Learning about Catholicism

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I attend Loras College which is a Catholic Liberal Arts College. I have lived in this environment for over three years and taken a few classes that have focused on the Catholic Religion. I have often felt as though I haven’t learned much about Catholicism during my first three years at Loras. I have attended Catholic school since kindergarten and have taken classes in religion as far back as I can remember. In a sense, I have thought of Loras as an extension of high school as far as my education in Catholicism is concerned. However, I mentioned in a previous blog that after talking with fellow classmates about Loras, I realized certain details that I had not seen before. I think that talking to people who did not attend Catholic high schools about the Loras environment is what I have learned most about Catholicism while on campus. I had never been exposed to many Catholics who had attended public schools before entering Loras College and they have revealed many aspects of a Catholic education that I had not been aware of. My example about the Catholic aspect of teaching the sciences was something that I had not thought of and by talking to others I actually learned more about Catholicism on campus. I believe that I have actually learned more about other religions than I have about Catholicism at Loras. I took a Catholic Identity course entitled Priest, Minister, Rabbi two years ago. Much of what was discussed about Catholicism was familiar to me. However, the material on the comparison between Catholicism and Protestantism and Judaism was very new to me. I increased my knowledge on Catholicism by learning about two other religions.

I think that there is definitely something unique about attending a Catholic College versus a public university. I have to confess some ignorance on this subject as I have not spent a significant amount of time at a non-denominational university. I would assume that there is less openness surrounding religion at a public university and there is most likely not a campus ministry room in their main buildings. Students usually receive a few emails a week surrounding Catholic events on campus such as ones about daily or weekly Mass. I have also noticed the presence of crucifixes in some of the rooms of the science hall on campus which I know would not be present at a public school. There is also a difference between attending a Catholic college and a college affiliated with a different religion. Loras most likely has more in common with these private schools than public universities; but again, I have very little knowledge on other private institutions. I think that the most significant thing that is focused on at a Catholic college is the importance of being a part of a community. The Catholic Church focuses its teachings on a community rather than in an individualistic way. This is why Catholics stress the importance of attending Mass every week. Students are encouraged to attend events about their religion and one is usually offered at least once a week. Classes in which the main focus is the discussion about the Catholic religion are also held. These factors help to make students realize that they a part of community and that they should take an active role in it.

Our class recently read a book by Dorothy Day about the Catholic Worker Movement. I have to admit that I was completely ignorant of this movement and the fact that it still exists today. I did not even realize that there was a Catholic house here in Dubuque. However, after reading Day’s book, I got a much better sense on this particular service branch of the Catholic religion in the United States. I had a friend in high school that was not Catholic and I remember having many conversations about the differences between our two religions. Some of the discussions focused on the differences in ministry services that religion performs. I had to agree with him that at the current time I felt that Protestants were more involved with spreading their ministry than Catholics were. However, after learning about the Catholic Worker houses still in this country, my perception has changed. If I would have known about this book while still in high school then I would have been able to have a much more in-depth and worthwhile discussion with him. Overall, I am glad to have attended a Catholic college and can’t see myself at a public university or a college of some other denomination.

Politics

With the presidential election just a few weeks away, it is a great opportunity to analyze politics and its involvement in my service experience. What exactly does the word politics mean? I know that when I initially hear the word politics used, I think of the differences between Democrats and Republicans and what their stances are on important topics. Many people would say that politics are contained within the capitals of states or large cities with Washington D.C. being the focal point in this country. In reality, politics are everywhere. The governments of even the smallest communities make decisions that affect its constituents and that is what politics is. Politics in my opinion is when people make decisions in the attempt to help the majority and the greater good. This definition can then be extended to include any group that comes together that makes a decision. Politics are important in businesses, schools, and even religious organizations. The politics of organizations determine how they are run and also how they are perceived by outside observers.

