When I gave my pennies to the missions, I could make a difference. I remember my Grandparents joking about it in the '70s. End of March we usually plant or seed our wishes for the year. I well remember my days as a grade schooler at St. Helenas School in Philly. 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 loved Pagan Babies. babies. 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!!! The rise of AI will generate cultural content designed not to be original or even to say anything, but to produce, like a drug, the same experience, again and again. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. We did that too. Please log in to comment by clicking here, Fordhams Greenhagen Finalist for National Scholar-Athlete Award. The students were raring and ready to go sell the candy and get the prizes . Yeah , a few days later . I ALSOvividly remember, that the certficates were five dollars each (pretty steep for thr 60s! . I dont believe that UNICEF worries about saving souls. I remember how exciting it was when the Pagan Baby certificate was delivered. Im late to this party, but want to add my two cents. We were wondering how much trouble Cary would get into . class voted on names. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, 5.00 together, we got to buy and name a pagan baby. Remember what he said? 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. Check out our pagan babies selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. We had Dominican Nuns. talking about!" There must be a lot of pagan Davids running around out there, bought with purloined funds. Consider these suggestions for renewing your life in Christ this season. We didnt get a chance to vote on a name because he could name him himself. if you can open your heart and you want to do something to help, PLEASE donate here to the Gonzalez Family . Charlie stood up to his full height of about four foot three , his head held high , a serious look on his face . Some Irish nuns were there one day to speak to the students . Or a beer. 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? and Holy Hacks: Everyday Ways to Live Your Faith & Get to Heaven. I think we were the hope, somehow, for all the people who were seeing us and a hope for the country, recalls Bishop Christian Carlassare of the nine-day pilgrimage to meet Pope Francis. Hey! 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 . Scotland, late 60s/early 70s, Catholic primary school (ages 5-12) we had this, only we called it something like the black baby fund, rather than pagan babies. - Bob H. Youre an idiot that is exactly what happened at my grade-school as well. My mother was horrified. In A.D. 381, the early Church Fathers wrote in the Nicene Creed, "We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.". Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Over 50, attended Catholic schools from 1970-77 in Latin America. 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.. . Their adopted Pagan Babies were then given the Sacrament of Baptism. own pagan baby! Yeah . Back in the 1950s and early-1960s, and You :-)) Along the way, in all the villages we passed through, there were people who were full of joy to see young people. Our principal determined that Hush Puppies were insurance against black scuffmarks in halls and classrooms. Seen the movie Mea Culpa? Students gave their allowances to save The bookstore is receiving pro bono legal services from ADF for the lawsuit. I am a Catholic of a certain age, a graduate of parochial school, and a former member of the Association of the Holy Childhood. The mission has a Church, Cardinal Dolan reminded his guests in his opening remarks. They were no doubt common . 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. There were just people who needed another shoulder on their plow. "Wow, what a blast from the past!" Every time we got 5.00 together, we got to buy and name a pagan baby. Never knew it meant Justice under God though . Some we're pretty outrageous!" Bonus question: Did children in Europe collect coins for the pagan babies? 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 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. But are those even the worthy ideals to strive toward? As a first grade student at St.Aloysius in Wilkes-Barre, PA circa 1969, pagan babies were part of our extreme Catholic instruction. Patti Maguire Armstrong Patti Maguire Armstrong is host of the TV talk show Ladies of Another View and an award-winning author and journalist. 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. I cant remember now if they ever answered Charlies question . Fogogo to mention JUG for bad behavior- Justice Under God, also at St. Ignatius College Prep JMJ was replaced with AMGD all for the glory of God. 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. He didnt mention that 60% of the profits went to the promotion company . Ask the deities of your pantheon to watch over the residents of your home. OK, fair enough, it was about charity for this or that African country, but it so much stank of colonialism. I got JUG in high school - Jesuits a few times. She prayed, and she prayed, and she prayed with her rosary novena for my vocation. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. I dont remember collecting money for them. I hope my Pagan Baby, Elizabeth Cecilia, is alive and well. Linda A. McMillin is a professor of history at Susquehanna University. - Bill R. My most cherished reward for raising money for the missions was a Madonna-and-Child nightlight that graced my bedside table well into adolescence. Those were the good old days , eh ? That fits , I suppose . decided it was no longer a good way to raise money for Catholic missions. Those memories come from a ways back . My mother thought that those nuns were as close to God as we would ever get on earth. When Oblate Father Andrew Small asked who remembered them at the inaugural World Mission Dinner in New York, a few hands went up, mostly belonging to people with gray hair. 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. Im still a San Franciscan, but boy has everything changed. baptize it and give it the name we chose." At least it didnt include the genocide of the indigenous population as it did here in CA when the Spaniard priests took on the mission of converting the Indians. catholic school 1978-1991. with any faith. When Father Andrew Small, O.M.I., asked who remembered them at the inaugural World Mission Dinner May 2 at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, a few hands went up, mostly belonging to people with gray hair. Gotta laugh about it now. It seemed like an honorable thing, he explained. In my class at St. Amelias school in Tonawanda, NY, we collected nickels and dimes in a cigar box to buy a pagan baby. That reflects a certain dignified sincerity on your part , I think . So, pagan baby collections in LaCrosse , too ! Thanks for the comment . Actually , as I remember , the girls in the class were very worried about this but we boys werent so much concerned with the little pagan familys problem . 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. Hello Mike. - Sharon S. Oh my, what a great story. They folded out . Remember it like it was yesterday. 