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Catholic Meet and Greet

Cooky

Veteran Member
Hi everyone..! if you're new to RF, or if you've been here for a while, this is the spot where we Catholics introduce ourselves and say hello to one another... Because I know a lot of us have never actually met, or at least don't know much about each other.

As for me, I'm a married father of four daughters, I'm 42 years old and have been Catholic since my early childhood. I attended Catholic grade school, where I served as an Altar Boy, and recieved some Catholic high school education in the greater Chicagoland area. I currently live in Orange County, California, where I've been now for the last 15 years.

So maybe just tell us a little about yourself, how long you've been Catholic, or anything at all you'd like to share. Thanks for your contributions and feel free to mingle. :)
 

Quiddity

UndertheInfluenceofGiants
It’s been forever since I’ve posted here. We share a common faith, age, and I’ve lived in Anaheim most my life but I am a convert into the RCC. I’ll be back to give something more in depth.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Hello, and I'm 74 years young :rolleyes:, live in Macomb Country, Michigan, which is a bit north of Detroit, and am married to my wife for 52 years with three "kids" and 8 grandkids.

I grew up in a fundamentalist Protestant church, converted to Catholicism in my 30's, left for 20 years when I converted to Judaism (Reform), but then converted back to Catholicism a bit over a year ago. At my synagogue I taught the Lunch & Learn program for about 15 years but am now teaching the RCIA program at my local parish like I did prior to leaving the faith.

It feels really good to be back.
 

Steven Merten

Active Member
Hello to All my fellow Catholics ,

I am a cradle Catholic. I have been a practicing, go to Mass every Sunday, Catholic, all my life. I am 60 years old and recently retired. My main desire is to love, serve and obey our God. I like to write for Jesus. This is why I am here, among other reasons. I applied to the seminary when I was 26 but was rejected. This floored me. Later I learned that I was probably too conservative for the, more liberal, Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

I grew up in the UN Vietnam War era. My cousin Johnny died in active duty to our country in December of 1966. Homilies from my priests always talked of killing in war as evil. I come from a family of American Veterans. The draft was on. Yearning to understand Jesus’ will on when to kill, for the protection of the innocent, became a great weight for me to carry, at a very young age. At age 16, I consulted my priest on Jesus will on when to kill for the protection of the innocent. He said, ‘A person has a duty to serve their country. When you get back, come to the Church and she will help you with all the evil you have done.’ This was not helpful to me. I ran out of the confessional, fell to my knees before Jesus on the crucifix and prayed, “Heavenly Father, if it is Your Will, I will stand by idle, with my weapon at my side, while my own mother is raped, beaten and murdered. Or, Heavenly Father, if it is Your Will, I will travel ten thousand miles and fight to my death to protect a strangers mother from persecution. But please Father, I beg of You, lead me to know Your Will on when to kill, or not kill, to protect the innocent, and I will love, serve and obey You on this issue. Fore I can bear this great burden no longer.” This led to a life of great prayer, scriptural study and contemplation, seeking out Jesus and The Father’s Will on many things.

My life of prayer, scriptural study and contemplation, of our Lord's Will, led to the publication of my book, ‘I Love You, God!’, in 1990. My ‘I Love You, God!’ transformed into www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com in 1997. My ‘I Love You, God’ has been my main life’s passion, since I was a child.

I grew up milking cows on the farm in Wisconsin. My sister was in the hospital in Seattle WA, so I traveled west to help her. I told her, ‘I am going to have to do a lot of camping here, because it is so beautiful out here, and I am not going to be here very long.' That was 31 years ago and I still live in beautiful Washington State. Snowmobiling in the North Cascade Mountains, really makes my soul feel close to our God, through His Creation.

I have three wonderful children. I am active in the Knights of Columbus. Life has been arduous but always a blessing with my Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, at my side.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I am active in the Knights of Columbus.
I'm glad to meet you, brother Knight, and I really enjoyed your post.

