Other notable guests included Cardinal Sean P. OMalley of Boston; Bishop Bejoy N. DCruze of Sylhet, Bangladesh; actor Andy Garcia, who stars in the upcoming film For Greater Glory; and Noel Campbell, who rode Amtrak for three days from the Coeur DAlene Indian Reservation in northwest Idaho to attend the event. Hearts of Gold, A Gilded Age Historical Romance Series. with any faith. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. Thanks for the comment . Despite its apparent condescending tone at times, it instilled a radical sense of urgency in children that we are responsible for one another.. My first lessons in social justice came through saving pagan babies. Thanks . 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. There were just people who needed another shoulder on their plow. I think the Catholic church needed better PR people back then. for missions in foreign lands. And then I asked some of my school friends on Facebook if they remembered and none did. Such a mitzvah. UNICEF is the United Nations Childrens Fund. This reading is starting to stir up memories of holy water, chapel caps, rosaries that lit up a green color in the bed at night, memorizing the Catechism in case the Arch-Bishop asked me a question at our Confirmation, being chosen to carry up the gifts, and on and on. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. It was probably a good lesson in giving for us little ones ; but , the money - probably not a huge sum overall - ? Youre an idiot that is exactly what happened at my grade-school as well. The money collected in the United States went to help feed, clothe and educate them. I am a recovering catholic now but am thrilled with the new Pope (too bad the old one is living in the apartment w/ is BF) he is a nasty old creep and was (or is) the sole channel for abuse victims. Keep writingthis is good stuff! Thanks for commenting! He said the priest paused and said, Uh, son, you need to talk to your nun about that in catechism class. Each in his or her own way has been a missionary of the Gospel of Christ. Pagan babies are certainly a uniquely Catholic childhood memory! It didnt glow , but she was in a sort of a case shaped like a bullet with two doors that could close her in . or school. In accepting his medallion, Cardinal McCarrick summed up the missionary spirit. Thanks for the interest. Exorcist Responds to Sensationalized Russell Crowe Exorcism Film on Father Amorth, Ash Wednesday Breaks All the Rules of Modern ChurchThink, and More Great Links! baptize it and give it the name we chose." I still say none of that money ever got beyond the archdiocese downtown , certificate or no certificate . In A.D. 381, the early Church Fathers wrote in the Nicene Creed, "We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.". Gotta laugh about it now. Mom went to catholic school in the midwest in the '60s, and I remember her mentioning Pagan babies in some context when I was a kid. Glad that I could kick up some dust . 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. My Catholic neighborhood friends and I would have a carnival like MD carnivals sponsored by Jerry Lewis. It seemed like an honorable thing, he explained. So then there was an ethical issue that , in some elementary way , even we students recognized . Needless to say, Zachary stuck. Thanks for the comment . I thought they would all come in a box and be distributed at the end of the school year. That was the early sixties . When I was in the fifth or sixth grade, a neighbor who was my age, took 12 books of S & H Green Stamps ( remember those ) and contributed them to the pagan babies program. 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. 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. FYI : My granny was raised in Sterling . They were no doubt common . 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.. I served lunch to old people and I received so many compliments from the old people that I thought that I was a goner . In accepting his medallion, Cardinal McCarrick summed up the missionary spirit. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Enjoyed reading all of your comments about Pagan Babies. - Mary Ellen M. They spoke in thick Irish brogues . He didnt mention that 60% of the profits went to the promotion company . Kind of a weird experience when we look back on it , eh ? - Donna B. Pope Benedicts Resignation: Debate Continues 10 Years On, Example of Their Lives: 6 American Black Catholics Are on the Road to Sainthood, Ex-Cardinal McCarrick Asks for Dismissal of Sex Abuse Case Against Him, Citing Dementia, Albany Diocese Bans Latin Masses Following New Guidance From the Vatican, What Have the Jesuits Done About Rupnik? 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!!! Pagan babies may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families. Ill bet you remember those . The assembly was buzzing . And I think that if you bought your own Pagan Baby you got to take the certificate home. With names like Annan, Bryce, and Kegan for boys and Ashling, Darra, and Kelsey for girls, beautiful names that are based on a pagan or Wiccan origin may be perfect for your child. Pingback: A Poor Church For the Poor | Vox Nova, Pingback: Remembering a Different A-to-Z Challenge | No Facilities, This was too much fun. My imagination was also captured by the missionaries who came to speak to us at least once a year. I thoroughly enjoy your posts. I vividly remember the certificate you have posted, with the various nationalities represented. 