Please note how modern my vestments are, my youth, which of course hasn’t changed, and the throngs of people. St. Teresa’s as well as Albany, GA were booming in the mid to late 70’s and well into the 80’s, but things, for some inexplicable reason, took a turn in the wrong direction as many major industries closed, people moved away and, well, scandal in the Church took its toll.
At its peak by the early 80’s when I was a newly ordained priest from 1980 to 85, St. Teresa’s had about 1,500 families and an elementary school with almost 500 kids in K through 8th. I would say that 70% of Catholics at that time and in that parish attended Sunday Mass. The 9:30 and 12 noon Masses were packed and the 12 noon was a folk Mass with a very good folk group and that Mass was standing room only.
We had three priests plus a large lay staff.
The pastor I had from 81 to 85 was a progressive priest and did an excellent job there, although I, even though very liberal at that time, wanted a more solemn liturgy then what he wanted. I’m not talking pre-Vatican II here, but simply attention to detail and beauty.
Today, though, the parish is about 500 families and aging and the school while through high school now, has about 150 kids. No nuns. We had six in the 80’s.
The choir here was a visiting choir from Saint Anthony in Atlanta, a parish which became predominantly African American and at the time had an absolutely superb Gospel Choir. Let me tell you, they rocked, but there was a traditional Catholic element in their style of Gospel Music. Can’t describe it, but our congregation invited them back they were so impressed with their abilities to bridge Gospel music to white Catholics. By the way, I went to St. Anthony School in Atlanta for the first grade, the 1959-60 school year and at that time the parish was completely Lilly white and Atlanta was completely segregated.
Thus this photo is about 15 years after desegregation.
9 comments:
Although you had nice hair, this is the epitome of blah
This post reminds me why I avoid looking at the old photos I have in my box from the 1970's.
Cringe.
Here is a film clip regarding the time immediately following "the Council." What a travesty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5urzMgGh4
It is a time capsule and history. We have to ask why these pre Vatican II Catholics flipped so easily. Oppressed and now free?
DJR,
I suspect most of those folks are no longer Catholic. But the Novus Ordo was a resounding success! LOL
Bishop Shannon left the Church and was married. Another Vatican II "success" story!!!
Father McDonald,
A lot of pre Vatican II Catholics did not flip, they walked away.
I don't think as many pre-Vatican II Catholics, dismayed with the changes, unlike those in the video quite engaged with the changes and wanting much more of it, left the Church. They were obedient to what sound bishops and Pope Paul VI desired at the time. And most were raising alarms about what was happening including Paul VI.
Within 10 years of this video, progressives were leaving the Church in droves and a huge number of priests and religious were leaving too.
Fr. Nerin in the video was ordained a priest in 1951 and lived to 2020! He left the priesthood and the Church in 1975. His obituary indicates nothing about his religion at the time of death at 94 years old. It appears he became thoroughly secular but with an individualism as it concerns spirituality and Jesus. There was no formal funeral, but a celebration of his life at the home of one of his relatives.
That is rather sad and I would say this man was victimized by the spirit of Vatican II and duped by it and he became cynical and one of the first "nones" as a result of it.
I had two uncles who always attended Sunday Mass who gave up when the changes were foisted on them. I suspect the hierarchy did not want to know. If the Church had maintained the TLM alongside the reformed Mass we may have not suffered the losses we did. But the Koolaid drinkers, crypto totalitarians, did not want pew setting Catholics to have a choice, just like the current tyrant in Rome. Let that thought sink in
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