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. maybe NCIS or 60 minutes should get on the case? I remember someone once making a comment about that phrase, but I can't remember what it refered to. I remember collecting for Pagan Babies in my Catholic elementary school (I went to public high schoolwith the publics). (And I pitched them when I went to college) I had one round flat plastic silhouette of Mary that glowed after you held it under a lamp for a bit. I taught in Catholic schools in the 1970s and pagan babies were a thing of the past ( as far as I know ; but never underestimate the nuns ). When you get to heaven have it in your pocket . And yet the fundamental mission of the Holy Childhood Associationits efforts to create in children of privilege some sense that they are responsible for and obligated to help other children in needwas not lost on me. 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. You may be a pagan , but I think youre too late . pagan babies When I attended Corpus Christi Catholic School in the 1950s and 1960s there was a program we all called Pagan Babies . All for $5. I still find myself wishing THOSE people had relatively lackluster and unsuccessful lives. Im assuming youre a good Catholic father and have a tons of kids. I did the saving bond thing , too . After all, it makes sense. In order to raise money for the missions, the grade school students were asked to bring in pennies and nickels to save a Pagan Baby. I seriously want to start a band now, just so I can name us that. Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. Ah , yeah . It may speed things up . JMJ, yes! Contrary to popular belief, the United States fails to live up to its promised values of freedom and fairness. THANK YOU for truly capturing a historical phenomenon! Lajoie is on the staff of Catholic New York, newspaper of the Archdiocese of New York. When they reached $5, they then ransomed a child overseas, got a certificate and the right to name the child being looked after by missionary sisters, brothers and priests abroad. David. Some of those Jesuits spoke directly to God . Im sure that Beverley Anne is fine and doing well . Good question , though , about where all the money went . 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. So how many pagan babies did you sell in Brentwood ? It was probably a good lesson in giving for us little ones ; but , the money - probably not a huge sum overall - ? And one final thought: we cant always get our loved ones to practice the faith, but we can offer our alms up for their conversions while benefiting others. But , heres the thing : When the class had five dollars then that class got to name a pagan baby . Thanks for the comment . 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. every cent counts and just know the things we take for granted and have, these amazing . But Im a bit cynical . Christians have always believed that baptism No longer just an auxiliary fundraiserthis was my chance to be part of the action! 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. I went to catholic school the same time you did. Lord, LordCatholic schools. How great ! 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. One guy talked about confession when he was in third grade. Thanks for the comment. In our class it was the boys vs the girls. I think it has something to do with the "Poor starving babies overseas" that people send money to when they donate at Church, but I'm not sure. Of course, there was always the show-off who bought a whole pegginbebbie for themselves and got to name it without any of OUR help. As an incentive for our fundraising, when we raised $5 we were allowed to give a Christian name to a pagan baby. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Gal 3:27). I remember getting a plastic Virgin Mary statue , about 5 or 6 inches tall. Labeling any baby pagan, much less sweeping into this category all foreign children of color, makes me look back with embarrassment. Your email address will not be published. I had the vocation, the novenas were working! One time, in the 70s, at an intimate dinner party, we realized the room was filled with about half Catholics who attended Catholic school. 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. Other Brookliners Remember Adopting I remember those statues . Renew or manage your subscription here. The Biden administration has already announced it plans to fight any ruling against the FDAs approval of mifepristone. In closing, Bless the Maryknolls for the work they do in spreading the message of the Gospel! Another thing at every Catholic school in those days were collections to save pagan babiesunbaptized children not taught about God. (CCC 1213). and if we sell ten of them , Charlie continued unperturbed , we get a pencil case ., And if we sell twenty , we get something else that none of us really wants . But for five dollars we could play Name That Pagan Baby . The civil right movement was a much better teacher than The Catholic School system. - Mary Ellen M. My family Lived out that way. I suspect nowhere . My friends went to public school and public school had boys! Reminiscing about St. Amelias brings back many other memories. Yes , of course , a money-raising strategy that tricked all of us kids I wonder now about our parents . The early pagan catches the change . https://www.ncregister.com/blog/where-did-all-the-pagan-babies-go. If we sold a certain amount wed get a plastic statue of Mary and Jesus. The teacher had a stack of them . Coins. This is a serious problem. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Good hunting , though . It took $10.00 to save a baby. I cant guarantee your sanity , but Im happy to have helped . I won the [ now I really dont remember which of the above things I won ] but a classmate wanted to exchange her prize , the other thing , for mine . I spent all my paper boy money." 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. I assume that all of the other Catholic schools in the archdiocese were doing the same thing . 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. 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 memory serves, it shows a black child being led by a (white) boy and girl towards a (white) Jesus, while two (white*) nuns look on approvingly. We didnt know any better (though Church elders should have, but thats another story, isnt it?). We were sitting on the floor anyway, but soon we were all (the Catholics) rolling on the floor laughing our heads off! Pingback: A Poor Church For the Poor | Vox Nova, Pingback: Remembering a Different A-to-Z Challenge | No Facilities, This was too much fun. I love the four Beatles pagan babies idea and the adultery thing ! - Ann C. So then there was an ethical issue that , in some elementary way , even we students recognized . Not many hands went up. The price of adoption was five dollars, and Seems like 100 years ago , doesnt it ? Don't know why they are so eagerly upholding pagan traditions. Glad that I could kick up some dust . 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! Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Its a wonderful window on the old days , isnt it ? Along with the Pagan babies does anyone remember selling books of small stamps people could use on envelopes? Sometimes, I was that girl. We all started reminiscing together as if we attended the same school! Fundraiserthis was my chance to be part of the action these suggestions for renewing your life in this! 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