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Interesting question. I grew up on the Greenville/Johnston line in the '60's on Slacks Pond. We went to St. Philips in Greenville. We knew where everybody went to church. Not only that, but in my immediate neighborhood, we knew what Mass everybody went to. (The Cavanaughs go to the 10:45, the Coopers go to the 9:30, the Weavers and the Octeau's go to the 8:15. ) My memory may be fading me but Im SURE I knew the above families' Confession schedule. All families but mine had at least 6 kids!
There was the beautiful Baptist Church with the lovely bells and Christmas Tree, and the - what did my father call it? Oh, the Episcopalian Church, on the corner. Never knew the names of those churches. Still don't know the name of the Baptist Church - other than it looks like the typical New England-church that tourists would photograph. The Episcopalian Church is ST Thomas on the corner of 44 and 116.
By that I don't only mean that most Rhode Islanders identified as Catholic but they went to Mass every week if not more often. And there were churches catering to every Catholic ethnic group in every city or town.
My maternal grandfather emigrated to Bristol from Italy in the early 1900s along with many others from the Manfredonia area of Italy. Since most of if not all these individuals did not speak English, being able to continue practicing their Catholic faith in their native language was important and hence Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church was established under the pastoring of the Italian Scalabrini fathers. This church eventually established a school sometime in the 50s which both I and my sister attended. By the time the parish school was established most if not all the original parishioners still living were English speaking, their children bilingual, and some of their grandchildren also bilingual like my sister and myself. Keeping the Italian language, religious feasts and traditions alive in this parish and associated school was and still is very important, and I believe to this day the Italian language is still taught in the school as it was when I attended. The same can be said for St. Elizabeth's another Catholic church in town that continues to keep alive all associated with their Azorean Catholic heritage.
Somebody told me that they even have to build the highways in an awkward way because they couldn't touch any church and it was full of them.
That might help explain the path of Route 95 in Pawtucket. There were three Catholic Churches right along the highway - Sacred Heart, St. Mary's, and St. Jean the Baptist. All are visible from the highway.
My maternal grandfather emigrated to Bristol from Italy in the early 1900s along with many others from the Manfredonia area of Italy. Since most of if not all these individuals did not speak English, being able to continue practicing their Catholic faith in their native language was important and hence Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church was established under the pastoring of the Italian Scalabrini fathers. This church eventually established a school sometime in the 50s which both I and my sister attended. By the time the parish school was established most if not all the original parishioners still living were English speaking, their children bilingual, and some of their grandchildren also bilingual like my sister and myself. Keeping the Italian language, religious feasts and traditions alive in this parish and associated school was and still is very important, and I believe to this day the Italian language is still taught in the school as it was when I attended. The same can be said for St. Elizabeth's another Catholic church in town that continues to keep alive all associated with their Azorean Catholic heritage.
Memories. I remember when ('50's and '60's) it was frowned upon for a Catholic of Azorean/Portuguese descent to attend Mt. Carmel and vice versa. I myself went to St. Elizabeth's church and went to school there as well (taught by the Sisters of St. Dorothy).
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