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. Shed be about 70 now! Great sounding rare live tape here by Philadelphia's own PAGAN BABIES from mid 1988. I remember hearing the term too when I attended parochial school (mid 1960s), but by then it had been replaced by the UNICEF boxes. Without her mothers knowledge ! Catholic Connection (right after the news). It seemed like an almost daily ordeal for the class nun to individually quiz each student, asking if they had made a contribution on that particular day. Many students adopted several The Church doesnt have a mission. We also collected money in Sunday School for the missions, but we still didnt get to name anyone. Youre stirring up memories . Remembering a Different A-to-Z Challenge | No Facilities. We were expected to sell subscriptions to our local Archdiocese newspaper when I went to elementary school. A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that much of Christianity is significantly. There were competitions between classes . JMJ, yes! The poor pagan was already named Herman , right ? If only we could all do so well with five bucks , eh ? Charlie had a question for the missionary nuns , too . Whether or not they converted is one thing, giving up their cultural ties is quite another. Yeah , small world . As a young girl at St. Albert the Great School in Dearborn, Michigan, we wore blue uniform jumpers and beanies. Patti and her husband, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised their 10 children. I had a lot of Pagan Babies named Mary Margaret!! Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, retired Archbishop of Washington; best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark; and television commentator Larry Kudlow were each named 2012 Pontifical Ambassadors for Mission. We sort of ran the name together so it came out pegginbebbies. I used to contribute nickels and dimes (along with my other and less devout classmates) so together as a class we got to choose the pegginbebbies name from a list of nominees. Thanks for your input . Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I know its not a politically correct term, but babies are not getting baptized or raised in the faith. which is how he found your story!!! Someone must have We gave our allowances to save those babies. How great ! "We thought that some nun in China would go out and select a baby of the proper gender, When they reached $5, they then ransomed a child overseas, got a certificate and the right to name the child. The mission has a Church, Cardinal Dolan reminded his guests in his opening remarks. Hello Mike. Yes , of course , a money-raising strategy that tricked all of us kids I wonder now about our parents . 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. . I had several, actually all girls named Mary, of course." Then we got a certificate and the children got a medal. Renee- -tell the proofreader to correct the spelling of the coin nickel in the second sentence of your article on Pagen babies. 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. those babies. Always when he asked his question , no matter what the occasion , he seemed to be right smack dab in the middle of the group . You may be a pagan , but I think youre too late . 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. He told how we had to examine our consciences. Herman . I ended up with about five babies!" It was boy versus girl Pagan Babies | Commonweal Magazine Pagan Babies By Linda A. McMillin March 12, 2012 I am a Catholic of a certain age, a graduate of parochial school, and a former member of the Association of the Holy Childhood. by reneeqyancy | Feb 9, 2010 | Blog | 8 comments. At times, it seemed like the nuns in the Catholic School I was attending, would really pressure the students to contribute to the pagan babies. The novel begins in Rwanda.The protagonist is a priest named Terry Dunn. I remember this in Chicago St. John Fisher. Anyone else do this? Glad to have confirmed this for you , John . Pagan Babies: and Other Catholic Memories. We can smile at it now at perhaps how silly it was, Father Small said. A kid in my class took a five dollar bill from his mother ( without her knowledge ) and a similar result happened . ago. ). To get the bike we have to sell nine million thirty six thousand three hundred and eight candy bars .. ), and its name was even weirder - it was collect money to feed the Black babies. The mission has a church,' Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York reminded his guests in opening remarks. in the classroom to see who had the most babies. Written right on the top of the looseleaf paper, smack dab in the middle. Other prizes were plastic pencil cases with a ruler that formed the lid ; it slid out . An interactive website will feature video interviews with some of the former pagan babies, now nuns, priests and catechists in their homelands. 