Catholic FamilyLand

[CanticleoftheTurning]

http://www.familyland.org/Home.aspx

What do you guys thing of Catholic Family Land? One of my former friends who's a fundie Catholic used to go there pretty nearly every summer with her family. It always sounded weird to me, so I wanted to put it forth for your [strikethrough]snarking[/strikethrough] honest evaluation of it.

[kpmom]

If they could get rid of all the Catholic stuff, it sounds kind of fun. Horse back riding, water slides, marshmallow roasts.

But I guess then it would just be any other camp grounds, and I guess the Catholic stuff is the whole point.

Did I read that right that bathroom and shower facilities are in a common area? No bathrooms in the cabins?

[lilwriter85]

If they could get rid of all the Catholic stuff, it sounds kind of fun. Horse back riding, water slides, marshmallow roasts.

But I guess then it would just be any other camp grounds, and I guess the Catholic stuff is the whole point.

Did I read that right that bathroom and shower facilities are in a common area? No bathrooms in the cabins?

I think I have heard of this place before. A high school friend of mine became in a devout Catholic in college and she mentioned going to a place like this for retreat thing and she said the shower area was a communal one.

[Wolfie]

Did I read that right that bathroom and shower facilities are in a common area? No bathrooms in the cabins?

That isn't uncommon in camps.

[kpmom]

That isn't uncommon in camps.

Ah, must be why I'm a private bath, room service, wifi, in-room movies, mini bar, hotel lovin' girl

[celestial]

Their list of camp activities cracks me up:

Frisbee Golf

Volleyball

Softball

Eucharistic Adoration

Water Slides

Roast Marshmallows

Bonfire Sing along

Toddler Play area

Family Olympics

Faith Learning

Confession

Treats at Mama C's Snack Shack

Age Specific Programs

Basketball

Family Banner Night

Horseback Riding

Pony Walks

Playground

Tennis

Square Dance

Sporting Activities and Tournaments

Swimming

Hiking

Family Rosary

Camping

And much more...

I love how eucharistic adoration and confession are right alongside roasting marshmallows and riding horses.

[fundiefun]

I'm as Catholic as they come, but this would be too much for even me to handle. I like things in moderate doses and a week long 24/7 religious atmosphere no thanks. I prefer my camping experiences with no religion and some drinking :mrgreen:

[Guest Anonymous]

No feelings either way regarding the actual family land stuff, but their website sucks!

[CanticleoftheTurning]

I'm as Catholic as they come, but this would be too much for even me to handle. I like things in moderate doses and a week long 24/7 religious atmosphere no thanks. I prefer my camping experiences with no religion and some drinking :mrgreen:

THIS!! I like religion, but geez, I chose not to be a nun for a reason...

I probably had my brakes on when I heard about Catholic Family Land from my fundie Catholic ex-friend, so I'm grateful for all your feedback. Still moving past the shit I grew up with, so I appreciate the clear lenses here! :)

[FaustianSlip]

Did anyone watch the video? I know I want to spend my summer getting up nice and early for guitar Mass!

Ahem.

I actually went to an Episcopal summer camp (clearly, it didn't take), and by and large, I had a blast there. It was pretty low-key, though; we would have a little religious lesson every evening, which was usually really universal stuff like be nice, share, et cetera, and there were a couple of religion-centered sessions during the week that were similarly low-pressure. Then there were services on Saturday, which were actually a blast, in the sense that it seemed really cool to all of us to have a service that was ninety percent kids. It was generally a really positive experience, and I have a lot of friends now who went to Jewish summer camps and enjoyed that. So I don't pooh-pooh the idea of a churchy summer camp for a whole family to attend, necessarily, but the website is awful, as someone pointed out, and it does seem a little over the top.

I liked the part in the video where the narrator goes, "You can even participate in confession!" Uh, well, if you're going to mass daily, you'd kind of have to, wouldn't you? I was never under the impression that it was optional.

[CanticleoftheTurning]

Did anyone watch the video? I know I want to spend my summer getting up nice and early for guitar Mass!

