Catholic Youth’s Guide to Life and Love
George A. Kelly
1960
I might be flirting with disaster to suggest this for inclusion in our little project. Today, I want to just throw caution to the wind! This little gem showed up by accident in our ILL bin. Of course everyone on staff LOVED this book and we passed it around all day! (I did have to define “petting” to some of our younger staff members!) For all of ALB fans that can remember the church before Vatican II or attended a Catholic school, you will love this book and the stroll down memory lane!
Reader Advisory BONUS!
For a real fun fictional “memoir” of growing up in Catholic schools in the sixties, read John Powers’ book Last Catholic in America and the companion “sequel”: Do black patent leather shoes really reflect up?
16 responses so far ↓
Miss Abigail // June 16, 2009 at 10:11 am |
Please, oh please, I’ll take this book!
jim allen // June 16, 2009 at 10:51 am |
I love this site–keep up the good work!!!!
Elisa // June 16, 2009 at 5:19 pm |
There may be parts that contain dated info but its message combined with catholic church teaching isn’t.
A recovering catholic // June 16, 2009 at 9:47 pm |
And somewhere, I still have my copy of Baltimore Catechism #3.
Gypsye // June 17, 2009 at 10:53 am |
I read “Do black patent leather shoes really reflect up?” in the ninth grade (I was a media center aide, so you can guess what I do now!) IT is a great read- and is memorable lo these several years (decades) later!
To respond to Eliza, yes the core message of the church may be the same, but how valid would this example be for most CYO members?
marykelly48 // June 17, 2009 at 2:18 pm |
I loved the book, so a good comprimise if you think the book has merit is to take out of youth collection and put it in adult materials… nostalgia does have its moments!
Mary
Missy // June 17, 2009 at 11:43 am |
Mary is there anyway that the auther is related to you?
marykelly48 // June 17, 2009 at 2:17 pm |
Don’t think so, but I am sure he wouldn’t claim us!
Mary
Triple L // June 27, 2009 at 10:43 am |
According to this books “rules” we are probably all going to hell! HA!
Jeannie // July 6, 2009 at 4:22 pm |
I read both of Powers’ books in 8th grade; they gave me the few laughs I was able to have that year.
BTW: are they still in print? Oh, wait – dumb me should go to amazon.com!
BTW again: YOUR BLOG ROCKS!! I’m thankful ew.com gave me the link.
Oleg // July 7, 2009 at 4:06 am |
Oh well, catholic chrurch’es guide to life is not supposed to have changed for the last couple of thousand years. if this is really out of date, catholics should be very worried.
Becker // July 7, 2009 at 4:20 pm |
Another good Catholic “memoir” is Pagan Babies and Other Christian Memories…very amusing (well, I’m pretty sure…I read it years ago, but the title has stuck with me!)
Elizabeth // July 10, 2009 at 6:07 pm |
Who doesn’t know what petting is? Ignorance!
susita // July 17, 2009 at 7:18 pm |
What about
-having a telephone book the thickness of the NYC telephone book between you and your date’s lap?
-kicking a pebble into a puddle so HE doesn’t see the reflection of your panties!
-heavy petting (below the waist!!!!)
This was the sex education I received as a convent girl.
Syl // July 25, 2009 at 10:55 am |
You can’t get any holier than “The VERY Reverend Monsignor…” Whew! that’s a mouthful.
“Watch out for that falling boulder, Very Reverend Monsignor…!”
Marie // August 12, 2009 at 3:27 pm |
Call me a cynic, but I bet the author of this book hung out at his local Knights of Columbus, drank all the good beer and was the first one to tell dirty jokes.