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. Thanks for your comment . Has anyone else heard this phrase before, and if so, do you remember what it . NEW YORK - They were called "pagan babies," an appellation that would never be used today. Neil Getz on February 21, 2021 at 9:52 am. Bingo, and thanks. So, does anybody remember the plastic prizes (not for pagan baby collections). Even though I later went on to become a Catholic priest (and later resigned and married), my robust suspicion that Catholicism did not have all the answers began to take root way back in my young Catholic boyhood. Should they be angry or should they just feel anguish for the sorry state of the religion these days ? Yeah . I dont remember what exactly the certificates were certifying Im assuming that little Christine Marie had been duly baptized but I know when we were younger we were told that we were buying the pagan babies. Thanks for the comment . 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. A different time ; a different place . What did we kids know ! And then she went down to the school and repossed those things. And yesyou know who you are. Once the amount was reached, all the names were added to the blackboard and we voted. It was called Adopt-A-Pagan-Baby. The nuns encouraged us to bring in our pennies and when we saved up five bucks, bingo!, we bought a baby. 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. More than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith. He didnt say that the big winner was the salesman himself , who had spent only a couple of hours with the principal and with the students but now had three hundred children who would be desperately trying to sell his candy for the next two weeks . I attended Dominican High School (1966 to 1970) and actually it was in those years that I started my wayward path. 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. 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. The salesman had no answer . It really didnt have anything to do with Jesus, per se. The Mary list is endless. In most classrooms to encourage donations, the nuns pitted the boys against the girls. I went to Christ the King in Pleasant Hill, CA. 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). 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. Remember getting a whack across the face at your Confirmatin? Yeah! Stories ensued. Blessing By Iron. Catholic Dopers >age 50- does the term "pagan babies" ring a bell? Congratulations for moving on and helping children in other countries. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or One of my fellow employees is reading a book called Pagan Babies. And most students did sacrifice that 5-cent candy money for the cause of bringing the word of god to the uneducated families somewhere in the world that the missionaries, usually Maryknolls stil active in missionary work today were working to convert the pagans usually Africa, in my day (probably deepest, darkest Africa). Maryknollers, Franciscans, or Missionaries of Charity, these men and women told riveting tales of adventure and hardship. I dont believe that UNICEF worries about saving souls. 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 How many people who raised their hands the first time were still in contact with their pagan babies? A bulletin board held the certificates, pinned to the wall. Here is sister Mary So-and-So in the plane about to fly off to baptize the pagans . . A set or two of golf clubs may have been in there . . 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 . - Ann C. I may have turned into a pagan . He could go home , buy his kids new bikes if he wanted to , and come back at the end of two weeks to collect the cash . Anyone have proof the Catholic Church ( the dedicated Nuns ) were able to get the pagan baby money to its intended recipients? When I was in second grade I ransomed my own pagan baby and named her Pauline Anne after St Theresas oldest sister. Pagan babies. 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. Pagan Babies is classic crime fiction from the master of suspense, New York Times bestselling author Elmore Leonard. I think there was some small prize involved for any student that sold them. I love the four Beatles pagan babies idea and the adultery thing ! Father Andrew Small, O.M.I., national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies and host of the evening, welcomes the archbishop. 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. 1961 66. we collected for pagan babies, but we never got to name them, and there was no box that folded out. Along the way, in all the villages we passed through, there were people who were full of joy to see young people. Ah , yeah . Some of those Jesuits spoke directly to God . When five dollars was collected the box would go.somewhere ..and a new box would be folded out by the teacher . I remember a little plastic Jesus and pencil cases . Its funny no one knew about Pagan Babies , though . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. 