Ahem.

I actually went to an Episcopal summer camp (clearly, it didn't take), and by and large, I had a blast there. It was pretty low-key, though; we would have a little religious lesson every evening, which was usually really universal stuff like be nice, share, et cetera, and there were a couple of religion-centered sessions during the week that were similarly low-pressure. Then there were services on Saturday, which were actually a blast, in the sense that it seemed really cool to all of us to have a service that was ninety percent kids. It was generally a really positive experience, and I have a lot of friends now who went to Jewish summer camps and enjoyed that. So I don't pooh-pooh the idea of a churchy summer camp for a whole family to attend, necessarily, but the website is awful, as someone pointed out, and it does seem a little over the top.

I liked the part in the video where the narrator goes, "You can even participate in confession!" Uh, well, if you're going to mass daily, you'd kind of have to, wouldn't you? I was never under the impression that it was optional.

LOL, frequent confession is not my cuppa tea. I go maybe 3,4 times a year. Also, daily Mass is so boring...usually there's no music so I don't really like to go. Then again it's usually because I can't hear a darn thing of the homilies (hard of hearing) so I just take a nap during that part. Maybe I fail as a Catholic. But then again I take naps during sermons at any other church.

Anyhow, my Episcopalian husband told me something I never knew in my years of growing up (fundie-ish) Catholic. Receiving Communion actually erases venial sins. I don't remember the theology behind it, but that makes me feel so much better about going to Confession.

It's the mortal sins that need to be confessed before Communion.

[Constance Vigilance]

Anyhow, my Episcopalian husband told me something I never knew in my years of growing up (fundie-ish) Catholic. Receiving Communion actually erases venial sins. I don't remember the theology behind it, but that makes me feel so much better about going to Confession.

It's the mortal sins that need to be confessed before Communion.

I've never heard this before. We were taught it's Confession that removes sin, and you're supposed to be have confessed your sins and had them absolved before you receive Communion [ETA]. That's why brainwashed little Catholic children have their First Confession as a preparation for First Communion -- I don't imagine they thought many of us had committed mortal sins at age 7. :|

[1004srs]

Catholics are only expected to go to confession at least once a year during Easter. I've heard some go every 3 months or so. Once a year is fine for me.

[CanticleoftheTurning]

I've never heard this before. We were taught it's Confession that removes sin, and you're supposed to be have confessed your sins and had them absolved before you receive Communion. That's why brainwashed little Catholic children have their First Confession as a preparation for First Communion -- I don't imagine they thought many of us had committed mortal sins at age 7. :|

I wouldn't call all kids going through the preparation process of First Communion "brainwashed"...that seems to be taking it a little bit far. When my husband wakes up I'll have to ask him where he saw that again--I think he saw it while reading through the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

And indeed, hardly any kids commit mortal sins by 7. Although my mom seemed to think I did. Fun story: I had bought Chapstick with my small allowance, and sitting on the floor, I put some on. Then I felt tired. So I set it down on the floor, and just folded over into what I now know as the "child pose" in yoga. My mom saw me and was scandalized. She thought I was worshiping a false god. The God of Chapstick or something. So she made me put "worshiping an idol" that on my list of sins to confess for my first confession. Yeah.

[Constance Vigilance]

I wouldn't call all kids going through the preparation process of First Communion "brainwashed"...that seems to be taking it a little bit far.

But when they are 7, that is what it is. You are meant to be undergoing a profoundly meaningful religious event, entering into communion with your saviour...and you're 7. I ask you. The kids are taught to say the right words at the right time, and the girls wear pretty dresses, and you go through with it without even thinking about it. Does a 7 year old have anything like the mental/emotional capacity to understand what they're meant to be particpating in? It's really weird. You'd need to be a lot older for it to be a free choice.

[CanticleoftheTurning]

But when they are 7, that is what it is. You are meant to be undergoing a profoundly meaningful religious event, entering into communion with your saviour...and you're 7. I ask you. The kids are taught to say the right words at the right time, and the girls wear pretty dresses, and you go through with it without even thinking about it. Does a 7 year old have anything like the mental/emotional capacity to understand what they're meant to be particpating in? It's really weird. You'd need to be a lot older for it to be a free choice.

