Things that puzzle me about the Church

At Mass several weeks ago (a big traditional Church with the 'Head' priest and two others) it was announced that one of the priests was entering Holy Life in his 60's. This is very unusual at this age, normally it's younger. My immediate thought was, ' The man is a priest, surely that means he already is in Holy Life? Apparently not, this man is going into a Monastry. Now that surely is Holy Life. I saw the big Cahoona priest in Tesco the other morning and honestly, if I'd not known him I would not have thought, 'Oh, a priest', as you would exprect.
He was just wearing a ski jacket, no dog collar in sight, which is fair enough but led me to wonder if priests think their job ends at a certain time like office hours.

I'd always thought not, but then you wonder about this huge problem of child abuse in the Catholic church. I've asked my originally C of E mother, 'Why do you not hear of this problem in the C of E? Is it because of the choice of marriage there?'
This is doubtful to me, as I can bear witness to many stories of married or partnered men abusing their own and other children, so how could this be the case?

My mother thinks that, as the C of E is much smaller and, of course, is the national Church, you may not hear about it as freely.

The problem the Catholic church faces has crippled it's growth, although not the faith of the Catholics. It's a total shame. I always think, how can even a 'normal' bog standard bloke even think of looking at a child in such a way, let alone abuse. It's so frightening. But a priest....I mean, it's not that easy to get into priesthood, and surely you must believe in the teachings, so how can they go so totally opposite to what they are supposed to stand for? Are they evil or just extremely weak people?
I pray that this Pope all those in power make some choices that will obliterate this issue.

Allelu, Alleluyah!

I went to the school Church service today. It's C of E and we're Catholic, so having not been in a C of E Church since, well I can't remember a service although I must have at some point. Lovely Church, very austere inside and the whole, albeit small primary school attended.

It was really lovely. The Head (who is a Canon) prides the school on being a big 'singing' school. The hymns were sung without hymnbook and as I was at the front with my row of infants, I was scared I wouldn't know any of them (wondered if the hymns would be different to Catholic), but it was such a lovely transportation back to my own childhood, I soon remembered the words and of course the music is unforgettable. Those children sung their hearts out! His teacher has a lovely singing voice and sang harmony to 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God'. It made me so glad that my son can experience this with his peers, and not just with his 'ol Mum.

Teaching the faith is an important integral part of life for me. I think I'm the only one of 5 children who has leant on and enjoyed my faith, and even if my children disregard it as they get older, I want them to have the wonderful grounding they can always go back to at any time.