I also attended CCS and talk about the pagan babies all the time and the Lenten booklets where you saved dimes. I had several, actually all girls named Mary, of course." Each in his or her own way has been a missionary of the Gospel of Christ. We can smile at it now at perhaps how silly it was, Father Small said. He said the priest paused and said, Uh, son, you need to talk to your nun about that in catechism class. When we got five dollars the children would pick a name for the pagan baby, send the five dollars to the priest at the mission who would snatch the baby from an eternity of suffering and baptize it with the name we sent along. Father Andrew Small, O.M.I., national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies and host of the evening, welcomes the archbishop. My friend Sue, a Lutheran by way of Methodism cant get head around buying pagan babies. 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.. DUDE! Pingback: A Poor Church For the Poor | Vox Nova, Pingback: Remembering a Different A-to-Z Challenge | No Facilities, This was too much fun. He could go home , buy his kids new bikes if he wanted to , and come back at the end of two weeks to collect the cash . That bring back memories!" Then I could choose the bike I wanted . The campaign will celebrate the legacy of love and support the program offered, and recall the babies with whom American children once connected through the Holy Childhood Association. Youre too late. - Mary A. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization Yesit must have been everywhere even Deer Lodge, Montana where I went to Catholic School. Pagan babies may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families. I went to a Catholic grade school from 1984 to 1994 and have never heard the term. ), and its name was even weirder - it was collect money to feed . What did they really think about it ? 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. But for five dollars we could play Name That Pagan Baby . Remember Pagan Babies? Yeah! Stories ensued. These babies, we were told, didnt know God. 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. Oh my, what a great story. Anyone have proof the Catholic Church ( the dedicated Nuns ) were able to get the pagan baby money to its intended recipients? I don't know how this actually worked, and where the money really went, and if actual infants were handed over at some mission across the globe. I also remember buying 10 cent stamps that went into a book. End of March we usually plant or seed our wishes for the year. We went to Blessed Sacrament Grade School in LaCrosse and pagan baby buying was fierce and rampant; Within grades, boy / girl and between grades. 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. 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. But , heres the thing : When the class had five dollars then that class got to name a pagan baby . Should they be angry or should they just feel anguish for the sorry state of the religion these days ? The idea was to collect money from students , nickels and dimes , for charity . I have been searching for a pagan baby box for 30 years, any idea where I can find one ? I too went to Catholic School in CA, and we definitely collected money for the Pagan babies. We did that too. Or maybe Pagan Babies: and Other Catholic Memories. Coins. 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. I also remember a certain boy who came from a wealthier family who could buy his own pagan baby. "I named my Pagan Baby Patrick. As I write this I still feel the hurt and frustration 50 years later. Thanks for the comment . Back in the 1950s and early-1960s, and I pictured the dozens of Karens I had saved growing up safely somewhere in Africa. It seems hard to believe, but according to the National At every Catholic school in those days were I remember my Grandparents joking about it in the '70s. adoption pledge. I still say none of that money ever got beyond the archdiocese downtown , certificate or no certificate . I attended St. Judes Grade School in Detroit, Michigan (1958 to 1966) and as I recall Pagan Babies were a big thing. While the circumstances, the cost, and the rewards varied from parish to parish, most Catholic children of the 1960s saved at least one pagan baby. What exactly we learned from this could be disputed. Had more than one Jewish family in Brentwood slam their door me. 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. There was something he needed to know . Im a veteran of catholic school and I remember so well about the pagan stories and purgatory, limbo and so on. But, in fact, the entire program was rooted in a sense of solidarity and charity in the broadest understanding of the word. Premium Powerups . 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. The money collected in the United States went to help feed, clothe and educate them. