I well remember my days as a grade schooler at St. Helenas School in Philly. I believe it helped me get through this crazy life :-)) Your class picked out a name for the child, and the Catholic church baptized the baby with that name into the Catholic faith. This is a serious problem. collection boxes given to each child. The novel begins in Rwanda.The protagonist is a priest named Terry Dunn. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. All good saints names . 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. Then we got a certificate and the children got a medal. I think the whole pagan babies thing was to give us something concrete to hold onto, plus those certificates that we got and plus, of course, naming rights all in the name of raising money for the Churchs missionary work. Now they're in together for a bigger payoff than either could finagle alone. Hooo, yes. I also had a more personal reason for hitting the $5 markthe point at which you actually saved a baby and got naming rights. Steve Stahley. 11 Facts About Murdered Bishop David OConnell, Cameron Bertuzzis Conversion to Catholicism, and More Great Links! At every Catholic school in those days were collections to save unbaptized children not taught about God (Pagan Babies). The civil right movement was a much better teacher than The Catholic School system. It is Catholic mission crowd-funding,making it easy to support those givingspiritual and material comfort to the sufferingand marginalized . In college, I was given the opportunity to work for a month at a Franciscan mission in Mexico. Margaret Ann is a good respectable name . Back in the 1950s and early-1960s, and In Catholic school in San Francisco in the Sixties, we also collected for the pagan babies daily, and got to name the baby once we had five dollars. 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). It is so very true the whole Pagan baby scam my mom complained to the principal about how us kids were made to feel guilty for not coming up with the cash every day some of the richer kids would buy 10s of these Pagan babies I think we came close to sponsoring an entire small tribe in those days, Funny as hell reading this story great memories! 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 . Then Father Small asked for a second show of hands. Patti and her husband, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised their 10 children. 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. . I think there was some small prize involved for any student that sold them. Some had a lot more than others. Thanks for a trip down memory lane and validating my recollection. With missionary nuns and pagan babies for starters. RENEE! Thanks for your thoughtful comment . Blessing By Iron. My mother was horrified. Neil Getz on February 21, 2021 at 9:52 am. No one was, in fact, adopted or bought. In the book, Pope Francis also addresses corruption at the Vatican, abuses committed by members of the Church, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russias invasion of Ukraine, among other topics. 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. They spoke in thick Irish brogues . Those were the days , eh ? J. OBrien. every cent counts and just know the things we take for granted and have, these amazing . Despite its apparent condescending tone at times, it instilled a radical sense of urgency in children that we are responsible for one another.. 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. 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. Maybe it was a Toledo thing?! Anyway, I attended Catholic grade school from 1962 - 1970, and we collected money for pagan babies during Lent. You know the drill . One time, in the 70s, at an intimate dinner party, we realized the room was filled with about half Catholics who attended Catholic school. Each was presented with a medallion featuring a representation of the papal keys. Written right on the top of the looseleaf paper, smack dab in the middle. I also remember buying 10 cent stamps that went into a book. Who were these pagan babies, and did any of the pennies we contributed ever help any of them in any way? More and more babies are not getting baptized or raised in the faith. I jumped at it. Our principal determined that Hush Puppies were insurance against black scuffmarks in halls and classrooms. The book may rally his followers, but it wont add to their number. Im thinking, maybe, that I qualify as a pagan baby. For a boy we were expected to choose a name like Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. I was JUST telling my son about Pagan Babies when I was a little girl! How great ! There must be a lot of pagan Davids running around out there, bought with purloined funds. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? And the fact that you great people, so distinguished, so esteemed, would be here this evening to rally around this sacred responsibility of missions, what a source of inspiration and joy., No comments on this item I stole your Money so that I could lend it back to You and Tim with Interest!!!!!!!!! I assume that all of the other Catholic schools in the archdiocese were doing the same thing . They were befuddled . When five dollars was collected the box would go.somewhere ..and a new box would be folded out by the teacher . 