Author Topic: Where have all the children gone? (Read 5620 times)

Ekim · « **on:** February 08, 2017, 07:38:29 PM »

I've been attending Traditional Catholic Chapels for over 20 years. The first for about 8 years and the second for about 13. Oddly, after all of these years, the pews have not expanded at all. It seems that the children of highly respected families grow up and move away. Even among themselves Traditional Catholic chapels never seem to really grow.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? After 30 years of large catholic families...some with over 10 kids, our chapel seems to be getting smaller.

saintbosco13 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 08, 2017, 07:44:44 PM »

Quote from: Ekim

I've been attending Traditional Catholic Chapels for over 20 years. The first for about 8 years and the second for about 13. Oddly, after all of these years, the pews have not expanded at all. It seems that the children of highly respected families grow up and move away. Even among themselves Traditional Catholic chapels never seem to really grow.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? After 30 years of large catholic families...some with over 10 kids, our chapel seems to be getting smaller.

I noticed the same thing it was just talking about it myself. It seems to me that the younger generation that could be marrying are not because they can't find a good spouse with solid faith, and they are not about to risk marrying someone without the faith only to wind up having a divorce forced on them. It's sad.

Ekim · « **Reply #2 on:** February 08, 2017, 07:50:33 PM »

At the two chapels I know of the kids grow up and leave. Maybe 15% stick around but the others seem to leave forever.

MyrnaM · « **Reply #3 on:** February 08, 2017, 08:23:46 PM »

At Mount St. Michael, some of the kids grow up and move out of the area, therefore it is hard to tell if they are keeping the faith or not. A few of them leave the faith or it becomes apparent they are just hanging in, but many of them marry each other, or convert outsiders, have children of their own and become active while the congregation continues to grow. We usually do have at least one, or two enter the convent at each graduation.

What surprises me the most is when, and this happens every once in awhile when an established married couple suddenly pick up and goes to Vatican II, can't say they went "back" to VII because they were reared with Tradition they leave broken hearted parents and now grandparents behind.

Matthew · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2017, 09:03:20 PM »

I don't know what it is either.

In my case, I did end up finding a very good spouse (she was worth the wait). But I didn't find her at a trad chapel!

Nevertheless, I'm not thereby going to let all the trad ladies at my trad chapels off the hook. I started off by "trying" to date the handful of young single ladies at my chapel, before I gave up and started dating pagans. In retrospect, I shouldn't have bothered. But I felt quite justified, telling my mother and other Catholics that "I tried to date traditional Catholics, but I can't be single my whole life!" It was hard. I know that many young men are in the same boat today.

For some reason, it almost seems like the young men and women at the (always small) trad chapels consider themselves brothers/sisters, or "too close of a friend to see you that way". I guess they want the modern world's version of love, excitement and infatuation over a solid Traditional Catholic foundation.

I don't think young couples realize just how important it is to be united on matters of faith and morality. Everything else falls into place.

The independent Trad chapel I grew up at only had ONE couple marry each other. The chapel was open from 1975 - 2009 or so. At its peak, it had 120 parishioners, including a lot of families and young people.

I know where most of those young people ended up. Many married non-Catholics (with or without a conversion involved), some met their spouse via the SSPX or Indult, and a few left the Faith. And a number of them never married.

I will say this: I knew one young man who was interested in a young lady from the independent chapel, but years later I found out that during his teen years (when I knew him) he was sowing his wild oats. Now I know why he didn't date any Catholics from our chapel.