Bob Crowley

[FaithT]

I read that your wife is Baptist. One of our deacons is married to a Baptist, too. My hubby grew up Baptist, stopped going to church, and then went with me to the Lutheran church for a few months before I came back to Catholicism. Now he doesn’t go to church again anymore.
How do you and your wife handle being different denominations? Do you go to your church and she goes to hers? Do you go to church together and alternate which church you go to? What about Christmas and Easter?
Christianity is important to me and it bothers me that hubby isn’t very interested. He’s definitely not going to join the Catholic Church or return to the Baptist church.

 

[Bob Crowley]

When we married we were both Protestant. I was Presbyterian and she was and still is Baptist.

She's been a practising Christian pretty much all her life, and grew up with Christian (Baptist) parents. I didn't and my background was not religious. I was only Presbyterian because my parents were Catholic and Anglican, and they got married in a Presbyerian Church. I presume the quid pro quo was that any kids would be baptised Presbyterian.

Now when I did become Christian at 28 I was initially Presbyterian, and while I enjoyed that particular church itself due to the people there, I didn't have a strong Presbyterian family tradition. Nor did I have the virulent anti-Catholic sentiments that some Protestants do as my family was irreligious. About the only comment I can remember my (atheist) Catholic father making about the Church was "Protestants can't even agree amongst themselves what they believe!" and "The Reformation was as much political as it was religious". That was about it. Both parents were wedding and funeral church goers only.

The Presbyterian pastor predicted I'd become Catholic which I did in due oourse (he was pretty accurate when he predicted or "prophesied" something).

My wife was uneasy about it at first, but it's water under the bridge now. Her mother was more concerned, but she's since passed on and now has a more informed view of absolute truth.

I'm staying Catholic and she knows that. Sometimes I go to her church, but she doesn't very often go to mine. On the other hand she's involved with me in our local Vinnies conference (St. Vincent de Paul) and has probably done a few hundred home visits with me over the years. Vinnies is Catholic (started in Paris in France in 1833 and the world HO is still there).

We go to our own churches each weekend. She went to her church this morning and I was at both the evening mass last night and this morning as I was involved with banging away on my guitar (anathema to some CF readers it seems but I couldn't care less) with one of the parish music groups.

I traditionally go to her church on Christmas morning, Easter Sunday and Good Friday. There's no conflict with Good Friday as her service is at 8.30am and my Catholic mass is at 3pm.

It would be easier if we were both members of the same church, but I don't see that happening unless something radical occurs. It's just part of our married routine now.

 

[FaithT]

When we married we were both Protestant. I was Presbyterian and she was and still is Baptist.

She's been a practising Christian pretty much all her life, and grew up with Christian (Baptist) parents. I didn't and my background was not religious. I was only Presbyterian because my parents were Catholic and Anglican, and they got married in a Presbyerian Church. I presume the quid pro quo was that any kids would be baptised Presbyterian.

Now when I did become Christian at 28 I was initially Presbyterian, and while I enjoyed that particular church itself due to the people there, I didn't have a strong Presbyterian family tradition. Nor did I have the virulent anti-Catholic sentiments that some Protestants do as my family was irreligious. About the only comment I can remember my (atheist) Catholic father making about the Church was "Protestants can't even agree amongst themselves what they believe!" and "The Reformation was as much political as it was religious". That was about it. Both parents were wedding and funeral church goers only.

The Presbyterian pastor predicted I'd become Catholic which I did in due oourse (he was pretty accurate when he predicted or "prophesied" something).

My wife was uneasy about it at first, but it's water under the bridge now. Her mother was more concerned, but she's since passed on and now has a more informed view of absolute truth.

I'm staying Catholic and she knows that. Sometimes I go to her church, but she doesn't very often go to mine. On the other hand she's involved with me in our local Vinnies conference (St. Vincent de Paul) and has probably done a few hundred home visits with me over the years. Vinnies is Catholic (started in Paris in France in 1833 and the world HO is still there).

We go to our own churches each weekend. She went to her church this morning and I was at both the evening mass last night and this morning as I was involved with banging away on my guitar (anathema to some CF readers it seems but I couldn't care less) with one of the parish music groups.

I traditioally go to her church on Christmas morning, Easter Sunday and Good Friday. There's no conflict with Good Friday as her service is at 8.30am and my Catholic mass is at 3pm.

It would be easier if we were both members of the same church, but I don't see that happening unless something radical occurs. It's just part of our married routine now.

Thanks!