Ahhh, You must be Catholic!

In a world where religious scandal heads the papers and youth morality is low its hard for people to understand why we religiously go to mass every Sunday morning.
We are both cradle catholics. My upbringing had very clear guidelines. We always went to church and prayed as a family. We all did the usual protesting but my parents kept us there and we have all grown up with a really stable faith.
Rob much the same. He did his own thing in his teenage years but got back into it as we started dating.
I thought I would share with you a few items from my parents home. Now for a lot of years my Mums collections of statues and pictures were quite embarrassing. For a teen to an early 20 year old having friends over always came with the sideline, "excuse all the stuff, my Mum is REALLY religious!" As I have grown older I now admire my parents for their confidence in being these "REALLY religious" people. My Mum has collected some amazing pieces. Some are newly carved and printed, some are old antiques and statues saved from closing down churches. A treasure trove to the lovers of Jesus really.
One main thing that we have had at my family home for many years is our own private chapel. My parents have some outhouses which they turned in to a very stable like chapel. We have had many masses, many religious talks and many rounds of the Rosary in there. They hold large family days for Catholic families, people seem to come from all over, many have become their friends. The lovely thing is many of the children are of similar ages and younger to my siblings and I. It has been a great support  network were everyone can talk and ask advice about child rearing, relationships and general dilemmas or celebrations they choose to share. It is a time for just learning to be a family. And that is what my parents have been able to create in their home. A place where they can be a family, and a place where extended family members can also be. They now have 2 sons and a daughter in law and 3 grandchildren. Not to mention my Grandparents living next door and the fact that they have 8 children themselves. Yes I am one of 8! 4 boys and 4 girls, I'm the second eldest and eldest daughter. Did I mention that my Mum is also Irish?  Ahhhh so you must be Catholic!

Post by Emily