There are seven Blessed Sacraments in Catholicism. I've experienced 5 so far(Baptism, Communion, Penance, Confirmation and Matrimony), but the last two (Holy Orders and Last Rites) are not ones that I wish to be around for anytime soon. Here is the Ave Maria Gift Shop on Stevens Avenue. The last time I was here a few years ago, J- and I were looking for St. Christopher medals. My good friends, Buddy and Skipper, lived in this house in the 50s and 60s. It felt kind of strange standing looking at medals in display cases in what was once their living room. Communion dresses for sale? I wondered where the girls got those perfectly white dresses. And where Mom and Dad shopped for my white suits for my First Communion and Confirmation, I have no idea. With Catholic churches St. Peters, St. Patricks, St. Josephs, St. Dominics and the Cathedral, all celebrating these rites of Catholic passage in the city proper each year, there must have been shops set aside for these religious fashions. I still have a picture in one of many photo albums of me marching in to St. Joseph's Church next to my friend Rocco on our way to be confirmed. I remember that day and the Confirmation breakfast that followed in the school hall like it happened yesterday. As I recall, the menu was a glass of juice, a small carton of white milk and an individual box of sugared cornflakes, served by overweight grandmothers in aprons. It was a special time.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Blessed 7
There are seven Blessed Sacraments in Catholicism. I've experienced 5 so far(Baptism, Communion, Penance, Confirmation and Matrimony), but the last two (Holy Orders and Last Rites) are not ones that I wish to be around for anytime soon. Here is the Ave Maria Gift Shop on Stevens Avenue. The last time I was here a few years ago, J- and I were looking for St. Christopher medals. My good friends, Buddy and Skipper, lived in this house in the 50s and 60s. It felt kind of strange standing looking at medals in display cases in what was once their living room. Communion dresses for sale? I wondered where the girls got those perfectly white dresses. And where Mom and Dad shopped for my white suits for my First Communion and Confirmation, I have no idea. With Catholic churches St. Peters, St. Patricks, St. Josephs, St. Dominics and the Cathedral, all celebrating these rites of Catholic passage in the city proper each year, there must have been shops set aside for these religious fashions. I still have a picture in one of many photo albums of me marching in to St. Joseph's Church next to my friend Rocco on our way to be confirmed. I remember that day and the Confirmation breakfast that followed in the school hall like it happened yesterday. As I recall, the menu was a glass of juice, a small carton of white milk and an individual box of sugared cornflakes, served by overweight grandmothers in aprons. It was a special time.
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Wonderful memories... I can relate to feeling odd in a familiar place...
ReplyDeleteThough I'm living in a catholic country, there are not so many gift shops of that kind. And most of them are a part of a church. In Roma, there are such shops at every streets corners!
ReplyDeleteHow weird it must be to choose medals in your friend's former house..
Ah, I have a few of these in ultra-Catholic Versailles... Reading your blog is like being in a wonderful time capsule!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ciel, time capsule. This took me back to the many trips with my mother visiting these Catholic gift shops. I was always amazed and wanted little rosaries, statues, prayer books. I visited one a few years ago and felt the same awe.
ReplyDeleteThat would be strange shopping in a former friend's house.
ReplyDeleteI think Catholic's have it all over we protestant's in emphasizing and making a big deal out of things like confirmation and first communion. I think making the memories special is important.
made me laugh. i remember those Catholic rites well. altho i don't practice any longer, the rituals are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm not Catholic---but in my Methodist tradition, Confirmation was an important day also. I remember when my sons were Confirmed in the church.. They didn't wear white (like the girls wore), but they did wear new blue suits with ties... Very important day in their lives --and mine.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Sunday.
Betsy
Once again your words have stirred up some memories for me. I did wear one of those white dresses and I had no idea where my mother purchased it. I can hear the sound of all our new shoes clicking and clacking on the brick street in front of the church.
ReplyDeleteThese rites of passage were so important! My mother made my white communion dress as did most of the mothers of my friends. In our small town of Algoma, Wi had no religious stores, but each dress was individual and worn with pride!
ReplyDeleteI love your description of that breakfast :)
ReplyDeleteStunning to me that you remember that breakfast. Thanks to your words, I can see you there.
ReplyDeleteBirdman -- you paint such warm pictures of family and childhood -- barbara
ReplyDeleteWell, there's nothing wrong with your memory. Except...are you sure it was cornflakes and not Wheaties?
ReplyDeleteI'd guess you live in a very Catholic town!
My Mum always made my dresses for such events. I always have a St Christopher medal on me somewhere - not taking any chances.
ReplyDeleteSweet memories. I always enjoy reading them.
ReplyDeleteInteresting shopping trip. St. Christopher medals? Was someone going on a long trip?
ReplyDeleteBeware overweight grandmothers in aprons. They want you to eat more and more.
Just today I asked someone if they remembered "plastic Jesus'" on the dashboard or was it St. Christophers????
ReplyDeleteV
It would seriously disturb me to walk into the living room of what used to be a friend's house and find it full of Catholic giftwares.
ReplyDeleteWe both had Catholic themes today, and I'm not even Catholic!