sense of exceptionalism and arrogance. And of course, she knew that no pagan baby was coming to stay at 159 Findlay Avenue, no matter what I said. Someone nees to buy Charlie a shiny bike. *One of them may have been slightly Asian, but that was pushing things in those days. This is such a funny story to me, I also went to Catholic School in the sixties and I remember raising money for the Pagan babies I dont remember what prizes do we got or anything but now my daughter who is 35 was talking about how Catholics or Pagan worshippers. Christianity is significantly losing members. Im thinking that was awful high up for our Sister, so maybe the janitor had to do it for us. We had Dominican Nuns. Sports. In Scotland, around 1966 or so, there was something similar in primary school (which one attends from age approx 5 to approx 12, and this school was not R.C. When did this extremely non-PC term stop being used? I remember the little cardboard boxes and wanting to saving the poor pagan babies. Remember JMJ ? Oh, yes, I remember raising money to save pagan babies. adoption pledge. I had my little yellow UNICEF box, and they asked if it was for the Pagan Babies. I stole your Money so that I could lend it back to You and Tim with Interest!!!!!!!!! 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