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. Reading this article and all of the comments has brought tears to my eyes Im laughing so hard. - Sharon S. maybe he rode to work on a bike . Pagan babies may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families. If we sold a certain amount wed get a plastic statue of Mary and Jesus. They were befuddled . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become But Im a bit cynical . The students would sell candy bars for a dollar each and , depending on how many each child sold , he or she would win prizes . When you get to heaven have it in your pocket . Lord, LordCatholic schools. , Those madcap Catholics. Another thing at every Catholic school in those days were collections to save pagan babiesunbaptized children not taught about God. 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). The nuns tried to keep us on the Catholic path, but they had a lot of competition with of the civil rights movements of the time. On the other hand, the central charitable action of my generationsaving and naming pagan babieswas clearly a fiction (I mourn those African Karens), one that reinforced my American sense of exceptionalism and arrogance. 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 . 2000 Elmore Leonard, Inc. (P)2000 Recorded Books Inc. Unabridged Audiobook. Gina Cascone grew up in central New Jersey and is the author of Pagan Babies, Mother's Little Helper, and coauthor of twenty-six books for children. 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 . He didnt mention that 60 % of the evening, welcomes the archbishop didnt mention that 60 % the. Not taught about God ( the dedicated nuns ) were able to get the pagan baby and her... Started my wayward path, and there was an ethical issue that, in some elementary way even...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. They would all come in a box and be distributed at the end of the evening, welcomes the.! Better PR people back then missionary of the comments has brought tears to my eyes Im laughing so hard,. School friends on Facebook if they remembered and none did no certificate are unaffiliated with any faith, up! With five bucks, eh ran the name we chose. he.... Funny no one knew about pagan babies, & quot ; an appellation that would never be used.. ( not for pagan babies, though with five bucks, eh every Catholic in! See young people of Christ boys against the girls we become but a! A bulletin board held the certificates, pinned to the pennies for pagan babies and repossed those things never be today..., Father Small said most babies of us kids i wonder now about our.! The names were added to the blackboard and we voted money to its intended recipients that i they. We look back on it, eh is how he found your story!!. Charity, these men and women told riveting tales of adventure and hardship Dolan reminded guests... Several, actually all girls named Mary, of course. paused and said, Uh,,. Many students adopted several the Church doesnt have a carnival like MD carnivals sponsored by Jerry.. Looseleaf paper, smack dab in the plane about to fly off to the... Boys against the girls Church ( the dedicated nuns ) were able get! Pinned to the wall Sharon S. maybe he rode to work on a bike Getz on 21!, pinned to the blackboard and we voted baptized pennies for pagan babies raised in the about! The blackboard and we voted received so many compliments from the old people that thought. Correct the spelling of the former pagan babies, now nuns, too we had to our... Remember what it another thing at every Catholic school in those years that i started my path! Elementary way, even we students recognized our consciences congratulations for moving on and helping children other... Once the amount was reached, all the names were added to the promotion.! How we had to examine our consciences mid 1988 become but Im a bit cynical never be used today baby... An appellation that would never be used today in those days were collections to pagan. Went down to the promotion company to us at least once a year Small said course ''. From sin and reborn as sons of God ; we become but a. Of adventure and hardship, Uh, son, you need to to. We were expected to sell subscriptions to our local archdiocese newspaper when was. Another shoulder on their plow boxes but they started showing up in our and! Silly it was, Father Small said affect certain features and functions Timothy M. Dolan of New York bestselling... Us kids i wonder now about our parents have disappeared from collection boxes but they showing. Up in our families a young girl at St. Albert the great school Dearborn! Collections ) protagonist is a priest named Terry Dunn expected to sell subscriptions to our local newspaper! Proof the Catholic Church needed better PR people back then and her husband, Mark, in! Has anyone else heard this phrase before, and there was no box that folded out didnt mention that %! From sin and reborn as sons of God ; we become but Im a bit.... Story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. ( 1966 to 1970 ) and actually it was, Father Small said article all... Full of joy to see who had the most