I know traditionally that 7 years old is thought to be when kids reach the age of reason--they're old enough to start learning seriously about faith and can grasp the concept of Communion. So, if one follows the traditional understanding, then it's not brainwashing. Other than that, I don't know enough about child development to say whether they do have the mental or emotional capacity to understand what they're learning, so that's a good question.

I do know that, in my personal experience, when I was 5 or so, I started understanding the concepts of Communion and couldn't wait until I was old enough. I had a basic understanding of the sacrifice, I understood the story. So, my first Communion marked a milestone in spiritual understanding. I will admit though that my understanding of Communion matured and changed over time as I learned more and more details about it in subsequent catechism classes. Even now, I keep learning more about Communion.

That brings up another question that would be interesting to chew on--at what point are people ever at an age when they really understand Communion? What constitutes "understanding" for Communion? Is the child's understanding good enough to start receiving Communion, or does one have to reach confirmation age, or are priests ever the only people who truly understand it? (Even then, I daresay there are definitely some priests out there who don't understand it...grumble.)

I suppose another question I might have is--do some families have too high of an expectation about First Communion, and make their child go through all the classes? Or do some families have their children go through the classes, and if they don't understand yet or aren't ready, hold them back until the next year?

While I was mentally ready for First Communion myself, I felt like I was forced to go through Confirmation even though I felt "weak" and not ready to go through Confirmation. I honestly was at a stage when I didn't fucking care about being Catholic, because it was the fundamentalism by my family that was getting me down.

[Constance Vigilance]

In my school everyone went through the preparation and made their First Communion, the end. A child's developmental stage or ability to understand what was happening wasn't taken into consideration in any way. It was far more about the pretty dress and learning what to say when etc, which is why it felt like brainwashing to me.

[FaustianSlip]

Okay, that chapstick story is... insane.

And my understanding, from hanging out on Fisheaters way too long, is that you only need to go to Confession for mortal sins, not venial, which don't prevent you from taking Communion. Why an ex-Episcopalian Jew knows that, I couldn't tell you.

[Jeff]

Anyhow, my Episcopalian husband told me something I never knew in my years of growing up (fundie-ish) Catholic. Receiving Communion actually erases venial sins. I don't remember the theology behind it, but that makes me feel so much better about going to Confession.

It's the mortal sins that need to be confessed before Communion.

The Eucharist's capacity for cleansing from venial sin would be CCC 1393, which additionally includes a quote from St. Ambrose (who lived in the Fourth Century, so it's hardly a new idea) on the matter.

I like the way the Episcopal catechism words it, as well: "The benefits we receive [in the Lord's Supper] are the forgiveness of sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life."

[CanticleoftheTurning]

In my school everyone went through the preparation and made their First Communion, the end. A child's developmental stage or ability to understand what was happening wasn't taken into consideration in any way. It was far more about the pretty dress and learning what to say when etc, which is why it felt like brainwashing to me.

It must depend on the school, family, and the situation, then. I can totally see it feeling like brainwashing in your case, and frankly, the whole focus on "pretty dress" and memorization is :doh: I remember when my sister had First Communion, there were some girls that were too into the pretty dress scene that I really rolled my eyes and wondered if they really understood what was going on. (I have a similar beef with bridal dresses. Beautiful, yes, but the day isn't frikkin about the dress, it's about the marriage! I'm lookin' at you Kim Kardashian...)

Okay, that chapstick story is... insane.

And my understanding, from hanging out on Fisheaters way too long, is that you only need to go to Confession for mortal sins, not venial, which don't prevent you from taking Communion. Why an ex-Episcopalian Jew knows that, I couldn't tell you.

Prolly 'cause Episcopalians have very similar theological views ;) And Fisheaters...it's too insane for me to hang around. My husband sure loves snarking on it though.

And thank you, Jeff--those were the sources I was looking for!