Author Topic: St. Marys KS -- Catholic Disneyland or good thing? (Read 33572 times)

Belloc · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2010, 02:50:19 PM »

True, plus Catholics are so divided on theology, let alone regional issues, ethinicity,etc.

Alexandria · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2010, 02:51:42 PM »

Quote from: sedetrad

Moving to a place where you cannot viably support your family is wrong. St. Mary's is probably a nice place to go to mass, but it seems to me that the city has not grown in an organic fashion. The only thing many of the people would have in common would be their faith. Their politics and backgrounds may be vastly different. For example, how would a Trad from the deep South really like to live next to a New York city trad and vice-versa. They are not culturally compatible. It is not like the old ethnic Catholic neighborhoods that existed during the 20's-50's where people were ethnically similiar, related, and new each other. It seems to me building these artifical "traditional" communities is a recipe for failure.

If you only knew the truth of what you write here...after nineteen years, this transplanted East Coaster is still and always will be a fish out of water. There's no place like home.

My advice to anyone is to stay where you are. Relocating for the sake of what someone perceives to be a traditional utopia is a big mistake.

"Artificial traditional communities" - you said it Sede! - a recipe for failure and, I might add, disillusionment. I know many, many families who rue the day they decided to uproot themselves for what they thought were greener pastures.

Matthew · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2010, 03:03:50 PM »

For the people moving there with no job, etc. it's "putting the Faith first"

But it seems to me, God gave us each a brain and we must be prudent.

How can we save our souls when we can't feed our families?

St. Thomas Aquinas said that private property is a good, useful for living a virtuous life. We need certain material things to live a virtuous life.

God doesn't want us all digging in garbage cans. For starters, it's hard to help others -- practice charity -- when you're digging in garbage cans to keep body & soul together.

(He also doesn't want us idle; living off "residual income", "investment income" or other such money that comes without working... "By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread all the days of thy life", etc.)

And St. Paul quoted Jesus Christ as saying, "It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive."

Also, how can you home school your children if both parents have to work because of dire poverty? Again, material things (and considerations) have their place.

Matthew

Alexandria · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2010, 03:15:21 PM »

That's the worst. I know countless families that lost everything because they either couldn't find a job at all or had to take a job in their field for less than half of what they had been making before they moved. Reserves dwindle, some have to file for bankruptcy, others have the supreme humiliation of being at the mercy of food banks and the food stamp program, tempers flare, the traditional utopia turns out not to be so utopian....some make it back, most don't.

Sad situation all around.

Matthew · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2010, 03:25:40 PM »

And here's the ten million dollar question:

When the Jones family moves 1,000 miles to be in St. Marys, because they "value the Faith" and suffer *greatly* for financial reasons, etc. what do you suppose they think of Catholics who stay put and don't move there?

They're probably going to look down on them. After all, the Jones family suffered so much to "put the Faith first" so they will be righteous as they look down on others who are content "to only attend Mass once a week. Hmph!"

Even though that's the more prudent course for most of the population.

Let's face it -- someone has to be the leaven for those "lesser chapels" too -- what if all the good Catholics up and left for St. Marys? What would happen to those "left behind" in all the other major cities in America? They would have no good examples to look upon.

Yes, it's nice to have tons of traditional Catholics all around you, but it comes with its downsides. You don't have to fight as much to be a Catholic, which makes for weaker, more complacent Catholics (in my opinion).

Matthew