Any former Mormons, now Catholics, who have maintained the Family Home Evening, but now with a Catholic-focus? Could you comment how have these family evenings evolved or changed in your home with your children now that you're Catholic?

Thanks!

I am Catholic but have never been Mormon. My husband comes from a mormon family, though, and he converted to Catholicism about 9 years ago. We do a sort of family home evening. On friday evening we read the readings that will be read at sunday's Mass and then discuss them followed by a family rosary. Also, we attend daily mass together whenever possible. Usually my husband has to work during daily mass but the kids and I are still able to go. A good resource is the person in charge of catechisis at your local parish. If you give the church a call and ask to speak to that person, he or she can usually give you worksheets, coloring pages, craft ideas etc. In addition, many of the parishes now do something called Generations of Faith which is an evening where the whole parish comes together for faith formation and dinner (or lunch) these are a lot of fun.

We're also catholic...no specific night that is designated family night. Come time during the week, we all do something as a family...games, out together, the boys usually have good ideas...evening prayers are a given..paying the rosary a family another given..

Some time during the week usually friday night we'll read together the mass readings for the week.

Some times we don't get them all done but the fun things and that's fine too. We try to make sure we spend as a family. It's where memories are made.

stormy

We're Catholic and Wednesday has always been family night (we save the homily discussions and Bible readings for Sunday). We just hang out--watch a movie or TV together, sometimes play games or go to the batting cages or the park as a family, whatever.

We end with the rosary before bed (the other nights it's up to the individuals to decide what or if they pray). It's not overly religious, but does give us a chance to gather and catch up with each other and just be a family and have fun. Although we have had some rather spectacular 'discussions' about what movie to put in the machine or what location to go 'play' together at.

Now that all but two (and one of them goes off to college in September) are grown, the older ones who live nearby stop in (with spouses in tow) for dinner and to hang out. So I guess it worked.

You don't have to be holy, just family.

These are very interesting stories about Catholic family-based devotions, the practice of which is as old as the RC church itself. As a moe missionary, and later as a grad student, and then as a businessman I lived a total of about ten years in heavily catholic European countries.

I saw this kind of family worship practice often, even in aggressively secular countries like France, Italy, and Spain. I always accepted the invitation to participate, both as a moe and as an exmo. If you have ever seen Visconti's film "I'll Gattopardo" ("The Leopard") you'll see at the beginning the evening rosary of an aristocratic Sicilian family in the 1870's. Also, if I remember correctly, The wealthy contemporary Milanese family in the film "Io sono amore" (I am love) has a small worship area or chapel in their home.

The Mormons really think they have come up with something with their contrived "Family Home Evening." Christians have been doing home based worship without fanfare for millenia.

Giacomo Sarto Wrote:
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> The Mormons really think they have come up with something with their contrived "Family Home Evening." Christians have been doing home based worship without fanfare for millenia.

That's a good observation. It's the same for other cultures. I've seen photos of home-based shrines in Asia (Hindu, Shinto, etc.) You can also see evidence of pagan home shrines in the Pompeii runes.

Mormons from Joe Smith down do NOT do original thought. ;oD

I always thought Mormons were the only ones who actually needed a FHE. They're so busy with other church crap they really have to schedule and plan time to be together as a family. Yet their church LOOOOOVES families...

For most of us, almost every night is family night.

Mormons have to fit it in with their other busy work. It makes "family" one more thing on the "to do" list.

It's amazing how much you get to do with your family when you dump the church. You can spend that time on things that actually matter...like your family.

I was lucky growing up in that my dad did not have to travel a lot for business. He deliberately chose a company where this would be the case. On most nights, we ate dinner together as a family and spent the evening together, watching TV or whatever. My mom would go out bowling with her friends once a week, and my parents went out together on occasion. It was a very peaceful, secure life. Religion really did not intrude into our family life at all -- maybe the occasional church supper, bazaar, etc. But we regarded those occasions as fun diversions.

I could not imagine having to constantly attend all those Mormon church meetings, VT/HT, etc. Family church my eye!