Growing up Catholic
I grew up Roman Catholic. I went to church every week and participated in all the rights of initiation.
Little Lou at Godmother's wedding.
Overall, my experience of church was neutral. I never had the "fear of God" instilled in me, like many who end up disavowing their roots.
Richard Rohr Quips, "The only group larger than Catholics are former Catholics."
For me, church was just flat-out BORING. Maybe they were speaking of the sins of the flesh, but I couldn't hear them—literally. Often, the priests had a thick Italian accent that got drowned out in the cathedral.
I just sat there counting the seconds until it was over. Or looking forward to having a normally forbidden sip of wine during communion.
My Mom dangled the carrot of my confirmation as the path out. She told me that if I got confirmed, I could choose whether I go to church or not.
When the time came, I had to choose a confirmation name. I don't have an official middle name, so I was excited to pick something I liked. I went with Francis because of St. Francis of Assisi.
Thinking back, I don't know why I chose it. It's not that I was an animal lover—I just liked the name. Now I think the name chose me.
To my mom's disappointment, I stopped attending church after being confirmed. However, Francis stayed with me.
In 2015, I had a spiritual awakening, and on the same day quit my job and proposed to my ex-girlfriend. (Now wife.) Read the full story.
At the end of that day, I ended up at my neighbor's house, an older devout catholic named Eva. After hearing my story, she said, "I have something for you," and handed me a figurine of none other than St. Francis of Assisi.
After, St. Francis popped up everywhere. I visited the ashram of Paramahansa Yogananda and found a shrine to St. Francis, where I would meditate.
Shortly after, I came across "The Prayer of St Francis" and hung it up in my bathroom to remind myself of it daily.
I've been incanting the prayer at the end of my morning meditation for almost 10 years.
I created a course on Insight Timer to help you bring this prayer into your life: Living The Prayer of St. Francis
St. Francis is a beloved spiritual role model. No matter your religious background, I hope this course helps you bring more sacredness into your life and deepen your intimacy with God—especially during this Christmas season.
Enroll for Living The Prayer of St. Francis
Twenty years after my confirmation, I have a new relationship with my Catholic roots. I have a greater appreciation for the spiritual foundation of my ancestors, thanks in part to teachers like Father Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, and even Carl Jung.
Jung believed that one's cultural and religious background wasn't something to be casually discarded, but rather deeply understood and integrated into one's psychological development.
He saw religious traditions as reservoirs of profound psychological wisdom and symbolic meaning. In his view, completely rejecting the tradition you were raised in could lead to a kind of spiritual and psychological impoverishment.
I hope how and what I share helps build a bridge back for people who may have disavowed their Western religion.
If you’re looking for inspiration, I’d recommend two books:
The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr
The Heart of Centering Prayer by Cynthia Bourgeault
And, of course, Living The Prayer of St. Francis is a great place to explore. 😊