Visits with Catholicism

Robert Peate

In the summer of 2011, for my teaching career, I took the classes necessary to be ESL certified. One of these, the Impact of Language and Culture in the Classroom, was led by an excellent instructor, who gave us the assignment to visit "cultures," or subcultures, with which we were uncomfortable. I chose religion in general and the Roman Catholic Church in particular. As my instructor was Catholic, she was able to recommend churches to visit. I decided, for contrast, to visit the most "liberal" and "conservative" churches in Portland, Oregon. The experience taught me a great deal, even that those terms were flawed. As I told my professor, "You have accomplished true education, enlightening me." This is the paper I got out of those visits, featuring the addenda "Prayer and the Virgin Mary" and "My views on the Universe."