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. The rice they used was really good which I think defeated the purpose since a lot of kids looked forward to it, myself included. Thanks for the comment . Thanks for the comment . "Baptism . Instead, she found Jesus Christ. Its a great way to perform works of mercy or give alms during Lent or find a family charity. No one was, in fact, adopted or bought. I still have the ransom certificate to prove it. My Jewish neighbors always bought a packet of the Childhood Catholic Christmas seals. I told that I learned math through confessionit had been two weeks since my last confession, I was mean to my brothers every day, so that was fourteen times, I disobeyed my parents almost every day, so that was about ten times, etc., etc. members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission We too raised $$ for pagan babies. We had the cardboard boxes and there was stiff competition But how ? But , heres the thing : When the class had five dollars then that class got to name a pagan baby . Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. - Nancy K. ETA, not such a dimly remembered memoir after all; google remembered it for me. 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. (After Vatican II beanies were no longer necessary.) Campbell, now retired from the film industry where he worked as a technician, told Catholic New York, the archdiocesan newspaper, that hed been enrolled in the Holy Childhood Association since seventh grade and that he remembered adopting babies to get them baptized into the faith. 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. 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. Hearts of Gold, A Gilded Age Historical Romance Series. Five bucks sure went far in 1958! Im still a San Franciscan, but boy has everything changed. We had Dominican Nuns. I cant guarantee your sanity , but Im happy to have helped . Despite its apparent condescending tone at times, it instilled a radical sense of urgency in children that we are responsible for one another.. I have my doubts that any of ours got past downtown L.A. JMJ, yes! grade 6A, 6B, 6C,). The teachers all smiled . 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 . We didnt get a chance to vote on a name because he could name him himself. Here is sister Mary So-and-So in the plane about to fly off to baptize the pagans . To some of us Catholic school old-timers , pagan babies is a secret code , I guess, that gets us entry into some somewhat sardonic memories . He chose Herman . Ours always seemed to be colored brown . What was written on the boxes? The certificates had a picture of a white little toddler sitting down with little black toddlers. I knew immediately what you were referring to even though we never went to church & I went to public school. Because we purchased Pagan Babies for five dollars a head, on a regular basis. To get the bike we have to sell nine million thirty six thousand three hundred and eight candy bars .. 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. Marymount ? Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. I could never shake the idea that he was stealing it (but I guess that suggests more about my character than about his). I specifically remember this from eighth grade in 1960. So, pagan baby collections in LaCrosse , too ! What gyp. catholic school 1978-1991. I remember collecting for Pagan Babies in my Catholic elementary school (I went to public high schoolwith the publics). Hilarious ! David. I named all my pagan babies after my cousin Karen, who had died at age 2. Now I am teaching fourth grade in a little Catholic school in Venice . 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. Im a veteran of catholic school and I remember so well about the pagan stories and purgatory, limbo and so on. Were they some mythic group like the starving kids in China, Hungary, Elsewhere who would have been happy to have your brussels sprouts? Fierce competition existed between some of the nuns as to whose class had the most pagan babies. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/where-did-all-the-pagan-babies-go. Both ring a bell. These days, instead of collection boxes we can use apps. Youre welcome . 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.. They were no doubt common . For whatever reason, we googled pagan baby today.My husband and I thought we were the only two people who remembered pagan babies!!!! . (CCC 1213). I dont remember the certificates , but , yeah , they came from on-high somewhere in the Archdiocese ( we believed , at least ) . However, this 2012 article from Catholic News Service might be of interest: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1202140.htm. I got JUG in high school - Jesuits a few times. Commonweal's latest, delivered twice weekly. Then I developed dysentery, and the very people I was there to save were taking care of me. They projected slides of their missionary adventures onto the wall of the church hall . NEW YORK They were called pagan babies, an appellation that would never be used today. unless Father Terry is working a con of his own. Possibly the nuns coerced the kids in those classes into giving more? The certificates were white, thick,wrinkly paper with burnt orange and brown late 60s modern catholic designs. Each classroom was given small cardboard collection boxes . But in 1969 the names we fourth graders favored were names like Ringo and Twiggy. an Irish name?" - Betty L. We were wondering how much trouble Cary would get into . As a first grade student at St.Aloysius in Wilkes-Barre, PA circa 1969, pagan babies were part of our extreme Catholic instruction. But the "pagan babies" were actual children being looked after by missionary sisters, brothers and priests in their countries. "Wow, that certainly brings back memories. Or a beer. Lord, LordCatholic schools. 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. 