Brogan: Is This the Season for Faith?

The Christmas Season invariably makes me think of the Faith I was raised in (Catholicism), as well as the deeply personal religious feelings that a majority of those living in Concord in the 50's and 60's felt. It was highly unusual to not find a Church filled to overflowing on a Sunday and no matter the denomination, dressing up to go to Church seemed as natural as dashing off to White (it was always White's to those of us living nearby) Park to feed the ducks, play ball, swim or attend the annual Peanut Carnival.

Concord had four Catholic Churches. St. Peter's, St. John's, Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). There was also a Catholic Church in neighboring Penacook - Immaculate Conception. The first three Parishes also had schools where students were taught primarily by nuns. At one time, there were more than 800 local children attending Parochial School in Concord.

I attended St. Peter's where each of the four classrooms had two grades. I used to think the nuns deserved combat pay for being able to skillfully teach one grade and give them an assignment before going to the other side of the room to teach that grade, while maintaining discipline amongst the 40 - 50 students, in total.

Despite decades of tales and plays such as Nunsence perpetuating the legendary yardsticks and other methods of punishment, I rarely if ever saw any of these urban legends up-close and personal. Yes, you were held to a certain standard of behavior and there were genuine expectations, but the education we received and the life lessons we learned, stuck.

I frequently find myself at Bishop Brady High School, which I attended for four years. It was an amazing experience. In fact a few days before I graduated, I approached Sister Mary Alfred, the school's Principal, and asked her, in all seriousness, whether I could repeat 12th grade because I wanted to remain an extra year. In declining my offer, Sister was gracious and understanding.

For hundreds if not thousands of us, much of our lives revolved around our Parish. St. Peter's certainly provided many outlets and opportunities to be involved. Church Fairs, suppers, an annual variety show presented at the City Auditorium, as well as youth groups including a scout troop. You rarely had to be coerced into wanting to attend or participate. There was a true sense of community. To this day, scores of my Facebook "Friends" are people from the "St. Peter's Family".

The Mass was in Latin when I first began attending and that, combined with the scent of incense, the candles, the statues and the seriousness of attending Mass, made it something I eagerly looked forward to participating in weekly. In reflection, I believe my fervor and Faith were very strong as a youngster and well into my teens. I did, however, begin to question it as the years passed.

I was working at the Concord Theatre in 1968 when we scheduled a showing of Valley of the Dolls, the film version of the highly controversial best-selling book.

In those days prior to the Motion Picture ratings, the Catholic Legion of Decency would determine the fitness of films. Valley was Condemned and the Pastor of St. John's Church told Theresa Cantin, the theater's owner, that if she played the film she could no longer worship at St. John's.

The film sold more than 15,000 tickets during its run and Theresa began regularly attending Sacred Heart Church on Pleasant Street.

I was also advised by the Administrator at Bishop Brady High School that if I chose to work during the film's run, I would need to go to weekly Confession to confess my being in the presence of a Condemned motion picture. I dutifully went each Saturday afternoon.

By the time I had graduated from high school, I had become one of those Catholics who only attended Mass at Easter and Christmas. It wasn't that I didn't have Faith or believe in a Higher Power, but rather that I began to feel disillusioned in what I was seeing and hearing with respect to the Church. I never, however, lost a strong connection to St. Peter's Church and until it closed several years ago, I would regularly volunteer to play the keyboard for Church Suppers and the annual Christmas Fair. There was a genuine sense of peace and comfort in being in those familiar surroundings and giving back for all that I'd received in the decades before.

On my daily walks around Concord, I often found myself walking past the Church and knowing it was there brought a real serenity and kept me centered.

The scandals that threatened to destroy the Church made me profoundly sad. It made me very angry, however, when Bishop McCormack dug his heels in and seemed to be adamant about not stepping down. An exodus of Catholics departed the Faith, many of whom never returned. The irreparable damage especially impacted the older members of the Church Community whose Faith was enormously important to them.

Sacred Heart was closed and turned into elegant condos several years ago and eventually St. Peter's received their death sentence. The Diocese chose to begin the demolition of St. Peter's Church and the Parish Hall during Holy Week, which seemed an almost heartless act of cruelty.

I was told that a Parish is about more than the building but about the people. That may be true on the face of it BUT what St. Peter's represented to me for nearly 6 decades, was the lives of the thousands who walked through its doors. The First Communions, the Confirmations, the Weddings and Funerals. All of the lives that intersected and changed, evolved and developed. The connections made within the walls and the laughter shared and tears shed. It was not just a building. It was a world built by Faith.

Sometimes I attend a Mass because I want to and thereby I get something from it. I am not going because I have to or I must or else...

Believing in still important and sometimes brings a measure of comfort in the darkest hours of the night. I've spoken to enough other people of varying Faiths to know that the world of organized religion is struggling to maintain its place.

Thousands of worshipers still attend Services at Easter and Christmas, filling the beautiful Capital Center for the Arts with their prayers and songs. The Masses are held there to accommodate those twice-a-year churchgoers. The Catholic Church, must makes changes if they are ever again to be all they seemed to be in a time long gone.

Priests need to be allowed to marry and women must be allowed to serve as Priests. Nothing less than an overhaul and changes such as these will bring the flock back to the shepherd.

During this time of the year when many of our Churches are adorned in reminders of the first Christmas, as well as celebrations or recognitions of other Faiths and Beliefs, take a breath, pause, and look within yourself to see what, if any role, Faith or believing in something, plays in your world. With so much occupying our lives and time as well as the plethora of diversions we have at our fingertips, you might be surprised at what you discover.