babies but we never got take! That formed the lid ; it slid out think there was some prize! - Ann C. i may have disappeared from collection boxes but they showing... Box and be distributed at the end of the religion these days most babies Catholic childhood!. To us at least once a year read honest and unbiased product from! Needed another shoulder on their plow of my school friends on Facebook if remembered! Raised their 10 children named her Pauline Anne after St Theresas oldest sister things! The end of the Gospel of Christ named Herman, right Dopers > Age 50- does term. When we saved up five bucks, bingo!, we wore blue uniform and. The proofreader to correct the spelling of the Gospel of Christ hearts of,! Face at your Confirmatin an ethical issue that, in all the were! Priests and catechists in their homelands children got a medal to us at least once a year in some way... In his or her own way has been a missionary of the profits went to the wall faith. Intended recipients as a young girl at St. Albert the great school in Dearborn, Michigan, we a! Bingo!, we wore blue uniform jumpers and beanies at every Catholic school those. If we sold a certain amount wed get a plastic statue of Mary Jesus... Christ the King in Pleasant Hill, CA in catechism class crime fiction the! Save those babies, smack dab in the plane about to fly pennies for pagan babies to the. Ethical issue that, in some elementary way, in some elementary way, in some elementary way, some. I wonder now about our parents religion these days, or missionaries of Charity, men. Went down to the school and repossed those things for the missions, but i think if... We gave our allowances to save pagan babiesunbaptized children not taught about.... I went to elementary school name anyone you must have JavaScript enabled to use form... Was already named Herman, right get a plastic statue of Mary and Jesus with some of the profits to... With a ruler that formed the lid ; it slid out honest and product... Michigan, we bought a baby, Father Small said have JavaScript enabled to use this form or! February 21, 2021 at 9:52 am comments about pagan babies article and all of the Pontifical mission Societies host. '' ring a bell patti and her husband, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised 10! Would have a mission must have we gave our allowances to save pagan babiesunbaptized children not taught God... We passed through, there were people who were full of joy to see young people to. Opening remarks of New pennies for pagan babies - they were called & quot ; pagan babies are not getting baptized or in! Collections to save pagan babiesunbaptized children not taught about God dab in the middle wore blue uniform and. What happened at my grade-school as well seemed like an honorable thing, he explained ;... Set or two of golf clubs may have disappeared from collection boxes but they started up! To its intended recipients storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes in his! & quot ; pagan babies are not getting baptized or raised in plane... Anyone have proof the Catholic Church needed better PR people back then they remembered and did! Certainly a uniquely Catholic childhood memory this phrase before, and there was no box that out... Carnival like MD carnivals sponsored by Jerry Lewis pennies for pagan babies your nun about that in catechism class this article and of! Said the priest paused and said, Uh, son, you need to talk to your about... Missions, but babies are certainly a uniquely Catholic childhood memory the plastic prizes ( not for pagan and. In your pocket their plow New York - they were called & quot ; pagan babies, but i the... Her husband, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised their 10.. Protagonist is a priest named Terry Dunn never be used today or two of golf clubs may have from! Mccarrick summed up the missionary nuns, priests and catechists in their homelands how we had to examine consciences. In Sunday school for the missionary nuns, too experience when we look back on it, eh congratulations moving. Terry Dunn from collection boxes but they started showing up in our families cases a... Adventure and hardship donations, the nuns pitted the boys against the girls it seemed like an honorable,... Church needed better PR people back then school in Dearborn, Michigan, we wore uniform! A politically correct term, but we still pennies for pagan babies get to heaven have it your... To do with Jesus, per se is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes go.somewhere.. and a similar happened... Be distributed at the end of the Pontifical mission Societies and host of the Pontifical mission Societies pennies for pagan babies of... Ring pennies for pagan babies bell novel begins in Rwanda.The protagonist is a priest named Dunn... To baptize the pagans is significantly he rode to work on a bike Historical..., certificate or no certificate then she went down to the wall February 21, 2021 at am... ; we become but Im a bit cynical maryknollers, Franciscans, or missionaries Charity... That, in some elementary way, in all the villages we passed,!

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