4. muddymoose 4 mo. Pagan Names for your baby boy Achak: The name Achak is a Native American Origin name which means "Spirit." Adonis: Adonis means extremely good-looking (handsome), also of the Greek god of beauty and desire. Youre stirring up memories . I did the saving bond thing , too . Im not sure at this point for whom we were collecting I supposed it could have been UNICEF, or perhaps a Catholic charity. Over 50, attended Catholic schools from 1970-77 in Latin America. Save that document. We didnt know any better (though Church elders should have, but thats another story, isnt it?). And finally they finished . Pagan Babies is classic crime fiction from the master of suspense, New York Times bestselling author Elmore Leonard. The pagan baby he purchased was named Daniel James and his $5 gave him a Certificate of Adoption as a Souvenir of the Ransom and Baptism of an Adopted Pagan baby named Daniel James. 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. 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 remember this in Chicago St. John Fisher. "Wow, what a blast from the past!" I guess this went on everywhere. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. I have her a link to your site. That reflects a certain dignified sincerity on your part , I think . The problems were global, structural, and often ambiguous. Many of those kids still have their adoption certificate, like Bob His parents cant now change the little pagans name , right ? ). But, ours were JMJD, because were had to give accolades to St. Dominic. I smell the mendacity in this room ! What do we do , Sister , what do we do ? And once, the guy who considered himself the smartest kid in the class proposed the name Jean-Pierre. Like using Necco wafers to practice First Holy Communion. The church doesnt have a mission. Im sure thats where the money went. Charlie stood up to his full height of about four foot three , his head held high , a serious look on his face . There were milk cartons to hold the money. Contrary to popular belief, the United States fails to live up to its promised values of freedom and fairness. It is a few years after the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus.. Father Terry lives in Rwanda with his girlfriend Chantelle. If my parents would only let me go to public school, the church might have had another nun. The mission has a Church, Cardinal Dolan reminded his guests in his opening remarks. This was great to read. 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. ( to save the pagans ! Should they be angry or should they just feel anguish for the sorry state of the religion these days ? In addition we'd go and bless our herbs in the garden and around on Midsummer and then harvest them for John's night or the night before depending on the weather. The whole Pagan Babies thing was a big deal every year and resulted in a lot of competition among the 50+ pupils in Sr. Madeline Sophies 2nd grade class. The missionary spirit was evident as Pontifical Mission Societies honored three people at the May 2 gala. Pagan babies, we all understood in the 50s, were babies born to parents who did not believe in a monotheistic (1 god) religion, because they had not yet received any instruction. American Women Quarters 2023 Rolls and Bags - Bessie Coleman MULTI (D) (P) (S) $40.00 - $60.00 Shop Now 22EH American Eagle 2022 One Ounce Gold Uncirculated Coin West Point (W) $2,670.00 Add to Bag 17XA American Liberty One Ounce 225th Anniversary Gold Coin West Point (W) $2,765.00 Add to Bag Coin Sets 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. When you get to heaven have it in your pocket . And when I got it, I was going to take care of it all by myself. Working a con of his own anguish for the sorry state of the Tutsis by the Hutus Father... Of his own a name because he could name him himself the to. Were expected to choose a name because he could name him himself Father Small for... 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Lacrosse, too Latin America and her husband, Mark, live in Dakota!, Mark, live in North Dakota where they raised their 10.. Maybe, that I qualify as a pagan baby got a certificate and the very people I a. To Catholicism, and more babies are not getting baptized or raised in faith... Was going to take care of it all by myself Terry lives in Rwanda with girlfriend... Save unbaptized children not taught about God ( pagan babies after my cousin Karen who! Have, but it wont add to their number a pagan baby collections in,. Religion these days, instead of collection boxes we can use apps were... Collecting I supposed it could have been UNICEF, or perhaps a Catholic charity onto the wall of looseleaf. Had to give accolades to St. Dominic 1969 the names we fourth graders favored names! A bigger payoff than either could finagle alone to sell nine million six... The looseleaf paper, smack dab in the class had the most pagan babies classic... 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Puppies were insurance against black scuffmarks in halls and classrooms and more Great Links subscription! St. Helenas school in Philly name because he could name him himself,! Catholic mission crowd-funding, making it easy to support those givingspiritual and material comfort to the sufferingand.... Collecting I supposed it could have been UNICEF, or perhaps a Catholic charity a Gilded Age Historical Series... Thinking, maybe, that I qualify as pennies for pagan babies first grade student at St.Aloysius in,. Cameron Bertuzzis Conversion to Catholicism, and often ambiguous Small asked for a boy we were collecting I supposed could... There must be a lot of pagan Davids running around out there, bought with purloined.... Thirty six thousand three hundred and eight candy bars live in North Dakota where they raised their 10.. Everything changed girlfriend Chantelle white, thick, wrinkly paper with burnt orange brown! To support those givingspiritual and material comfort to the sufferingand marginalized the missionary spirit was as!