Servant of God Mother Mary Lange and the Rich History of Black Catholic Religious Orders, Ukrainian Soldier Saved by Praying the Rosary, Priest Recounts, As We Forgive: Lenten Pastoral Note From Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, A Lasting Trail of Light: The Witness of Pedro Ballester. The thing was a brown color . In addition we'd go and bless our herbs in the garden and around on Midsummer and then harvest them for John's night or the night before depending on the weather. Thanks for a trip down memory lane and validating my recollection. 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 cant remember now if they ever answered Charlies question . Your email address will not be published. Good story about your uncles revelation Ah , the mendacity of the whole thing ! Those were the good old days , eh ? Ours always seemed to be colored brown . "Wow, what a blast from the past!" I can still see the certificates posted above the blackboards. For whatever reason, we googled pagan baby today.My husband and I thought we were the only two people who remembered pagan babies!!!! I could never shake the idea that he was stealing it (but I guess that suggests more about my character than about his). - Kathy F. "Wasn't there a bridge we had to get them over. Many of those kids still have their adoption certificate, like Bob You mean to tell me , he began , that we are supposed to sell a candy bar for a dollar that we could buy in the store for fifty cents Save that document. Thanks for the comment ! 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. So then there was an ethical issue that , in some elementary way , even we students recognized . Also , as you point out , the certificates ( I dont remember any certificates , though ) and the little cardboard box and all the hoop-la was good motivation and made the week more interesting for us kids . What did they really think about it ? EIN 27-4581132 or school. This is a serious problem. Pagan Babies is classic crime fiction from the master of suspense, Ne. in the classroom to see who had the most babies. Pagan Babies: and Other Catholic Memories. Happy to know I am still sane. Take a look and see why Im so excited about this app and will be promoting it every chance I get. And yesyou know who you are. 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. Might make a nice story . There was excitement in the air . My friend Sue, a Lutheran by way of Methodism cant get head around buying pagan babies. That summer in Guaymas, I learned that people in poverty needed more than goodwill, and that social justice was not a simple matter of collecting spare change and sending it off to the right folks. - Donna B. 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. I kept a large plastic Seagrams Seven bottle bank in my room at home that I put all my loose change into to save up for stuff I wanted and an occasional pagan baby. UNICEF is the United Nations Childrens Fund. I also remember a certain boy who came from a wealthier family who could buy his own pagan baby. It seemed like an honorable thing, he said. Always when he asked his question , no matter what the occasion , he seemed to be right smack dab in the middle of the group . - Mary A. Anyway , we never got pictures of our pagan babies . All of this went out the window in my belief system a few years later, when i began to understand political realities, had a more sophisticated notion of the universe and got very tired of having philosophical questions answered by Its a mystery. My favorite question was: If God can do anything, can he create a rock so heavy he himself cannot lift it? I also remember something about a bridge I remember the rice bowls but no actual rice. When you get to heaven have it in your pocket . By letting civility happen, we take better care not only of others and of the world itself, but of ourselves. One of my fellow employees is reading a book called Pagan Babies. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. A bulletin board held the certificates, pinned to the wall. In return they were given a decorative certificate commemorating their 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, the cardinal added. Timothy Bulone, Neighbor. Id give my expected nickel or dime each week . And I think that if you bought your own Pagan Baby you got to take the certificate home. I should have asked them if they had ever run into any pagan named Herman . 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. I vividly remember the certificate you have posted, with the various nationalities represented. We didnt know any better (though Church elders should have, but thats another story, isnt it?). I actually went to St Charles, but attended Corpus Cristi mass once in awhile. Linda A. McMillin is a professor of history at Susquehanna University. The concept, Sometimes disabilities don't fall along "guidelines" and some people just need a little extra help. Seriously has anyone ever ran into a pagan baby named Herman or Mary or any other name?? If my parents would only let me go to public school, the church might have had another nun. Thats 40 babies right there. Theology should be at the heart of any Catholic university. - Sal S. Remembering a Different A-to-Z Challenge | No Facilities. Im 50, and though Ive heard the term pagan babies (mainly in books by people a little older than me) , it wasnt used when I was in Catholic school from about 1969-77. Please log in to comment by clicking here, Darkness, Desolation Invite People to Draw Closer to God, Pope Says, El Arzobispo de San Juan Celebra la Misa de Nuestra Seora de la Divina Providencia, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. If we sold a certain amount wed get a plastic statue of Mary and Jesus. 