I grew up in a Catholic family, altho I’m very much lapsed for almost 30 years. But for the first half of my life, I belonged to or attended a variety of parishes in different parts of the country, thanks to the Navy.
In all those years and all those places, I NEVER encountered a priest who addressed anyone as “my child” or “my son” (at least within my hearing) despite what every TV and movie portrayal of priests has shown us. Nor have I met any priests with Irish accents, although I know there have to be a few out there.
What about you? Ever been called “my child”? Ever run into a Father Mulcahey clone?
I do have to say that due to the family I married into, I’ve run into a bunch of Baptist preachers/pastors and they never fail to try to “save” me or work scripture into a conversation. One of my husband’s aunts loved stuffing Christmas cards with tracts of every description. But that’s another thread, I’m thinking. Or we can share our experiences with stereotypes - either way.
I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic primary and secondary schools and have worked in two Catholic primary schools, and never heard any member of clergy refer to children in such a way.
Lapsed Catholic here too. I went to Catholic secondary school and my family was friends with lots of priests. I never heard any of them say either ‘my child’ or ‘my son’. All the priests I ever met talked like normal people. They called me by my name.
A lot of them did have Irish accents, but then I’m Irish, and even when we didn’t live in Ireland we were mostly going to Irish churches. So for me that doesn’t really constitute a Father Mulcahy (who?) clone…
He was the priest on MAS*H - always assuming the “my son” form of address when talking to the wounded soldiers. He didn’t have the Irish accent, so I guess I could have written that part better.
We did have a priest for a while who would begin his sermons with, “Children of God…” but apart from that, no. None of them ever addressed me individually as “my child.”
I’m a former Catholic, I guess. Never had a priest address me as “my child”, even when I was a child. I’ve met plenty of priests with Irish accents - I wouldn’t say the majority, but certainly a sizable minority. Of course, I’m a lot closer to Ireland than most folks here.
I grew up Catholic and am still Catholic. The wife and I teach confirmation classes, good friends with the woman who is in charge of youth services, all that good stuff.
Never have I met a priest who talks to anyone that way. Never met an Irish one, either. But I’m in California, any non-American priests are usually from Mexico.
I did meet a rabid Libertarian priest. That was weird.
Mrs. Geek’s family used to be good friends with a Catholic priest who was Irish. He had the Irish accent and drank quite a bit, but I don’t recall him ever calling any of us “my son” or “my child”. Otherwise though he was straight out of a movie. He was in his seventies when I first met him in the early 1990s and he has since passed away.
Raised Catholic and was never referred to that way.
Our priest had an Irish last name but no accent.
Once I was invited to go to church with a Baptist friend. Her pastor (minister?) asked me about my religion and when I told him I was Catholic he told me that it was a false religion and unless I converted I was doomed to hell. I told him that is what my priest says about them. I never got invited back.
My parish in San Diego had an Irish priest, and later a Mexican-American. But no accents, and they didn’t address us as “my child.”
In fact, they almost made a point of talking as normally as possible. The Church has been consciously seeking to make itself more…“personable”… for a while now.
I’ve never been addressed as “my son,” or “my child.” I’ve met a few priests over the years with Irish accents. When I was a kid, back in the 60s, our parish brought in a Spanish-speaking priest to accomodate the growing number of Spanish-speakers in the area. He was a Basque, though, and I bet he had as much of an accent in Spanish as he did in English.
Lately, the non-American-born priests I’ve met seem to have been either Filipino or African (Nigerian, I think, although I’m not 100% sure).
Grew up RC. Out of all the priests from the parish over the years, none used the “my child” or “my son” thing. Although very few had accents, most had Irish or Polish surnames.
A couple of the older or more pompous ones would do that, especially if they didn’t know you by name.
Our Monsignor, who was a terrible, droning speaker, had a habit of starting his sermons with a nasal My dear childrennnnnn, which we loved to ridicule in grammar school.
Never heard it. But you believe Hollywood, priests have a closet only consisting of black clothes with a white collar attached, and “nuns” (sisters) wear habits all the time, even at the beach.
Also, every movie Catholic does the Sign of the Cross backwards.