--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back home, this Catholic kid was…" description: "\"“Back home, this Catholic kid was accustomed to a Protestant culture's condescension, but here he could see for himself the world-historic glories of C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg" --- # Back home, this Catholic kid was accustomed to a… ![“Back home, this Catholic kid was accustomed to a Protestant culture's condescension, but here he could see for himself the world-historic glories of Catholicism... [A Catholic American soldier's reaction to seeing St. Peter's Basilica during WWII.]” quote by James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg) > ““Back home, this Catholic kid was accustomed to a Protestant culture's condescension, but here he could see for himself the world-historic glories of Catholicism... \[A Catholic American soldier's reaction to seeing St. Peter's Basilica during WWII.\]”” [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encountering sacred spaces can profoundly shift one's perception of faith and history **In simple terms:** Seeing holy sites can change beliefs Key Takeaway Explore diverse traditions to broaden perspective Themes faith history culture Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type historical spiritual When to use this quote - pilgrimage - interfaith dialogue - historical study Key Concepts theology anthropology personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How has a place altered your worldview? - What steps can you take to experience other cultures? A Different Perspective Personal bias may limit openness to new experiences ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) ## Related quotes > [“As a product of Anglo-Saxon-Protestant culture, I am familiar with its centuries-old tradition of hiding its abuse of women under pretty packaging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lundy-bancroft/as-a-product-of-anglo-saxon-protestant-culture-i-am-familiar-with-its/) [Lundy Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lundy-bancroft/) > [I used to be Irish Catholic. Now I'm an American - you know, you grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-used-to-be-irish-catholic-now-i-m-an-american-you-know-you-grow/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I went to a Catholic University and there's something about being a Catholic-American. You know, St. Patrick's Day is, I'm Irish-Catholic. There's alcoholism in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/i-went-to-a-catholic-university-and-there-s-something-about-being-a/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I am who I am: an Irish Catholic kid, working class from Long Island. And I made it big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/i-am-who-i-am-an-irish-catholic-kid-working-class-from-long-island/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [I was this Catholic kid, and I never really lost that. I loved the rituals of Catholicism. The mass is a magic ritual; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carroll/i-was-this-catholic-kid-and-i-never-really-lost-that-i-loved-the/) [Jim Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carroll/) > [For a Catholic kid in parochial school, the only way to survive the beatings - by classmates, not the nuns - was to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/for-a-catholic-kid-in-parochial-school-the-only-way-to-survive-the/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [“...she had discovered within herself the unlikely gift for functioning with equilibrium and efficiency inside a full-blown, unending nightmare. \[A Red Cross worker during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/she-had-discovered-within-herself-the-unlikely-gift-for-functioning/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [“One day, I noticed that my father’s uniform had changed from a smart, light green colour with silver edging on the shoulder straps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/one-day-i-noticed-that-my-father-s-uniform-had-changed-from-a-smart/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) > [“It was astonishing that the pseudo wreckers, who knew perfectly well that they weren't wreckers, believed that military men and priests were being shaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-astonishing-that-the-pseudo-wreckers-who-knew-perfectly-well/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Fuehrer, we are on the march! Victorious Italian troops crossed the Greco-Albanian frontier at dawn today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/fuehrer-we-are-on-the-march-victorious-italian-troops-crossed-the/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [“I remember seeing one elderly man look at us, and he held his hand out, and most frightening were his eyes, dark as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/i-remember-seeing-one-elderly-man-look-at-us-and-he-held-his-hand-out/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) > [“Socially, politically, economically, militarily, culturally, racially, sexually, demographically, even mythologically, World War II was the crucible that forged modern America. It was the transforming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haynes-johnson/socially-politically-economically-militarily-culturally-racially/) Haynes Johnson > [“Odd, don't you think? I have seen war, and invasions and riots. I have heard of massacres and brutalities beyond imagining, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-pears/odd-don-t-you-think-i-have-seen-war-and-invasions-and-riots-i-have/) [Iain Pears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-pears/) > [Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/soldiers-sailors-and-airmen-of-the-allied-expeditionary-force-you-are/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“I look at my mother, connected by a breath of glimmering hope, her red and shadowed eyes reveal that some element of our whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nestor/i-look-at-my-mother-connected-by-a-breath-of-glimmering-hope-her-red/) [Alfred Nestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nestor/) ## More by James Carroll > [Memory is a political act. Forgetfulness is the handmaiden of tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/memory-is-a-political-act-forgetfulness-is-the-handmaiden-of-tyranny/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [There are so many flaws, .. I don't think they can be fixed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/there-are-so-many-flaws-i-don-t-think-they-can-be-fixed/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking. We move along the surface of things…but, there are