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, retired Archbishop of Washington; best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark; and television commentator Larry Kudlow were each named 2012 Pontifical Ambassadors for Mission. Thanks for your thoughtful comment . I went to Marymount Jr. School (on Sunset) and we were all sent home to canvas the neighborhood in Brentwood for heavens sake, to sell pagan babies! Shop high-quality t-shirts, masks, onesies, and hoodies for the perfect gift. sacraments. How many people who raised their hands the first time were still in contact with their pagan babies? Drawing its title from Hinckle's parochial education in San Francisco's Sunset District, "Ransoming Pagan Babies: The Selected Writings of Warren Hinckle" released by Berkeley nonprofit. Congratulations for moving on and helping children in other countries. For those dying without baptism, however, the Catholic Church teaches us to hope in God. Sometimes, I was that girl. "We can smile at it now at perhaps how silly it was," Father Small said. My first lessons in social justice came through saving pagan babies. Some had a lot more than others. Boys usually purchased boys, and girls purchased girls. "Wasn't there a bridge we had to get them over. Thanks for commenting. It wasnt a huge effort at our school, Christ the King in Pleasant Hill, CA, and im sure i sold very few as my parents were not very supportive of that kind of fundraising. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. My allowance was 25 cents a week . I went to Catholic grade school at St. Amelias for 8 years. Some Irish nuns were there one day to speak to the students . Thanks for your comment . I would hope that the Catholic schools are more sophisticated too . Does ANYONE know where the money did go? By the way , I was born in SF . I had my little yellow UNICEF box, and they asked if it was for the Pagan Babies. What do we do , Sister , what do we do ? If my parents would only let me go to public school, the church might have had another nun. They were befuddled . Saving Pagan Babies occurred during a simpler And then she went down to the school and repossed those things. We all worked hard to buy four boy pagan babies so we could name them John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The teachers all smiled . 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.. RENEE! 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. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Gal 3:27). - Ann C. Thanks for checking out my blog about my fathers WWII service on the PT boats. We boys , I think , had a sense of accomplishment somehow because even though he had been caught Cary still had the satisfaction of knowing that a pagan would go through life named Herman because of him . And then I asked some of my school friends on Facebook if they remembered and none did. But I assured her that my Karen went straight to heavenMonsignor had said so and celebrated a Mass of the angels in white vestments rather than the usual funeral Mass in her honor. He didnt say that the big winner was the salesman himself , who had spent only a couple of hours with the principal and with the students but now had three hundred children who would be desperately trying to sell his candy for the next two weeks . Sure would love to hear from anyone that remembers. Band Name!! Already he was losing his enthusiasm . And then the certificate was put up above the chalkboard. Yes, as a lesson for us to be generous the Pagan Babies idea may well have been beneficial . I thought they would all come in a box and be distributed at the end of the school year. Charlie had a question for the missionary nuns , too . - Nancy K. They were called pagan babies, certainly not the most sensitive appellation and one that would never be used today. We had Dominican Nuns. Along with the Pagan babies does anyone remember selling books of small stamps people could use on envelopes? Read 283 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Philadelphia 76ers Premier League UFC. Now they're in together for a bigger payoff than either could finagle alone. "Pagan Babies": Orphan Imagery in the Passionist China Collection and the Emergence of American Sympathy for the Chinese in the Early Twentieth Century Margaret Kuo Published 3 July 2019 History The Chinese Historical Review . An interactive Web site will feature video interviews with some of the former pagan babies, now nuns, priests and catechists carrying on the Lords work in their homelands. Pagan babies are certainly a unique experience us Catholic schoolkids share! ( Sorry for the delay. Oh, yes, I remember raising money to save pagan babies. For every $10.00 collected you got name the baby. Each was presented with a medallion featuring a representation of the Papal Keys. The rice they used was really good which I think defeated the purpose since a lot of kids looked forward to it, myself included. Small world. We were sitting on the floor anyway, but soon we were all (the Catholics) rolling on the floor laughing our heads off! Possibly the nuns coerced the kids in those classes into giving more? When the book was filled, it was turned in for a US Savings Bond. And my mother prayed. I dont remember . The price of adoption was five dollars, and Marianne Bruce is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Edgardo Gonzalez Pagan. Good hunting , though . Prizes were given if we were successful. I remember hearing the term too when I attended parochial school (mid 1960s), but by then it had been replaced by the UNICEF boxes. If you know tell me . Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? Just saw this very entertaining thread. It is Catholic mission crowd-funding,making it easy to support those givingspiritual and material comfort to the sufferingand marginalized . The teacher lobbied for her but I still refused . Those who would like to know what became of their pagan babies will get a chance to find out when Pontifical Mission Societies formally launches its Great Works Campaign in the coming months. an Irish name?" 