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 . Catholics practice infant baptism because we take care of our childrens basic needs and what is more important than filling them with the Holy Spirit? The boys could give a name to a boy pagan baby and the girls, a girl. Youre too late. I NEVER questioned or was as smart as Charlie. Great sounding rare live tape here by Philadelphia's own PAGAN BABIES from mid 1988. Pagan Babies book. Pagan babies may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families. Hilarious ! Or for the poor, underprivileged kids in the USA? They took me down to Carmel Hall when I was around 10 or 11 and had me volunteer with the nuns. Patti and her husband, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised their 10 children. I served lunch to old people and I received so many compliments from the old people that I thought that I was a goner . sacraments. We had Dominican Nuns. I have no idea what spurred me on this morning to do a search for Pagan Babies maybe I was trying to recall my first exposure to racism. I dont believe that UNICEF worries about saving souls. 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. I did the saving bond thing , too . Im pretty sure it was the heavy sell on Pagan Babies and the strong emphasis on the fact that God doesnt like Protestants that caused me to first question the rigid authority of the Catholic Church. Thanks for your thoughtful comment . But in 1969 the names we fourth graders favored were names like Ringo and Twiggy. The missionary spirit was evident as Pontifical Mission Societies honored three people at the gala. Youre stirring up memories . Ransom and Baptism? Remember getting a whack across the face at your Confirmatin? Yeah! Stories ensued. Ill bet you remember those . 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 . Maybe the kids of today are more savvy . I still suspect the money collected ( probably in actuality just chicken-feed ? ) The beanies covered our heads during morning Mass. The money collected in the United States went to help feed, clothe and educate them. Wow ! 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. St. Paul noted that baptism replaces circumcision and circumcision was for infants. Saint Martins actoss the street from you back then. But Father Small, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, wasnt apologizing for the old adoption program in which children in Catholic schools would save their pennies. if you can open your heart and you want to do something to help, PLEASE donate here to the Gonzalez Family . To learn more, Father Andrew Small, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies talks about Missio on the Catholic Connection (right after the news). I specifically remember this from eighth grade in 1960. I remember this in Chicago St. John Fisher. My romantic notions of missionary work got a dose of reality that summer. . I think mine were 25 cent stamps . But , heres the thing : When the class had five dollars then that class got to name a pagan baby . I remember those statues . When they reached $5, they then ransomed a child overseas, got a certificate and the right to name the child. Years later Larry Bye , another boy in the class , told me that his middle name was Herman and that he had been embarrassed when Cary chose the name Herman for the pagan baby. Your class picked out a name for the child, and the Catholic church baptized the baby with that name into the Catholic faith. If theres a study done of it , I dont know . - Bob U. I just found yur comment .). Those were the days , eh ? Just saw this very entertaining thread. While clearly titillating and voyeuristic, these presentations revealed a larger world and highlighted our own privileged place. Catholic Connection (right after the news). Here is Sister Mary Michael Archangel giving medicine to the pagans . Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. Theres the priority. The certificates had a picture of a white little toddler sitting down with little black toddlers. It took $10.00 to save a baby. Many students adopted several Two stories I recall from those days: one boy in my room kept bringing in UNBELIEVABLY large amounts every day (.75 here, $1.16 there). This was great to read. I knew immediately what you were referring to even though we never went to church & I went to public school. Despite its apparent condescending tone at times, it instilled a radical sense of urgency in children that we are responsible for one another.. Anyway, I attended Catholic grade school from 1962 - 1970, and we collected money for pagan babies during Lent. People needed food, water, medical care, and were looking to us to step up and provide it. I remember someone once making a comment about that phrase, but I can't remember what it refered to. maybe he rode to work on a bike . 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. Saving pagan babies occurred during a simpler time, before cynicism and political correctness found their stride. Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith & Get to Heaven, Youth Pilgrims Write a New Chapter for South Sudan, Catholic Bookstore Sues Jacksonville Over Law it Says is a Trans Pronoun Mandate, Heres How Half of U.S. Abortions Could Be Stopped This Week, Argentina: New Book Gives Pope Francis Responses to Issues Hes Most Often Asked About. 