Before he met my mom, my dad was in the seminary studying to become a Catholic priest. But, like most young college students, he ended up changing his major which soon led to my life being created once my parents got married. Little did I know, though, that I was being born into an extremely religious family and that my life would be a little different from all the other kids on the playground. Being raised as a Catholic is super common, but some families are a little more firm than others when it comes to practicing their religion. My family was one of them.
1. Sleepovers on Saturday Nights Were Forbidden
Attending mass each Sunday morning was not a topic up for discussion. As a kid, being forced to sit through an hour of singing and listening to the Bible was basically torture, but I soon realized that I had no other choice and it probably wasn't the worst thing in the world. But as I got older and my sleep schedule changed, waking up for mass on Sunday mornings created one too many fights to get out of my comfy bed. Most of my friends' parents didn't force them to go to church once they got to high school, but to my parents, church was the most important thing. I tried everything in the book to get out of attending, but even being on crutches didn't make the cut.
2. Holy Days of Obligation Were Not Optional
Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, and dozens of other holy days included an extra hour (or more) of sitting through mass.
3. Prayers Before Meals Were Never Forgotten
We had family meals about 5 nights out of the week, but no one had better put any type of food into their mouths before Grace was recited. Our school also decided to teach all the students prayers in Spanish so that became a common routine as well. I can spit out "En el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del EspÃritu Santo, Amen," faster than the alphabet.
4. Being an Alter Server Was the "Cool Thing" to Do
Like a sports team or a club, being behind the scenes at mass was a super cool experience and made sitting through mass each week a bit easier. You got to help out the priest and sit up on the alter and act like a cool kid for an hour each week. The best part was when there was a funeral or wedding during school and you got picked to leave class to serve the ceremony. #PerksOfBeingAnAlterServer
5. Private Catholic Schooling is No Joke
All those strict rules you see in the movies about nuns is not exaggerated one bit. (Think: Ms. Tenchbull from "Matilda" but more holy.) No nail polish, no dangly earrings, dress shoes only with knees covered at all times was absolutely required. If any of these were neglected, students stayed after school and helped the teachers clean the classrooms.
6. My First Communion Party was Bigger Than My Graduation Party
In second grade, I made my First Holy Communion which was a common cause for celebration. My parents bought brand new furniture and catered tons of amazing food for the occasion. Hundreds of my friends and family members showed up and showered me with expensive gifts for my newest accomplishment. Once my turn was up, every year when May rolled around became known as First Communion Season. Each weekend of the month consisted of party-hopping to multiple different houses to celebrate friends and families First Communion's. (Party hopping=tons of delicious free food. )
7. Crucifixes Hung In Every Room of the House
Some families have candles, wreaths, or clocks that are common in their houses. Multiple crucifixes hung in each room of our house and, whether they were from a different country or a different era, every one of them had a different meaning.
8. Bibles Were Common As Well
In the bathroom, dining room, bedrooms, etc. And they were always opened to the correct Readings each day. Instead of reading the paper or watching the news, my dad would wake up with a cup of coffee and walk around to adjust the Bible in each room of the house.
9. Many Conversations Led to References of Bible Verses
If I had a problem with my friends or teachers, many times references to the Bible would be made to teach me a lesson and help me out. Although the stories were thousands of years old, my dad still found ways to make them prevalent to my situation in the 21st century.
I have to admit that, as soon as I moved out of my parents house and went to college, I was overly excited to not be forced to go to mass on Sunday mornings anymore or undergo any of the strict rituals that were put upon me over the last 18 years of my life. But, now that I have been out of my house for a while and experienced the real world, I take pride in the way I was brought up and am thankful that my parents were so stern with me.
I hope no one expects this article to end with an announcement of my commitment to the convent or anything, but I think it is important to show dignity on my past and realize that I am who I am because of the ways I was raised. In my opinion, I think I'm doing pretty well for myself so I can thank my strict religion for making me who I am today.
