Introductions. So my name is Gerry, I'm a single male in early middle age based in Ireland. Until about 10-12 years ago I was in the NO church and even thought I had a vocation until a crisis brought me to tradition. Though trainedin the heritage/culture sector I don't make my living from that but instead work for the government, 

Greetings to my fellow Catholics!  I am a 58 year-old (cradle) Catholic from Australia.  I joined this site in the hope of connecting with Traditional Catholics who, like me, are very unhappy with the tsunami of garbage that that has flooded into our Church since Vat 2.   Such is the corruption in the Church now, that I am convinced we are witnessing "The Great Apostasy".  Mainstream Catholicism is a sick joke, in my opinion and authentic Catholics are very thin on the ground - however, God ensures a faithful remnant always exists.  

God bless, 
Anthony.

Oh thanks, Nadir.  I'm in Forster NSW; where are you?

I'm in Honolulu, granddaughter of a Lutheran seminary professor and minister - who wanted to pray the rosary at around age 6 and wasn't permitted to do that.  Now I use the St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort bead by bead method and have memorized everything connected to it - all the introductory and concluding material.  It's been great for someone scripturally deprived and is a blissful time of my day though of course each day is different.  That method can be found in Patricia Quintiliani's My Treasury of Chaplets now out of print but easily found on-line.  I know if I used the normal method my mind would wander continuously.

Anyway, there's a long story between then and now.  There is nothing here in the way of traditional Catholicism so I am moving to the mainland and focused on researching.  I will probably use the database at traditio.com for specifics.

I've learned a lot about jurisdiction, lack of it, etc., epikeia and the misuse of it.   I was a member of True Restoration Radio until my knowledge base increased.   I joined up here because of one particular post!  I hope the member returns to the site to check his in-box.   I'm looking for information on a place about which he knows, Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in Tampa.  Anyway:  glad to be here.

What a great story.  It's nice to have you.  Were your parents also Lutheran?  At what age did you become a Catholic?  And then when did you become a Traditional Catholic?

Ladislaus, thank you.  I can't tell you how glad I am to receive such a welcome.  Now it is time for prayer: extremely early in the morning here but the only time there is peace and quiet.  I very much want to share my background and have a real need for help as I plan to move so will be asking questions here.  I like the atmosphere here.  I hope to contribute what I can with no worries about criticism.  Everyone is doing the best they can in a devastating situation as far as I can see.  Apostolic succession and jurisdiction concern me... but there is so much mental anxiety around those subjects that I am almost at the point of going back to simplicity which has always served me best... but only as simple as possible, no simpler-that's not an original thought; I think I saw it somewhere or maybe it was put like this:  as complicated as necessary, but no more complicated +

Debate isn't something I can do well nor ever enjoyed because I don't like 'besting' anyone.  I've always been an information gatherer and dispenser.  I like sharing what has worked for me, particularly with devotions.   But now, front and center is this:  I'm in the throes of moving after a long time in Hawaii - came to teach, pretty much.  Looking for where I'll be living (and dying).  

I guess rather than controversy on related but more distant topics, I am interested and need more clarity on the 'stricter side' of pre 1958 Catholicism and how that translates into n o w.  What means something to me is getting situated in a place served by bishops who are validly ordained and have jurisdiction.  They don't have to be resident, but assuming that they have ordinary or supplied jurisdiction, the priests serving under them would too I believe is accurate.  Maybe all this interest comes from having a seminarian even Lutheran in my background... but is very key to where I move because valid sacraments are key.

I've been an epikeia sort of person.... valuing flexibility but in reality, flexibility is destructive - not everything is flexible.  That's a protestant approach to life:  flexibility to allow for material growth, gain.  I understand this very well through experience.  There is little other emphasis even from loving parents who did all the right things and gave me everything in one of the wealthiest communities in the country.  What I didn't have was :  a standard (!)  I now see that lack of information made a huge difference in my life.  The information wasn't available to me, but it wasn't available to even Catholics.  I grew up, we all are growing up in - chaotic times.

Epikeia can only be used in the internal forum, not in gaining any changes in unwanted laws from pre-1958 Catholicism or entirely dispensing with them.  I wasn't born knowing this; I did research on the subject since epikeia plays such an important part in my future with traditional Catholicism.  I'm gullible, but less so than I used to be.

About this topic of jurisdiction...  the more I learned, the more I saw I had assumed way too much about jurisdiction - something I wasn't even aware of pretty much, until relatively recently.  I had always assumed that it came automatically with ordination or consecration.  I thought it was simple.  I hope to find a middle ground between no options and anything is fine.   There cannot be 'no options' because Christ promised there always would be, so to speak, even now.  Anyway....  this subject is possibly going to have to be dealt with privately. 

I treasure being here. +

Oh... I 'converted' into Catholicism at the local flagship cathedral for the entire island chain:  Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, with the front altar abandoned, and the table set up in the middle of the nave, presiders' chairs, and female dispensers of bread and wine, which is what the meal is.  This was less Catholic by several degrees than the Episcopal Church in which I was raised.  After some months, I left.  During this time, I was on my way to traditional Catholicism through listening to podcasts and reading such places as catholic.com and Catholic Answers and its forum.  I was working 18 hour days, commuting 1 hr 10 mins by bike to teach at a school far away from home, and listening all the way!  I've always had a 'hearing heart.'  I think, or a reading one anyway.  That's enough about me: I want to focus on other people and learn from them.  I will put my avatar up when I get the one I want. 

The only thing a born protestant can offer is this maybe:  everything is one way in dealing with Catholics - everything is a gift to me!  The only thing I can offer in return is my experience of how things are turning out for me, as it happens so to speak.  Because, I am, God willing, finally moving this year, safely and soundly.

Yes.   All 15 decades, using St. Louis de Montfort's bead by bead method, which I have long since entirely memorized including several pages of introductory material with prayers, and same for concluding.  Am also re-reading the meditations in Fr. Libietis' True Consecration to Mary which helps with the Consecration.  It is the best time of my day; I love to pray.  Not that every day is 'easy' of course. 

I still feel as though it is safer to PM to ask the kind of questions I have. 

If anyone is willing to take a question or three from me (ha ha) likely just one that would expand as we 'discussed' and won't be offended if unfamiliar with what I have found in research, please, PM me.  If e-mail is best you could tell me that and I'll be fine that way too.  

Thank you.... 

Oh I am also praying using the Seven Dolours chaplet, and I 'love' The Imitation of Christ and share it with other people....plus other books, among them, the Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great (big book).  And:  The Mystical City of God (neemcog.com) AND Ann Catherine Emmerich, 1000 pages.  

I've shared material with my protestant relatives; it is all foreign territory to them.  Really Catholics have a l o t for which to be thankful.  The difference in orientation is enormous between Protestantism and Catholicism.  Basically ignore what is going on today except..... have to find the 'home.'  :) 

It's lonely here without association and I know others experience this in their situations on the mainland, too.  Hawaii just seems to be particularly boneheaded about this anyway.  No options exist.   I have not even found Eastern Rite - one place that fits that category did exist and sounded good, but it is defunct now.  I'm interested in the Eastern Rite as an alternative for valid sacraments and lines; that's one of my '?' and would love to hear from someone who is happy where they are and why.  Or even unhappy where they are, and why.