BTW, my undergrad work was at Western Michigan University, and we had a lot of Wisconsin students there with many of them being in "paper technology". On campus, there was St. Thomas Moore Student Parish, which is where I attended my first mass as I was dating a Catholic woman at that time, and to me she was a living saint. However, I didn't convert to Catholicism until a dozen years later.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Hello to All my fellow Catholics ,

I am a cradle Catholic. I have been a practicing, go to Mass every Sunday, Catholic, all my life. I am 60 years old and recently retired. My main desire is to love, serve and obey our God. I like to write for Jesus. This is why I am here, among other reasons. I applied to the seminary when I was 26 but was rejected. This floored me. Later I learned that I was probably too conservative for the, more liberal, Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

I grew up in the UN Vietnam War era. My cousin Johnny died in active duty to our country in December of 1966. Homilies from my priests always talked of killing in war as evil. I come from a family of American Veterans. The draft was on. Yearning to understand Jesus’ will on when to kill, for the protection of the innocent, became a great weight for me to carry, at a very young age. At age 16, I consulted my priest on Jesus will on when to kill for the protection of the innocent. He said, ‘A person has a duty to serve their country. When you get back, come to the Church and she will help you with all the evil you have done.’ This was not helpful to me. I ran out of the confessional, fell to my knees before Jesus on the crucifix and prayed, “Heavenly Father, if it is Your Will, I will stand by idle, with my weapon at my side, while my own mother is raped, beaten and murdered. Or, Heavenly Father, if it is Your Will, I will travel ten thousand miles and fight to my death to protect a strangers mother from persecution. But please Father, I beg of You, lead me to know Your Will on when to kill, or not kill, to protect the innocent, and I will love, serve and obey You on this issue. Fore I can bear this great burden no longer.” This led to a life of great prayer, scriptural study and contemplation, seeking out Jesus and The Father’s Will on many things.

My life of prayer, scriptural study and contemplation, of our Lord's Will, led to the publication of my book, ‘I Love You, God!’, in 1990. My ‘I Love You, God!’ transformed into www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com in 1997. My ‘I Love You, God’ has been my main life’s passion, since I was a child.

I grew up milking cows on the farm in Wisconsin. My sister was in the hospital in Seattle WA, so I traveled west to help her. I told her, ‘I am going to have to do a lot of camping here, because it is so beautiful out here, and I am not going to be here very long.' That was 31 years ago and I still live in beautiful Washington State. Snowmobiling in the North Cascade Mountains, really makes my soul feel close to our God, through His Creation.

I have three wonderful children. I am active in the Knights of Columbus. Life has been arduous but always a blessing with my Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, at my side.
I've heard of the Knights of St Columba, but had never heard of the Knights of Columbus........... until now.

Not, apparently, to be confused with the Knights of St Columbanus, who apparently also exist. :confused:

Night, night, Knight!
 

Steven Merten

Active Member
I'm glad to meet you, brother Knight, and I really enjoyed your post.

BTW, my undergrad work was at Western Michigan University, and we had a lot of Wisconsin students there with many of them being in "paper technology". On campus, there was St. Thomas Moore Student Parish, which is where I attended my first mass as I was dating a Catholic woman at that time, and to me she was a living saint. However, I didn't convert to Catholicism until a dozen years later.

Thanks for the greetings brother Knight.

In all my years in Wisconsin, I only visited Michigan once, and that was Upper Michigan. Michigan is so close to Wisconsin, but there are obstacles, like a big lake and Chicagoland, lol.

My dear uncle Ralph was a powerful Catholic Convert. He converted for my dear aunt Joyce. Glad to have you with us in Jesus' Church!
 

Steven Merten

Active Member
I've heard of the Knights of St Columba, but had never heard of the Knights of Columbus........... until now.

Not, apparently, to be confused with the Knights of St Columbanus, who apparently also exist. :confused:

Night, night, Knight!
Hello exhemist,
My monthly news letter is labeled 'Knights of Columbus', then below it, 'Columbia'. I am not really sure about the double name you are talking about. All I know is that my dear uncle John was an avid Knight, and I enjoyed many of the Knights of Columbus events, going all the way back to my childhood; which is a long, long time ago, lol. I am surprised, if you are Catholic, you must see a presence of the Knights of Columbus, and their activities, in your parish?
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Hello exhemist,
My monthly news letter is labeled 'Knights of Columbus', then below it, 'Columbia'. I am not really sure about the double name you are talking about. All I know is that my dear uncle John was an avid Knight, and I enjoyed many of the Knights of Columbus events, going all the way back to my childhood; which is a long, long time ago, lol. I am surprised, if you are Catholic, you must see a presence of the Knights of Columbus, and their activities, in your parish?
I have to say I don't get involved in all the various societies, being a bit of a semi-detached Catholic. I stick to reading the lessons and singing - I am a great supporter of the traditional music of the church (whether Catholic or Anglican). I happen to be aware of the Knights of St Columba because that is a Scottish, or Scottish/Irish institution, so we get them in England too.
 