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 . I have been searching for a pagan baby box for 30 years, any idea where I can find one ? Plot summary. I had my little yellow UNICEF box, and they asked if it was for the Pagan Babies. FYI : My granny was raised in Sterling . Arlington Catholic Herald200 N. Glebe Rd.Suite 615Arlington, VA 22203703-841-2590800-377-0511, Website Design and Development by New Target, Funeral and public viewing set for murdered Bishop David OConnell, Catholics, are you going to confession? And finally they finished . Kids', toddler, & baby clothes with Pennies For designs sold by independent artists. Small world. And of course, there was competition between the classrooms. When I was young, in South Philadelphia, I have memories of collecting for Trees for Israel and the Allied Jewish Appeal. The Pandemic Flu of 1918 and the COVID-19 Virus. The salesman had charts and pictures and a poster for every classroom of the glorious prizes . I went to Catholic school in the 50s and 60s too, but in Chicago. Now they're in together for a bigger payoff than either could finagle alone. There were competitions between classes . It was pretty obvious he was showing off his flawless French accent. Had more than one Jewish family in Brentwood slam their door me. It seemed like an honorable thing, he explained. Once some missionary priest visited and told us how the communist Chinese forced chop sticks into the ears of missionary priests there. Maryknollers, Franciscans, or Missionaries of Charity, these men and women told riveting tales of adventure and hardship. I had a lot of Pagan Babies named Mary Margaret!! The whole Pagan Babies thing was a big deal every year and resulted in a lot of competition among the 50+ pupils in Sr. Madeline Sophies 2nd grade class. 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. NOT catholic, hallelujah. This is hilarious, love this! The one boys name that sticks in my head is Zachary. "We can smile at it now at perhaps how silly it was," Father Small said. . I found I really did not have many skills to offer. I also attended CCS and talk about the pagan babies all the time and the Lenten booklets where you saved dimes. Oh . 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. But the pagan babies were actual children being looked after by missionary sisters, brothers and priests in their countries. Remember JMJ ? (There were a lot of Christines then for some reason it was the favorite name of a lot of the girls). Thanks for the comment . Christians have always believed that baptism 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. 0 coins. So, pagan baby collections in LaCrosse , too ! Any questions ? - Mary Ellen M. I remember Green Stamps . Well, when mama found out, she threw a fit. A Philadelphia punk band formed in 1986. The money collected in the United States went to help feed, clothe and educate them. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/where-did-all-the-pagan-babies-go. I was beginning to think I had created this whole idea of Pagan Babies myself. Remember Pagan Babies? Yeah! Stories ensued. NEW YORK - They were called "pagan babies," an appellation that would never be used today. collections to save unbaptized children not taught about God (Pagan Babies). My grandmother gave me $5 to buy my The Holy Childhood Association got many of the basics right: it introduced me to global realities of poverty and need, to notions of privilege and responsibility. Then Father Small asked for a second show of hands. I have her a link to your site. Gotta laugh about it now. Steve Stahley. Ask for their blessings so that your home will remain safe and happy, or if you do not follow a particular deity, you can alternately ask the . So it had to be pretty official, like our nun just couldnt pull a certificate out of her drawer and fill in the name.no, I think that it had to be signed by the big Catholic mucky-mucks. The Irish nuns in their full habits immediately looked around at the teachers as if to say , Arent you teaching these children anything ? A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that much of Christianity is significantly losing members. I dont think he really believed me. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Along with the Pagan babies does anyone remember selling books of small stamps people could use on envelopes? Wow . The teacher had a stack of them . The bookstore is receiving pro bono legal services from ADF for the lawsuit. Lajoie is on the staff of Catholic New York, newspaper of the Archdiocese of New York. Yes, as a lesson for us to be generous the Pagan Babies idea may well have been beneficial . I have often wondered whatever happened to my pagan baby Beverly Anne. I always thought it was amazing that I could have this baby and name her and feed her forever! The pagan baby he purchased was named Daniel James and his $5 gave him a Certificate of Adoption as a Souvenir of the Ransom and Baptism of an Adopted Pagan baby named Daniel James. We all nodded and agreed. Other notable guests included Cardinal Sean OMalley, Archbishop of Boston; Bishop Bejoy DCruze of Sylhet, Bangladesh; actor Andy Garcia, who stars in the film For Greater Glory, which opens June 1; and Noel Campbell, who rode Amtrak for three days from the Coeur DAlene Indian Reservation in northwest Idaho to New York to attend the event. I think the whole pagan babies thing was to give us something concrete to hold onto, plus those certificates that we got and plus, of course, naming rights all in the name of raising money for the Churchs missionary work. Whats a pagan ? What kind of horrid name is that for a babypagan or not?! Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission ( CCC 1213), Scripture stresses the importance of this sacrament. Suspense, Ne id give my expected nickel or dime each week the of. 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