Catholic Churches in your town

[Syrinx]

The death of Pope John Paul II and all the discussion surrounding it has gotten me interested in just how many of our people are Catholic.

I know we have a lot more Baptists than Catholics! How many Catholic churches are in your town?

I'm in T'Town, I guess the population is about 90,000, though I'm not really sure even about that.

We've got three Catholic churches that I can think of: St. Francis, Holy Spirit, and St. John.

I must admit, I've never even been to a Mass. When my mom was a teenager, her boyfriend was Catholic and she went to Mass with him. That's how Catholic I am.

And if you want to comment on the numbers of temples (and mosques too) , that's fine with me. I have a sudden interest in religious demographics.

By the way, this is probably a really stupid question (but there are no stupid questions, right?), what' the difference between a temple and a synagogue? I hope that ignorant question doesn't offend anyone -- my best friend in second grade was a Jewish girl. ;)

[DustMolecule]

1. A few years back , my bro and sis-in-law lived in Birmingham......

...the whole family came into town to celebrate Christmas with them. We celebrated Christmas mass in a (I'm not even sure what it really was) library or something....

It was still lovely and our humble surroundings only served to highlight that very humble birth several millenium ago of 'That One Solitary Life' that changed everything.....

Also, we very much enjoyed being with each other (didn't matter if we were in Alabama or Timbuktoo. :-)

[Syrinx]

7. I'm glad you enjoyed it dm!

But I'm sure you could've found a church somewhere! :)

But the point, I guess, is that doesn't matter. It's the heart and the people! :hi:

[readmylips]

2. AZ has some of the most beautiful older Catholic churches ...

in the country. Around my community, there are six Catholic churches and a brand new church being built down the street from my house. AZ Catholics are very faithful to the church and the teachings of Catholicism. The fact that so many bad priests have been removed from the church and put in jail, has strengthen the Catholic believers even more. Even people that left the church a long time ago, have come back to the church.

Catholics pride themselves in having a religion that goes back to the beginning of time, and the teachings of church has stayed almost the same for centuries. You can ask any new evangelicals or Pentecostals and they'll tell you that they were baptized Catholic first. Religion in the US is very fickle and changeable. Anybody with a good mouth piece can open a storefront church and call himself/herself a Christian. You can't do that act in the Catholic faith.

Good question. I can't sleep so I might as well give you my view. I'm an 'American' Catholic by birth, meaning I only accept what is convenient for me.

[Syrinx]

4. yeah, Arizona

That's home to some of the oldest missions around, right. Sorry for my near-total ignorance on the subject.

I'm not a Catholic by any shot, but if I proclaimed myself Christian I would say I was Catholic. The Catholic church IS the Christian church, is it not? The rest are renegades.

[DustMolecule]

9. No, the catholic church is NOT the christian church.....

...but a WHOLE LOTTA truly Christian people started out as Catholics. That 'wouldn't be' if there wasn't something 'good'/right/true in the catholic church. Not everything is good there, but a lot of it is...and a lot of it is 'deeper mysteries' (which means, don't just 'believe', but KNOW why you believe it - does it have 'proofs'). Faith' alone is a dangerous thing, and Jesus never asked for anyone to follow him blindly. He's not afraid for someone to 'probe his wounds' or ask those 'tough questions'. One mustn't 'challenge G-d', but G-d doesn't want stupid lemmings in His kingdom either.

[readmylips]

12. Catholic Religion is the true Christian Religion....

founded by St. Peter after Jesus' death...centuries and centuries ago. If you listen to the Cardinals on TV, they refer to themselves as Christians...descenders of Christ. All humans are descenders of Christ. Religions are just human interpretations of how best get to Heaven. Your religion becomes better than mine, etc. Catholic church follows the teachings and humanity of Jesus Christ.


Funny that the Pope was the best spokesperson for the teachings of Jesus Christ, yet he never raised his voice nor defamed anyone's beliefs. There has to be something mentally wrong with those screaming Evangelicals.

[Syrinx]

13. I'm not saying Christians can't be wrong, of course they are all the time

But by definition, the Catholic church IS the Christian church. I think.

[Syrinx]

15. sorry. that didn't come out quite right.

I guess I meant that the Catholic church was the original Christian church.

[Merusault]

3. N.O.

I'm in New orleans, and it seems like we have a catholic church every few blocks. I was raised a New Orleans Catholic, and catholicism will always have a place in my life, even if I don't agree if the church's social teachings.

[Syrinx]

5. I love New Orleans!

But I should admit I've enjoyed more the secular attributes of that city. ;)

[koopie57]

6. There is a little town in Minnesota

called Holdingford. It probably has 500 people living in the town and then about 300 farm families surrounding it. It has two Catholic churches. I asked why and it is cuz the Germans and the Polish Catholics would not go to church together. In all actuality, all the people are very nice and they get along now.

[Syrinx]

8. that's the way I think most people are!

'Cept the evil politicians. Thanks. :hi:

[DustMolecule]

11. All politicians can go 'poop' on themselves.....

...they don't contribute very much and just spread their 'shite' on others.

[readmylips]

10. When I was a kid I used to be afraid of all the Saints...

giant Saints inside the church. They looked creepy to me. St Patricks Cathedral in NYC is beautiful.

All day today on TV, I've heard the 'conservatives' claiming the Pope as one of their own. I must have called Chris Matthews the fok word hundreds of times. He kept comparing the Pope (May He Rest in Peace), to Ronald Reagan. Reagan a stupid and dirty politician compared to a Holy Human Being.

[Syrinx]

17. being afraid of Saints

That's kind of weird, but I know what you mean.

Chris is a hack. He just says whatever he thinks will keep him on the air the longest.

I don't think Reagan was a bad man. I think he was too hands-off, and that most of his bad policies originated from the grounds of the Naval Observatory.

[misanthrope]

14. Mobile is...

...quite Catholic, being the seat of an archdiocese and all. A Creole town, the majority of its history has been closely intermingled with Catholicism.

[Syrinx]

16. Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras in Mobile is older than New Orleans', though less boisterous. I don't think many people realize that.

[misanthrope]

18. Mardi Gras...

...in Mobile and New Orleans can be as boisterous or mild as you make it. Watching a parade is just like real estate: it's all about location.

[Syrinx]

19. you sound like a Buddhist

Sorry I left that out of my survey. ;)

[BamaLefty]

20. This Was For ALABAMA... But oh Well. J/K!

We have almost 40,000 people in my county. We have 1 Catholic church and it is on my street.

Catholics aren't really liked down here. They are perceived to be too liberal. I have NO problems w/ them whatsoever. But you can imagine who does... yeah, them.

[Syrinx]

22. weird ain't it

When the Catholics are perceived as too liberal, I mean.

What's up with that?

We've got to change that perception.

[BamaLefty]

23. Catholicism Has The Perception

of being "out of the ordinary." I believe that it is too grandiose and elite looking for rural Alabamians.

I may be wrong in my assumption, but that's what I tend to see down here.

[unsavedtrash]

21. In Tuscaloosa too :)

Roll Tide Roll!!! I live just down the street from Holy Spirit. About the temple question, call Dr. Jacobs (Religion dept) on campus. He is also the local Rabbi.