My Life in the Seminary: Part 1--Lent [View all]

[Goblinmonger]

So, I spend my high school years in a Catholic seminary and was very seriously considering the priesthood. That, of course, before I devoted my life to Dawkins.

Anyway. Thought I'd share a few stories. These will probably wander. If you want me to stop, just let me know.

I do want to preface with the fact that I loved my time at the seminary. I have no love for the RCC at this point in my life, but my seminary days were a great experience. It was a boarding school. I still, over 30 years later, have strong friendships with people I went to school there with and consider them my brothers. The priests I had as teachers were awesome--some a little weird, but awesome.

So, Lent. I grew up in a very serious conservative Catholic family (probably the reason for considering the priesthood). Lent and sacrifice was a big thing. From as early as I can remember I was required to give something up that was going to hurt. My mom demanded it. She hit the sacrifice of Jesus very hard during this season.

For those that aren't Catholic, if you count the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, there are actually 46 days. As a Catholic, you can technically take Sunday's off from what you are giving up. Let me tell you, that was not looked on favorably by my mom or the people I grew up with that were Catholic. That was for the weak. That was for children. When I learned about that exemption in middle school, I told my mom I was going to do that. She said, "Why? Are you a little baby?" So I learned that early on.

When I got to the seminary, it wasn't as hardline, but I learned that Catholics are still not supposed to eat meat on Fridays outside of lent unless they give up something else. Every Friday meal every week was meatless for us. Their attitude toward Lent was a little different. Rather than the pretty-much sack cloth and ashes attitude of my mom, Lent became a time for self-reflection about what we could do better in our life and our shortcomings. Something that I still do a lot of even after 30 or so years of not believing in any God. Still weird that my mom was the hard ass and the priests at the seminary were less so. Especially the one Jesuit that taught there. Loved that guy.

So, anyway, that's the Lent story. I have some funny shit I can tell you in the coming weeks.