I have seen varying effects of politics thus far during my service at St. Patrick’s Church. Both types of politics that I mentioned previously are present. The most notable influence of politics that I have seen is how the community dinners have been organized and run. I believe that I am in somewhat of a unique circumstance in that different people organize the dinner each week. This has given me a great perspective on how different organizations put on the meal. The first two weeks were organized by church groups and were run in a very similar manner. A couple of people were present at both and were looked at as leaders by all of the other volunteers. These people did not have to state their claim as leaders, but were simply looked at as in charge by everyone. As a new volunteer, I have taken a follower’s role at all three dinners that I have participated in and that is where I am expected to be by all of the other people. A group of union workers organized the dinner this past week and they did so in a planned out manner. It has been very interesting to see the differences each week, but there always seems to be an implied leader that delegates tasks and answers any questions. It will be interesting to see if Russ, Regan, or I become included in any decision making conversations after we have volunteered a few more times and know essentially what needs to be done at specific times.

In addition to the politics of running the dinner, there has also been a lot of talk surrounding the upcoming presidential election by the people that attend the dinner. I have yet to get directly involved in any conversations about the nominees, but I have heard many heated discussions with people making their case for the candidate that they support. These discussions show the importance of the election to every person in society. People that struggle to find a steady source of food are still concerned about the election and who the next president will be. These events that I have observed have convinced me that the democratic system of the United States is still a success after over 200 years in existence.

The importance of politics in community is discussed in Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man which the service learning class is reading. The one thing that I have noticed in the book is the presence of a clear leader in each organization that is highlighted. The university that the narrator attends is headed by Dr. Bledsoe. Dr. Bledsoe takes pride on maintaining complete control of the institution and even brags about his deception of weakness to the regents of the school. The two men that the narrator report to at the paint factory also must maintain complete control of the workers under them. The narrator meets a similar situation with the leader of the union at the factory who has more say in situations than the other workers. The narrator always comes into conflict with these types of leaders which means that Ralph Ellison most likely condemns the politics of organizations that are run in this manner. The narrator ends each encounter with these men with a feeling of hatred and anger. If the reader assumes that Ellison is making arguments through the narrator then he most likely feels the same way. The politics of organizations can be very different with some being a great success while others are complete failures. The key is to find which way of leadership works best for each particular situation.

First Service Experiences

It has been two weeks since I last posted and in that time I have started my service project that I will continue until the end of the semester. As I said in my previous post, I am volunteering at St. Patrick’s Church every Wednesday from 3:45 until 6:15. I am performing my service in the basement of the church where a community dinner is held. This dinner is free to the community and any one is allowed to come and eat the food that is prepared by various volunteers. Different members and organizations take the responsibility of preparing and serving food every week. I think this will be a strong advantage for me during my service experience as it will allow me to work with many different people. When I first arrive at the kitchen, I have helped prepare food during my first two service days. This is followed by helping to set up the food and other items in preparation for serving which begins at 5:00. The first week I served ice cream and the second week I distributed water to the people. When the serving is completed, I help to clean up the dining area and kitchen while people eat their food and depart.

So far, this experience has been somewhat of an eye opening experience for me. I immediately noticed a schedule on the door to the kitchen with the locations of free dinners that are offered somewhere in Dubuque every day of the week. I was not aware that a dinner was needed by the people of the community every day. I knew that there were people that lived in Dubuque that were poor, but I did not know that there were people in need of a free meal everyday in order to survive. I saw many of the same faces at both meals that I provided service, but also some new faces at the dinner this week. While talking to some of the other volunteers, I learned that the number of people that attend the dinners increase as the month progresses. Welfare checks and food stamps are distributed at the beginning of the month, so people must rely on free donations at the end of the month. The first dinner was the first Wednesday of the month and I saw an increase of about 10-20 people at the second dinner. I expect that the number will continue to increase for the next three weeks.

One of the things that I have noticed so far at the dinners is the wide range of people that come to get a warm meal. People often have a stereotypical view on what people in need look like. From my personal experience, I often saw old men as those people who had to really on soup kitchens to eat. My view changed extremely rapidly after just a few minutes. I have seen people of all ages and races at the dinners and nearly equal numbers of men and women. I have noticed that roughly 20 percent of the people are children under the age of 15 which was very surprising for me. I have even seen people that are my own age is which makes me very thankful for the life that I have lived so far and that I am fortunate enough to not be in that type of situation. The majority of the people are very courteous and thankful for the volunteers that serve them. Some arrive over an hour before the meal and visit with one another before they can eat. I look forward to the next two months of service and hope to continue to learn about the volunteers and the people of the community.