I decided to go to Prince Edward Island this summer and see my 96 year old grandmother. She is still bumping along but had a pacemaker put in earlier this year. She sleeps for all but maybe 6 or 7 hours a day and she mostly plays cards and scrabble after that.
My grandmother is a lifelong Catholic. She was raised strongly Catholic in the French Acadian tradition. French Acadians were strong Catholics and were expelled and oppressed by the British when they were expelled from l'Acadie in 1755. They were a neutral people and the Micmac Indians sided with the Acadians and so, with the French refusing to give their allegiance tp the British, the British rounded them up and scattered them, husbands without wives and mothers without children etc. . Here is a little more history
http://canadianhistory.suite101.com/...ians_to_cajuns
My grandmother is strongly Acadian, flying the Acadian flag in her front yard and insisting that Bievenue, the French word for "Welcome" was always displayed at family reunions. Back in my grandmothers day, the protestants and Catholics refused to sell land to one another and there was quite a bit of animosity. Even today, my cousin reports that in the area, the French and Protestants do not wave to each other on Sundays. The area is just recently beginning to have open shops on Sundays.
I was raised far away from all of this, but I was raised Catholic and knew a little bit about my heritage. I always yearned for more of it, but it felt like I was always removed, as my mother married a man (my Dad) who had been raised Church of Christ but did not attend church at all. My upbringing was rather dysfunctional and I was searching.
When I was 19, I got into the United Pentecostal Church. My grandmother called me and told me she was upset that I left the Catholic church, but I was angry because I had not been to the Catholic Church for about two years and had been partying a lot. I felt everyone should praise my changing my life and not criticize it.
The first family reunion I went to...where Mass was always said and Catholicism was always a large part, I refused to go to Mass and I wrote my Grandmother a letter telling her why and it upset her. But I did not go. The next two reunions (every five years), I went to Mass but did not participate not take communion. Religion separated us from both sides. Mine from her and hers from me. It also separated my Mother and I.
This year, I just had a gnawing feeling I needed to go to the Island. My husband and kids were so supportive of the idea that I hopped on a plane and went. I told my mother I was going to go to Mass and take communion for my Gram. I told her it was not because I was Catholic and not because I wanted to be Catholic but because I wanted religion to stop dividing us and I wanted to honor my heritage.
I went to Mass. My Grandmother is too frail to go so she did not know I was going. I went through all the motions, did the sign of the cross and everything I could remember and I took communion. It felt so good to destroy the religion wall that was dividing us all. I felt a great peace and my mind took me back in time to precious memories that had been stolen from me by religious creeds and dogmas, by legalism and rules.
I told my Gramdmother what I did. I wrote it because she can barely hear. She read it about three times and then said "I really admire that". My mother was crying. Then she read it a couple more times and said "Will you sign this? What you wrote?" And so I did.
When I kissed my Grandmother goodbye, I know it might be for the last time. And I know that no matter what happens, I will be happy I honored my heritage and did what was in my heart to do. Religion no longer divides us...at least from my end.
I am home.
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