An Interesting School Note

[jovan66102]

Below is a note my father-in-law (R+I+P) sent to school with his daughter (my SIL) in about 1966 or '67. She was attending a public school in a small, rural Nebraska community with no Catholic school.

Dear Mrs Green,

Please excuse Barbara from the classroom during the recitation of the Lord's Prayer.

As you are probably aware, there are 2 versions of the Lord's Prayer, the long version and the short version.

As a Roman Catholic, Barbara cannot recite the long version and I feel that this difference in versions will only confuse her so therefore it is requested that she be allowed to stay in the hall during the saying of the prayer.

It is my desire that she receive no religious instruction or take no part (Bad grammar, Dad! It should have been 'take part' or 'take any part',) in any religious activity other than Roman Catholic. This is a mandate of my religious beliefs, and my Church.

I know you are only trying to do a good job as a teacher but please leave the religious instruction to me and my Church.

I hope I haven't caused any hurt feelings but I have no choice in this matter & I hope you can see this.

Thank you so much
SSgt Colgan

[Poche]

When I was in school and they said the Lord's prayer I said a loud "Amen!" at the end of the Catholic version and then I made a sign of the cross. I don't feel confused about which is the correct version.
:) :) :) 

[NemoClericus]

Forgive me if this is a very basic question, but what exactly is the issue with saying the longer version?
As I understand it, the doxology appended to the Our Father is much, much older than Protestantism.
Is it not also true that the Orthodox use some form of doxology (said by the priest) at the end of the Our Father?

[austenbosten]

Doesn't matter for us new kids, we never had prayer growing up in school, just a lame-ass "moment of silence."

[bryanreynolds]

It speaks to a time when Americans had a strong sense of Catholic identity.

[Eric F]

                                                            I started 1st grade in Sept 66 on the South Side of Chicago, and we didn't say prayers in the public schools I attended. I just talked to someone who attended the same school 4 years earlier, and they said there were no prayers than either. On the other hand I do remember singing Christmas Carols about Jesus as late as 1974.

[Paul]

Forgive me if this is a very basic question, but what exactly is the issue with saying the longer version?
As I understand it, the doxology appended to the Our Father is much, much older than Protestantism.
Is it not also true that the Orthodox use some form of doxology (said by the priest) at the end of the Our Father?

Nothing's theologically wrong with the doxology, but it's become so associated with Protestantism that it implies that one agrees with Protestantism, and for Catholics to pray the "Protestant version" of the Pater noster implies a unity that doesn't exist.

[Poche]

I don't mind praying the Pater Noster with Protestants. I still say the Catholic version.
:) :) :)

[jovan66102]

Forgive me if this is a very basic question, but what exactly is the issue with saying the longer version?
As I understand it, the doxology appended to the Our Father is much, much older than Protestantism.
Is it not also true that the Orthodox use some form of doxology (said by the priest) at the end of the Our Father?

Whilst it's true that the doxolgy is by far older than protestantism, it is, according to most scholars, a copyist's error that is no part of the original prayer. It is also true that the Orthodox, and Byzanine Rite Catholics use a form of the doxology.

However, in the 1960s, most Catholics, and definitely my father in law, would have absolutely no concept of the history of the doxology or of its liturgical use in the East. It was simply the 'protestant' form of the prayer, which no Catholic could, in good conscience, recite.

[Mark Williams]

jovan, I suspect you'd be very happy for the Our Father to be returned to schools now - even with the longer ending! After all, that would be infinitely preferable to the lack of prayer in the schools today.