Steven Merten

Active Member
I have to say I don't get involved in all the various societies, being a bit of a semi-detached Catholic. I stick to reading the lessons and singing - I am a great supporter of the traditional music of the church (whether Catholic or Anglican). I happen to be aware of the Knights of St Columba because that is a Scottish, or Scottish/Irish institution, so we get them in England too.

I am amazed and delighted that the Knights of Columbus are in the UK as well! I did not know this.

Knights of Columbus | Catholic Fraternal Organization

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 by Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, it was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus. Wikipedia
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I am amazed and delighted that the Knights of Columbus are in the UK as well! I did not know this.

Knights of Columbus | Catholic Fraternal Organization

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 by Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, it was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus. Wikipedia
Ah no, you seem to have misunderstood my original post (post 7).

There appear to be three (3) independent organisations with very similar names. I am referring to the Knights of Saint Columba: not Columbus and nothing to do with Cristopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon) and the Americas. This was founded in Glasgow in 1919, according to Wikpaedia.

Saint Columba was an early Irish Christian missionary to what was then pagan Scotland, in the c.6th.

However, looking at the dates of foundation (the Knights of Columbus being some 40 odd years older) and the rather similar coats of arms, I do now wonder if the idea for the Knights of St Columba might possibly have come back across the Atlantic from N America!
 

Steven Merten

Active Member
Ah no, you seem to have misunderstood my original post (post 7).

There appear to be three (3) independent organisations with very similar names. I am referring to the Knights of Saint Columba: not Columbus and nothing to do with Cristopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon) and the Americas. This was founded in Glasgow in 1919, according to Wikpaedia.

Saint Columba was an early Irish Christian missionary to what was then pagan Scotland, in the c.6th.

However, looking at the dates of foundation (the Knights of Columbus being some 40 odd years older) and the rather similar coats of arms, I do now wonder if the idea for the Knights of St Columba might possibly have come back across the Atlantic from N America!
Hello exchemist,
Ooops! Sorry for the misunderstanding. Still, very interesting on the coincidence.
 

Steven Merten

Active Member
We just sold our place that was located just west of Marquette last summer. Where did you go there?
Hello metis,
Well that was forty years ago that I visited Michigan. I clearly remember a little iron ore mining ghost town. It was my first ghost town and it left a deep memory for me. I also went across the bridge to lower Michigan. However, I simply turned around and went back to Upper Michigan. From the map, it looks like that is now a freeway. I don't remember it being a freeway at the time of my visit.

My sister has a farm in Malone.
 

sciatica

Notable Member
cradle catholic
almost 62
lapsed period of about 20 years
even though the Catholic Church can be ultra conservative
its in my dna
married no kids
suffer sciatica
like Thomas Merton
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
cradle catholic
almost 62
lapsed period of about 20 years
even though the Catholic Church can be ultra conservative
its in my dna
married no kids
suffer sciatica
like Thomas Merton
Sorry to hear about the sciatica. I'm a cradle Catholic too (my father converted from the Methodism of his father, who was in fact a minister). I became sceptical about the claims to unique truth of any one faith due to my travels in the Middle East and Far East and lapsed. But I am respectful of the church's teaching and traditions and find them helpful and I have attended mass again since the birth of my son, who we decided to bring up Catholic (he has now lapsed, as a teenager, but there you go).
 

sciatica

Notable Member
Sorry to hear about the sciatica. I'm a cradle Catholic too (my father converted from the Methodism of his father, who was in fact a minister). I became sceptical about the claims to unique truth of any one faith due to my travels in the Middle East and Far East and lapsed. But I am respectful of the church's teaching and traditions and find them helpful and I have attended mass again since the birth of my son, who we decided to bring up Catholic (he has now lapsed, as a teenager, but there you go).
i lived in japan for 15 years. Got interested in Buddhism for a while. But it is a distinctly non religious country. some say Japan is better for it too. They have Shinto but that seems to be a bit of token ancestor worship to me.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
i lived in japan for 15 years. Got interested in Buddhism for a while. But it is a distinctly non religious country. some say Japan is better for it too. They have Shinto but that seems to be a bit of token ancestor worship to me.
Yes it certainly does. It was my contact with Islam, and then visits to Buddhist temples in Thailand, that brought home to me how people of different religions can end up with very similar sentiments to the Christian ones as to how to live your life, the role of prayer, ritual and contemplation, and so on. So I found myself thinking that perhaps all of them are simply expressions of a religious impulse that is common to humanity.
 
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