times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/we-spend-most-of-our-time-and-energy-in-a-kind-of-horizontal-thinking/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [Before entering the seminary, I had not encountered the life-changing potential of reading as a source of meaning, as a way of ordering one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/before-entering-the-seminary-i-had-not-encountered-the-life-changing/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [“...she had discovered within herself the unlikely gift for functioning with equilibrium and efficiency inside a full-blown, unending nightmare. \[A Red Cross worker during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/she-had-discovered-within-herself-the-unlikely-gift-for-functioning/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [Telling our stories is what saves us. The story is enough... The very act of storytelling, of arranging memory and invention according to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/telling-our-stories-is-what-saves-us-the-story-is-enough-the-very-act/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [There are times when we stop, we sit still. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/there-are-times-when-we-stop-we-sit-still-we-listen-and-breezes-from/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [It takes a disciplined imagination to acknowledge that the less personal savageries of bombs, missiles, artillery and heavy weapons are, to those blown to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/it-takes-a-disciplined-imagination-to-acknowledge-that-the-less/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [American fighters of the Pacific War were not heroes. The desperation of island combat included exchanged barbarities of which no one would willingly speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/american-fighters-of-the-pacific-war-were-not-heroes-the-desperation/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [“The very act of story-telling, of arranging memory and invention according to the structure of the narrative, is by definition holy. We tell stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/the-very-act-of-story-telling-of-arranging-memory-and-invention/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [“Apart from the museums that anchor the great cities of Europe and America, the Roman Catholic Church is what remains of "Christendom," the generating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/apart-from-the-museums-that-anchor-the-great-cities-of-europe-and/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) > [The whole story of human and personal progress is an unmitigated tale of denials today-denials of rest, denials or repose and comfort and ease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/the-whole-story-of-human-and-personal-progress-is-an-unmitigated-tale/) [James Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) [Explore all 13 James Carroll quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/) ## More Catholic quotes > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [I'm the daughter of a Kenyan Catholic father and a Mauritian Hindu mother, and I have a Jewish husband who was born in South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/i-m-the-daughter-of-a-kenyan-catholic-father-and-a-mauritian-hindu/) [Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [I grew up with a religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-caruso/i-grew-up-with-a-religious-background/) [Alex Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-caruso/) > [ Girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us follow in his \[Jesus\] paths by the guidance of the Gospel. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-of-nursia/girded-with-faith-and-the-performance-of-good-works-let-us-follow-in/) [Benedict of Nursia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-of-nursia/) > [“Even at the tender age of twelve, when I knelt in front of the bishop for my confirmation, I had the sneaking suspicion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-edwards/even-at-the-tender-age-of-twelve-when-i-knelt-in-front-of-the-bishop/) Megan Edwards > [Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-and-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-grandmother-was-a-minister-as-well-which-was-not-that-common-in/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [My grandmother made sure that I went to church every Sunday. And she'd come over and pick us boys up, and we would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-grandmother-made-sure-that-i-went-to-church-every-sunday-and-she-d/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I think being raised within a Mexican Catholic family made magical realism a very natural part of who I am as a person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-olivas/i-think-being-raised-within-a-mexican-catholic-family-made-magical/) [Daniel Olivas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-olivas/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [You can never completely get it - being a Christian - but I think I really got it when my first son was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/you-can-never-completely-get-it-being-a-christian-but-i-think-i/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) [Browse all 4,027 Catholic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Back home, this Catholic kid was accustomed to a Protestant culture's condescension, but here he could see for himself the world-historic glories of Catholicism... [A Catholic American soldier's reaction to seeing St. Peter's Basilica during WWII.]”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Carroll" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustomed-to-a-protestant-culture-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Catholic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustomed-to-a-protestant-culture-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/james-carroll-36259_catholic_back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustom_2716221.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Back home, this Catholic kid was accustomed to a Protestant culture's condescension, but here he could see…” — James Carroll", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Carroll", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carroll/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Back home, this Catholic kid was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustomed-to-a-protestant-culture-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carroll/back-home-this-catholic-kid-was-accustomed-to-a-protestant-culture-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```