So I had this child from the local Catholic church for a playdate...

[SweetSkull]

We were playing school and they decided it was assembly time.

So Catholic Child (7) stood up and started speaking about catholic faith and Jesus, and how Catholics are wonderful people who help whoever is in need and the elderly, and how Jesus will bless all the Christians when they die and they will all go to heaven, and how it is important to be a Christian and go to Catholic Church and say prayers regularly.

Than Muslin Child (6) followed saying that she is a Muslin and so is her family and lots of her friends and they are also good people who help the ones in need and the elderly too, and it doesn't matter your religion or which church you go to as long and we respect each other and don't do bad things.

Than Catholic child was embarrassed and said that she meant to say everything Muslin child said....

Than my own child (6) stands up and do a comedy piece that got nothing to do with religion.

I was just astounded that these children shows so much religion awareness at this age and the Catholic child would feel the urge to bring religion in the playing, although I understand this is probably what happens all the time at her school.
I am so glad my daughter doesn't go to that school.
I am very proud of the Muslin girl and she just goes to a mixed community school, which seems that is doing a better job about teaching R.E

Oh and I have had the catholic child for a sleep over once and she had trouble falling asleep since I couldn't pray and sing christian songs exactly like her parents do every night. I did my best.

I can't help feeling a bit sorry for this kid.

And I am Christian by the way.

Oh and forgot to say: Catholic girl spent most of half term in her house in order not to be exposed to Halloween stuff going on and in fact on Halloween day they never left the house because apparently this a bad and heavy day when lots of evil things happens.

I am not mad at halloween either and I don't go trick or treating mainly because I am on the shy side but I am solo glad there are Halloween activities going on during the half term.

[SweetSkull]

Thanks Oakmaiden for your input as a teacher.

The priest IS the focus during the mass, however these immigrants have permission to use one of the church rooms to congregate, pray, discuss and speak in tongues, sing/dance in their foreign language. Of course they appreciate and respect the priest and the mass but they also want to praise in their language. Lots of them don't even speak proper English.

[Oakmaiden]

That is interesting, actually. I have just gone away and done a bit of digging, and apparently there is a sect of the Roman Catholic Church called the Catholic Charismatic renewal who worship "outside mass" and do faith healing, speaking in tongues and stuff. I didn't know that.

[SweetSkull]

Ah, thanks Oak for finding and posting this information here.

I could post various links here, the girl's school/the church by the school/the church her family attends/the name of the charismatic group I am talking about...

But that would be too much RL info...

[ethelb]

Well why didnt you at any stage differentiate? They sound pretty niche, and arguably any sect isnt truely catholic. Quite literally.

[willyoulistentome]

Sounds very odd and not typical at all.
Yesterday I actually had SIX Catholic children over for a playdate/party. NOBODY said grace when we ate, mentioned Jesus or prayed. (They played on Minecraft!). SOME Catholics are against Halloween. They don't really talk about it either way, at our school like they do in some, but I know for a fact that several of the kids we had over yesterday went trick or treating, as have we, in the past. (Managed to dodge having to do it it this year as we were away - phew)

[MeMySonAndI]

Oak, that is not a sect but a way of worship, you see this "sect" workshiping happily in bog standard catholic churches during the week.

As someone mentioned, there are different stukes if worshiping and despite all being catholic, the differences between country to country, and region to region can be huge, without them making them less catholics.

And yes, speaking in tongues can happen, even during catholic praying...

[MeMySonAndI]

Stukes? Styles! Even

[Oakmaiden]

MeMy - that is what you get when your only source of info is internet based - thank you for correcting me. It isn't something I know anything about personally - just was interested by the thread so did some poking around :)