Do Plain Catholics exist?

[Soloist]

Okay so Max, can you answer where the woman in the picture worked? Can you post the original picture before it was cropped? Can you post the historical website the picture is from? Can you explain why you would use a picture from a relatively historical time of Irish versus British rule?

I can provide where she worked down to the street address, why she stopped and down to the year she quit.

Show me a picture not from the internet of this woman and her boy and I will gladly accept that she is the ancestor of an unnamed man related to you. I’ll post the information tonight as to where the picture is from to give you a chance to explain.

[Josh]

I would propose this blog is suspicious. New Zealanders and Brits don’t celebrate July 4.

You are right that Kiwis and Brits do not celebrate 4 July. Those posts were from the American PCs. The blog has a rota of contributing authors from different locations.

Would any of these “rota” be willing to share their contact information?

If so, I know some Catholics interested in a plain lifestyle who would be very interested to meet then and learn more and be inspired. They appreciate Mennonite and Amish lifestyles but they also believe strongly in Catholic beliefs, sacraments and so on.

It would seem at least one of them would be willing to make contact with a fellow Catholic or even a priest.

[Ken]

I ran across this group known as what I would think are 'plain Catholics' and one of their congregations live only 30 minutes from me in Windsor, Ontario. They seem to me to be quite 'plain' in their ways. Details on them can be found here - https://madonnahouse.org/about/ and here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_House_Apostolate

They are found in various places in North America and elsewhere.

But they don’t call themselves “Plain Catholics”.

And if you look at their web site, they aren't doing any sort of plain dress. These are right off their web site

And this was their founder, Catherine Doherty, of whom they have a lot of photos which don't show any sort of adherence to plain dress, just the ordinary dress of the times (1930S to 1960s): https://madonnahouse.org/about/catherine-doherty/

[Neto]

As far as foreigners who show interest in the politics of other countries, we still have contact with a single woman who also worked in Bible translation, although in another tribe. (So not a "co-worker" in the strictest sense.) She is a Brazilian, but of Swiss heritage. I think that she did some of here studies in the States, but I don't think she has any legal status here. However, she regularly advocates for political action on moral issues here in the US. (We lived on the same mission center for 17 years, so Yes, I know her personally.) All I'm saying is that seeming political action in a different country is not surprising to me; not for a person who believes in political action, but is morally motivated.

[Sudsy]

I don't get it. If some group of people want to call themselves 'Plain Catholic' what is that to anyone else ? They can use that term and make the 'plain' represent whatever they chose.

There seems to be some 'gotcha' going on here.

[Ken]

I don't get it. If some group of people want to call themselves 'Plain Catholic' what is that to anyone else ? They can use that term and make the 'plain' represent whatever they chose.

There seems to be some 'gotcha' going on here.

What if I were to claim there were a group "liberal Amish" who support a whole list of so-called liberal policies like LGBT inclusion, abortion rights, liberal politicians, public schools. And then I made up a web site with photoshopped photos showing Amish with rainbow flags, or Amish kids in public schools, or whatever.

Would that make it true? And would you be here saying 'if some group of people wants to call themselves "liberal Amish" what is that to anyone else?" Or would you be saying. RIIIIGHT. "Looks like someone made this all up. Show us these actual Amish with the rainbow flags and so forth"

[Sudsy]

I don't get it. If some group of people want to call themselves 'Plain Catholic' what is that to anyone else ? They can use that term and make the 'plain' represent whatever they chose.

There seems to be some 'gotcha' going on here.

What if I were to claim there were a group "liberal Amish" who support a whole list of so-called liberal policies like LGBT inclusion, abortion rights, liberal politicians, public schools. And then I made up a web site with photoshopped photos showing Amish with rainbow flags, or Amish kids in public schools, or whatever.

Would that make it true? And would you be here saying 'if some group of people wants to call themselves "liberal Amish" what is that to anyone else?" Or would you be saying. RIIIIGHT. "Looks like someone made this all up. Show us these actual Amish with the rainbow flags and so forth"

Seems to me that some are offended by another group using the word 'plain' as if it is only a term that can be applied to some Anabaptists and have real trouble with a Catholic group using it to describe themselves. If any group wants to call themselves 'plain' according to their beliefs about what is plain then there is nothing to say they can't. And perhaps a picture of some who consider their lifestyle plain does not necessarily represent all in that 'plain' group. Perhaps in other 'plain' churches their plainness is regarding other things than dress.

I agree we need to be careful of what is presented on the Internet as true but we are not the Internet police either. Or I don't believe we should be.

I gave my opinion on the subject and so did you. Are you and others going to keep pressing the subject until you are satisfied that all liars are exposed ? You can do as you please, I just don't get why that is necessary.

[Ken]

I don't get it. If some group of people want to call themselves 'Plain Catholic' what is that to anyone else ? They can use that term and make the 'plain' represent whatever they chose.

There seems to be some 'gotcha' going on here.

What if I were to claim there were a group "liberal Amish" who support a whole list of so-called liberal policies like LGBT inclusion, abortion rights, liberal politicians, public schools. And then I made up a web site with photoshopped photos showing Amish with rainbow flags, or Amish kids in public schools, or whatever.

Would that make it true? And would you be here saying 'if some group of people wants to call themselves "liberal Amish" what is that to anyone else?" Or would you be saying. RIIIIGHT. "Looks like someone made this all up. Show us these actual Amish with the rainbow flags and so forth"

Seems to me that some are offended by another group using the word 'plain' as if it is only a term that can be applied to some Anabaptists and have real trouble with a Catholic group using it to describe themselves. If any group wants to call themselves 'plain' according to their beliefs about what is plain then there is nothing to say they can't. And perhaps a picture of some who consider their lifestyle plain does not necessarily represent all in that 'plain' group. Perhaps in other 'plain' churches their plainness is regarding other things than dress.

I agree we need to be careful of what is presented on the Internet as true but we are not the Internet police either. Or I don't believe we should be.

I gave my opinion on the subject and so did you. Are you and others going to keep pressing the subject until you are satisfied that all liars are exposed ? You can do as you please, I just don't get why that is necessary.

I don't think anyone here is "offended." Just skeptical for obvious reasons.

And skepticism of unsupported claims you see on the internet is healthy.

[Josh]

Sudsy,

I have no problem at all if such a group actually exists and calls themselves that.

I am simply asking if they do actually exist.

[Neto]

I don't get it. If some group of people want to call themselves 'Plain Catholic' what is that to anyone else ? They can use that term and make the 'plain' represent whatever they chose.

There seems to be some 'gotcha' going on here.

What if I were to claim there were a group "liberal Amish" who support a whole list of so-called liberal policies like LGBT inclusion, abortion rights, liberal politicians, public schools. And then I made up a web site with photoshopped photos showing Amish with rainbow flags, or Amish kids in public schools, or whatever.

Would that make it true? And would you be here saying 'if some group of people wants to call themselves "liberal Amish" what is that to anyone else?" Or would you be saying. RIIIIGHT. "Looks like someone made this all up. Show us these actual Amish with the rainbow flags and so forth"

We have enough problems of our own, weirdos within the Mennonite camp, and within the "Plain Anabaptists", for that matter. We don't need to try to police other groups of people. Pink Mennos?! Help the poor and the needy! We cannot even get our own house in order. It's not like anyone copyrighted the word "Plain".