CATHOLIC IMMERSION“O most merciful Redeemer,

Friend, and BrotherMay we know Thee more

clearlyLove Thee more dearly,

Follow Thee more nearly;For ever and ever. Amen.”

-Saint Richard Chichester

Then there was Philosophy Connection to Martin

Luther All humans predestined

to Hell but saved by Grace

Converted later in life Martin Luther wanted to

purify church One point in Luther’s 95

Theses was St. Augustine's idea of God’s Grace

Even though Luther’s intention wasn’t to break off from the Catholic Church that is indeed what happened, but because of this I expect to see some Protestant ideals in the Catholic Church

Philosophy Continued………• Tomas Aquinas

• Priest• Saint• But I know him better as a

Philosopher• Natural reasoning concerning 4th Proof

• Point is that because all things including humans are created by the eternal being that we already have some perfection within us which would go into reasoning

• I concluded from this that the Catholic Church will be somewhat culturally bound due to a possible misinterpretation of Aquinas’s reasoning.• By this I mean that the congregation

may put too much emphasis on reasoning, that in itself we already know what is good and bad, and from this be more relaxed. “Just because its natural doesn’t mean its Good” – Saint Deep

2,000 years and Counseling

PROS CONS Catholics believe in

God Good Support Group

(Miller) Religious Body/Hope Religious leaders

and counselor under same guideline (Helping)

Get to be a Historian Confessions

May be stuck in their ways

May not enjoy what they are doing in faith-Confessions (Miller) Problem would be

here is that it probably wouldn’t be acceptable having the client try other denominations

And last but not least, deciphering through 2,000 years of knowledge to better help a client!!!

THEORIES AND RESEARCH

• Strategic Family Therapy- Catholic families will likely have strong family bonds which makes this a great theory to use

• Theory will work well with me being a philosophy undergraduate as well as with Catholic families since this certain theory focuses on communications and power dynamics

• This theory will also work well with faith • Research based off this theory and cross-cultured

couples concerning religion will be very interesting

HERE COMES THE DEVILDemon #1 Existentialism

• Cannot work with the idea of God (unable to exist with God since giving meaning to yourself is excludes God. Nothing greater than you can give you meaning.

• (Finger is a Finger because you have said that is it’s meaning)

• Social constructs- No actual truths, people make own truths associated to a thing, thing itself cannot have any truth, therefore God cannot attribute absolute truth to himself or other things

• Philosopher Nietzsche –Turning God upside down

• Giving meaning to the Bible than Bible helping you is different from Getting meaning from the Bible, therefore basis of Christianity cannot work with Existentialism (logic conflict)

MY CONVERSION • Non-denominational

Christian (Separatist) • Experience was gradual

at first • A couple supernatural

experiences • One mind blowing

experience that signified divine reality outside material world

• Asked for forgiveness• How does this all fit in with

the Catholics (Father Joel very accepting of story)

THE HEART-WARMING IMMERSION• Decided to attend a couple Catholic masses along with

meeting with Father Joel • First mass was at the Catholic church in Stiles, WI (St.

Patrick) • I went on Easter Sunday which ended up being a great face

value experience • The church had a very majestic atmosphere

• Beautiful singing choir on second story• Tales from the Crypt Bible reading woman • Woman who was very nice to me, explained without any

hint of judgment in her voice what to do during communion

• (kneeling), woman moved over so I could sit down in a pew

• Out of respect for flagellation I did not take the seat next to her

• Very relaxed atmosphere (Flannels) but it was disciplined

• I left the church in a state of awe and wonder, my catholic judgments were starting to be questions

• This particular church appeared to be pure, I personally wouldn’t endorse Catholicism.

HOW GLORIOUS

• Upon entering it was breathtaking (Oconto, WI )• Huge castle in the middle • Giant wood beams

• No heat in the church, final point making me know that Catholic devotion was not lazy

• Less cultural adaptation than first thought

The Discussion Father Joel (Body Language stern at first)

Mother Presbyterian and father Catholic, father left Catholic Church but later came back

Father Joel felt that Priesthood was for him Separated Brothers Stated that my Pastor was probably more

holier than him Was astounded when he said this (very loving

man) Church joint effect Historical Knowledge

Is it a Real Christian Sect? More needs to be discussed More pure and devoted than first thought Need to learn about Early Split (Bishop of

Constantinople) Mayflower, Forefathers: What does it

mean to be a Puritan? Much more research needs to be done,

but at the current moment I will not have a problem counseling Catholics but personal faith, it will go by distinctions (Rifts in logic and interpretations)

REFERENCESBono, E. D. (1976). The Greatest thinkers: The thirty minds

that shaped our civilization (G. Daulby, Ed.). New York, NY: Putnam.

Miller, G. A. (2003). Incorporating spirituality in counseling and psychotherapy: Theory and technique. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley & Sons. Retrieved April 02, 2016, from

https://scholar.google.com/?hl=en.

Neukrug, E. (2013). The World of the Counselor (5th ed., pp. 99-218). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Trickey-Bapty, C. (1996). Martyrs & miracles: The inspiring lives of saints and martyrs. Baltimore, MD: Halo Press.