I was born in 1954 & lived in Front Royal VA until we moved to Alexandria VA in 1962 as my Dad decided to become an Episcopal priest & attended Virginia Theological Seminary. When I was in 3rd grade we had bomb drills because of the Cuban Missile Criisis. We thought it was a hoot because we got out of class but if the Russians had nuked …
I was born in 1954 & lived in Front Royal VA until we moved to Alexandria VA in 1962 as my Dad decided to become an Episcopal priest & attended Virginia Theological Seminary. When I was in 3rd grade we had bomb drills because of the Cuban Missile Criisis. We thought it was a hoot because we got out of class but if the Russians had nuked DC we’d have been toast. In 4th grade I came home from school & my mom had the radio on. She never did this. I asked what was going on. “The President’s been shot”. “Is he ok?” “No, he’s dead.” I went outside to find the neighbor kids to see if they’d heard. One girl, who was Irish Catholic, was hysterical. Another kid said, well, I guess we know what the headlines will be tomorrow. Then the next year I was one of 3 kids in my class whose parents were for Goldwater. After Dad graduated from seminary he got a church in rural Hanover Co. The civil rights movement, nightly body counts on the news re Vietnam. One time we went to the Virginia State Fair in Richmond & much to my embarrassment, my Dad insisted on wearing clericals whenever we went somewhere. Some guy saw his collar & started yelling about ministers & priests being n***er lovers. Then some carny guy called my Dad over & said “Father, I don’t agree with that. I’m going to let your daughters ride my ride for free. Lesson: don’t judge a book by its cover. Then MLK was assassinated & some of our parishioners said in our presence that they hoped the assassin would not be found. I was profoundly shocked. Weren’t we Christians? Didn’t God create us all equal? Then when the riots & the RFK assassination happened, I remember thinking the country was coming apart at the seams. My parents were Republicans in VA during the Byrd machine when being a Republican was something like being a Communist. My dad unfortunately died in 1973 so he never saw the whole Watergate fiasco. I’d also gotten involved in the Jesus movement & before my Dad died, I thought he just didn’t get it & here I was arguing theology with a guy with a Masters of Theology, what an idiot I was! I also was blown away by the Late Great Planet Earth & was expecting the Rapture any day. Reading CS Lewis at my parents’ suggestion helped me deepen my faith & get me away from fundamentalism. Golly, CSL was an Anglican, just like Mom & Dad & all my Jesus freak friends loved him too. Odd! Met my husband, had 2 kids & in 1992 we joined the Catholic Church. People ask me what my Dad would say. I always say Mom & Dad taught us to do what we believe to be right no matter what other people think & also now that my Mom & Dad have passed onto to the Kingdom of God, they now know it’s the True Church. That kind of weirds some people out; however, anyone who believes in Christ is my brother or sister.
I was born in 1954 & lived in Front Royal VA until we moved to Alexandria VA in 1962 as my Dad decided to become an Episcopal priest & attended Virginia Theological Seminary. When I was in 3rd grade we had bomb drills because of the Cuban Missile Criisis. We thought it was a hoot because we got out of class but if the Russians had nuked DC we’d have been toast. In 4th grade I came home from school & my mom had the radio on. She never did this. I asked what was going on. “The President’s been shot”. “Is he ok?” “No, he’s dead.” I went outside to find the neighbor kids to see if they’d heard. One girl, who was Irish Catholic, was hysterical. Another kid said, well, I guess we know what the headlines will be tomorrow. Then the next year I was one of 3 kids in my class whose parents were for Goldwater. After Dad graduated from seminary he got a church in rural Hanover Co. The civil rights movement, nightly body counts on the news re Vietnam. One time we went to the Virginia State Fair in Richmond & much to my embarrassment, my Dad insisted on wearing clericals whenever we went somewhere. Some guy saw his collar & started yelling about ministers & priests being n***er lovers. Then some carny guy called my Dad over & said “Father, I don’t agree with that. I’m going to let your daughters ride my ride for free. Lesson: don’t judge a book by its cover. Then MLK was assassinated & some of our parishioners said in our presence that they hoped the assassin would not be found. I was profoundly shocked. Weren’t we Christians? Didn’t God create us all equal? Then when the riots & the RFK assassination happened, I remember thinking the country was coming apart at the seams. My parents were Republicans in VA during the Byrd machine when being a Republican was something like being a Communist. My dad unfortunately died in 1973 so he never saw the whole Watergate fiasco. I’d also gotten involved in the Jesus movement & before my Dad died, I thought he just didn’t get it & here I was arguing theology with a guy with a Masters of Theology, what an idiot I was! I also was blown away by the Late Great Planet Earth & was expecting the Rapture any day. Reading CS Lewis at my parents’ suggestion helped me deepen my faith & get me away from fundamentalism. Golly, CSL was an Anglican, just like Mom & Dad & all my Jesus freak friends loved him too. Odd! Met my husband, had 2 kids & in 1992 we joined the Catholic Church. People ask me what my Dad would say. I always say Mom & Dad taught us to do what we believe to be right no matter what other people think & also now that my Mom & Dad have passed onto to the Kingdom of God, they now know it’s the True Church. That kind of weirds some people out; however, anyone who believes in Christ is my brother or sister.