What Should Catholicism Call Me?*

Coming soon to a field trip near you. 

One of the great perks of my visitor center job is the people watching. Every day is a parade of different groups: family reunions in matching shirts, busloads of 8th graders, Buddhist monks, all manner of foreign military officers, middle-aged European couples in matching sweaters, Portuguese medical students in capes (??), Asian tour groups following their guide waving an umbrella, Congressional interns in questionable "businesswear.".My favorites, though, are the fringe religious groups whose outfits give them away. I can't help it, I am an American religion nerd. Mennonite head coverings, Pentecostal long denim skirts (plus the occasional big hairdo), or Orthodox Jewish prayer shawls and yarmulkes make me positively giddy when they come through the door.

Why do I want to run up and become BFFs with these people who follow strict dress codes? Is it because they have big families like mine? Or because I know I can speak their scriptural language to some degree? I think the main reason is how they wear their faith on their sleeves, literally. It warms my heart to see people unafraid to wordlessly advertise that they don't quite fit in with contemporary American culture. And, let's be honest, it's also good to know that no matter how counter-cultural my Catholicism is, there is always someone out there with stricter rules to follow.

At work I'm supposed to be bipartisan, impartial for visitors. You can't see my scapular or miraculous medal under my uniform blouse. Most visitors don't understand my enthusiasm for statues of Jesuit missionaries. Unlike my last job, I don't go to holy day Masses with the CEO. For a while I tried not to come on too strong. But after three people assumed I was Jewish (it's the hair and Levite last name), I figured I needed to come clean. News flash, everyone: I am 75% shiksha and a proud Papist.

Since then I've been very cautious about how my actions reflect on my religion. Am I kind enough, joyful enough? I worry about this in Catholic circles too. My family goes to a Latin Novus Ordo Mass and know obscure saint trivia like the back of my hand. Still, calling myself a "Trad" feels wrong - I like too many "guitar Mass" folk hymns for that. How will people know what I believe? How should I label myself?

This is silly, really. If you believe something, it will show. When co-workers ask, I gently explain that no, The Bethrothed and I don't plan to "get a place together" until we're married. I mention church in my weekend plans. I've had great conversations with Jewish and Muslim coworkers about what their faith means to them. A Methodist who teaches Sunday school congratulated me on our recent new saints. Gradually, I've figured out who the other cradle Catholics around work are. They don't share my Blessed Junipero Sera fandom, but that's ok.

Otherwise I don't butt to inform people that I disagree with their morality. If people are very set in their opinions, it's not worth instigating a water cooler brawl over assisted suicide or abortion in cases of rape. We deal with enough belligerent members of the general public. My prayer is that  I can represent well the communion of Saints to which I belong. I want to leave people with the impression that I trustworthy, principled and kind. Maybe then I can help change their confused impression that the Catholic Church is out to control their lives, not love them.

Saints of the British Isles

*H/T to the hilarious Tumblr blog of that name. Happy All Saints Day, everyone!