I didn't start going to Catholic school until the 5th grade and went to Catechism before that. I took my first Communion in the summer between my first and second grade after going to Catechism. Then, in high school, I had to go to Catechism in the school I went to 5 thru 8 grade. I hated it by then.
I was sentenced to it from age five. After six years my parents pulled me out to safety. They said they didn't like what it was doing to me. Last day of sixth grade those of us leaving the school for PS had to line up for the penguin to fill in our forms. When she asked what school we were transferring to she scowled the name back to us as if we had just called her a slut or some shit.
I was the first in my family to escape. Within a year all my younger siblings were set free as well. My youngest brother never knew the agony, went right into PS.
When I graduated 8th grade, they were getting ready to open the new Catholic high school and that's when I put the brakes on. For starters, my class would be the only grade in the school and as we progressed to higher grades, then they would incorporated one more lower grade so by the time I would be a senior would be the first time there would be 4 grades of students. I wanted to go to a high school with all 4 grades and also wanted to be a majorette and none of those thing would ever happen in the Catholic high school. My mother went to the same high school and she wanted me to go there too, so I did.
I'm an only child and my parents were very religious, but not fanatical. Up until his dying day my dad remained an active member of the church. I stopped going when I was about 20 or so. After I got in my teens, mass bored me. I did love midnight mass on Christmas Eve though when it was still said in Latin. Now that I'm down in NC, we go to the Moravian Love Feast on Christmas Eve and it's the most beautiful service ever.
Is that in Old Salem?