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. A freshly sprung ex-con turned stand-up comic, Debbie needs some fast cash, too, to settle an old score. If you want, you can contact the director of music programming at Hawaiian Public Radio, and ask him if hes still using it, though. 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? In my class at St. Amelias school in Tonawanda, NY, we collected nickels and dimes in a cigar box to buy a pagan baby. I used to take my dads loose change 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. 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 . Sometimes disabilities don't fall along "guidelines" and some people just need a little extra help. (There were a lot of Christines then for some reason it was the favorite name of a lot of the girls). I went to catholic school the same time you did. Remember the "Pagan Babies"? EDIT: On second thoughts, I think that was **not **an official school thing, but kids bringing in this charity appeal from their church thing. or school. a Pagan Baby but lost touch. Here is Sister Mary Michael Archangel giving medicine to the pagans . We were never quite sure what a pagan was . It sure wouldnt work on the savvy kids of today. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become Remember what he said? Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Reading this article and all of the comments has brought tears to my eyes Im laughing so hard. You stir up a lot of old memories for me , too . There have to be plenty of them around somewhere . Thanks for a trip down memory lane and validating my recollection. In Common Good Constitutionalism, Adrian Vermeule argues with straw men and cites blog posts. Every month after the money was collected, a students name was "randomly"picked out of a bag with the chosen name becoming the "Pagan Baby of the Month.". Charlie waited for an adequate answer . Somewhere in the beachhead dump of stuff I call a filing system I have an adoption certificate which states that our class rescued some poor benighted child from the toils of Satan. EIN 27-4581132 The students were raring and ready to go sell the candy and get the prizes . 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. The book may rally his followers, but it wont add to their number. 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. PJ. You didnt buy one with the $5.00. 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!!! pagan babies When I attended Corpus Christi Catholic School in the 1950s and 1960s there was a program we all called Pagan Babies . 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 . Each classroom was given small cardboard collection boxes . Charlie Bloomquist , of course , had a question . I actually went to St Charles, but attended Corpus Cristi mass once in awhile. I told some Catholic friends about collecting money for Pagan Babies at Dover (Ohio) St. Josephs and they had never heard of such a thing but Im sure we did it. When I gave my pennies to the missions, I could make a difference. Diane, None of my non-Catholic friends ever believed my pagan baby stories, either. Im not sure at this point for whom we were collecting I supposed it could have been UNICEF, or perhaps a Catholic charity. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the 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.. "I remember donations that were not enough to "buy" a whole baby we're combined and the Many of those kids still have their adoption certificate, like Bob Sometimes the girls in one class would be pitted against the boys : Who could collect the money to name the pagan baby first ? 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. I could change the world. Pagan babies may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families. . Simone Weil went into the factory to find out more about the social conditions of the modern worker in capitalism. Aiden/ Aidan: Is of Celtic, which means "little fire." Alun: Alun means "harmony." Albus: This name means "white." Steve, Thanks for the kind comment . I also seem to recall mention of it in some dimly remembered memoir I read years ago about growing up catholic. Im still a San Franciscan, but boy has everything changed. In A.D. 381, the early Church Fathers wrote in the Nicene Creed, "We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.". St. Paul noted that baptism replaces circumcision and circumcision was for infants. The principal was standing nearby wondering if he should intervene . They projected slides of their missionary adventures onto the wall of the church hall . Im glad youu got a kick out of it . Someone must have 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. I will say, Im happy I went to catholic school. But Cary was caught . The civil right movement was a much better teacher than The Catholic School system. I well remember my days as a grade schooler at St. Helenas School in Philly. I found I really did not have many skills to offer. I dont believe that UNICEF worries about saving souls. So how many pagan babies did you sell in Brentwood ? catholic school 1978-1991. How great ! time, before cynicism and political correctness found their stride. Steve Stahley. Once the amount was reached, all the names were added to the blackboard and we voted. 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