Catholics in Frats

[Cluey]

Originally posted by adduncan
Adrienne (PNAM 2003 and Trivial Pursuit Master<g>)

I am so glad that I am not the only sorority information dork! I am just killing time until Trivial Pursuit comes out with a greek edition. I would so kick some butt!

Annie

[GeekyPenguin]

I am fascinated that the Diocese of Lincoln bans membership in Planned Parenthood...I wonder if Milwaukee does too, because somebody shouldn't have confirmed me then!

On an interesting notes, I know some Jesuit universities with Greek systems require that PNMS be given a bid. I know Creighton is one of these, and I find this really interesting.

[damasa]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin


On an interesting notes, I know some Jesuit universities with Greek systems require that PNMS be given a bid. I know Creighton is one of these, and I find this really interesting.

I had heard that about Creighton but I wasn't sure if it was true or not.....dayum.

[theta sig agd]

Idont think that is entirely true about Creighton. When I was there that wasnt the rule.

It maybe a guideline the school wants but just a guideline..

[AlphaSigOU]

Not only am I a baptized (but not a practicing) Roman Catholic, but I am a Mason as well. I find nothing in Masonic ritual that contradicts with my own personal and religious beliefs.

In regards to Cardinal Law's clarification, there are some errors of fact in the document and below are some updates:

• There are no higher degrees beyond that of a Master Mason. The Scottish Rite (which confers the 4th through the 32nd Degrees) expands upon the basic teachings learned in the first three degrees of Freemasonry, which is why it's sometimes called the 'University of Freemasonry'. (There is also the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor (32nd KCCH) and the honorary 33rd degree, which even fewer get.) The only place you'll find the first three degrees performed in the Scottish Rite style is in a small number of lodges in New Orleans -- the first three degrees are actually based on York Rite ritual.
• The York Rite is composed of three distinct bodies: the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons (conferring four degrees: Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, Royal Arch Mason), the Council of Royal and Select Masters (conferring two degrees: Royal Master and Select Master; a third optional degree, Super Excellent Master is conferred in a few jurisdictions) and the Knights Templar (composed of three degrees they call Orders: Order of the Red Cross, Order of Malta and the Order of the Temple). Membership in the Knights Templar is generally restricted to men of the Christian faith, because of the distinctively Christian aims of the Order, though some jurisdictions may loosely interpret this requirement and allow non-Christians to join the Order.
• Until the year 2000, one must have either attained the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite or the Order of the Temple to become eligible for membership in the Shrine. Currently, one must have been raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason before becoming eligible to join the Shrine. Many Shrine centers have made public their initiation ritual (with the exception of the portion containing the methods of recognition).

So I can't receive communion? No big deal... I rarely attend Catholic church services except for baptisms, weddings and funerals.

[APhiRattlerGal]

Originally posted by DeltaGammaStar
Just thought I would share and say that I attend at Catholic Jesuit College and we have a thriving Greek system...

Colleen Erin

Yea I attend a Catholic University and we also have a wonderful Greek system. YAY!!!

[33girl]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
On an interesting notes, I know some Jesuit universities with Greek systems require that PNMS be given a bid. I know Creighton is one of these, and I find this really interesting.

There was another post on here about Creighton and the guaranteed bids. Of course guaranteeing a bid and guaranteeing a bid from the sorority you want are 2 entirely different things - I would assume they practice the former, not the latter. I can't imagine that a national group would put up with having to give a bid to everyone who wants one.

[dekeguy]

Dining Clubs at Oxford and Cambridge, and to a lesser extent at the Scottish Universities, the Univ of London, Bristol, Durham, and one or two others are rather similar to our concept of GLOs. They also have some aspects of Yale (and other) Secret Societies. They generally select new members by a black-ball system, membership is by invitation, they have a ritual aspect both at initiation and during meetings, and are much more than just eating and drinking groups. Most are coed but some are single sex and some have their own club rooms while others use college based facilities. Some are fairly open and some are very private in every respect. My cousin who did his undergrad degree at Royal Holloway College of the Univ of London was a member of 'Barbarians' which was very similar to what we know but very private in that not everyone there knew that they existed and those that did thought they were a rugby club who were just very close knit. His brother was at Oxford and was a member of 'Apollo' which was very like what we know. It had the appearance of a Masonic Lodge, lots of ritual work, very strong on brotherhood, and, I suspect, was a recruiting ground for MI-5 and MI-6. It seemed to be strongest at Oriel College and Christ Church College with members from others Oxford colleges as well.
The 'Popes' is a an interesting group which seems to draw on mostly Catholic families who are wired into the old guard establishment. Their sponsor and "God-Father" is the Duke of Norfolk and they are loaded with members who hold titles. They are none the less very sharp, very smart, very impressive, and all around high achievers. I believe there are about a dozen such groups at Oxford, about the same at Cambridge, and three or four at each of the other places.
During my JYA I was a guest of several of these groups and was very impressed by their approach which was very familiar yet distinctly British. Even the open aspects of their meetings were heavy into ritual (they have a toasting ceremony which varies from group to group but each was really impressive, and I can only guess at their private ceremonies but I understand they are very old and very moving).
As a side note, they all have Latin and Greek mottoes, slogans, and signs and tokens specific to that group. What I found interesting was that they all could read at sight what everything meant, so the esoteric significance was really close held by the members.
A Brit Army Officer I met when I was on active duty the first time right after graduation told me that there were at least two American GLOs that had active chapters in the Scottish Universities many years ago. Apparently they were organized in the 1880s and were active until the mid 1920s at least and might have survived longer. He told me that at least one had transformed itself into a Dining Club and was still around but was no longer officially affiliated with its parent fraternity.
I understand that there are a couple of groups at the University of London and at least one at one of the Northern English universities that have organized to petition for colony status with American Fraternities.
Anybody else have any info they could share on British groups that are similar to our Greek system?

[AphiCutie]

Regarding the question of people getting bids regardless at Jesuit schools, that is not true. At my school about 150 girls came out and only 110 were invited back to at least 1 pref night (with 3 sororities on campus).

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by AphiCutie
Regarding the question of people getting bids regardless at Jesuit schools, that is not true. At my school about 150 girls came out and only 110 were invited back to at least 1 pref night (with 3 sororities on campus).

I didn't say all Jesuit schools did this, I know they don't because I know Marquette, as one example, doesn't. I said that some, such as Creighton, do.

Here's a post about Creighton's situation from one of your sisters:

http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...ight=creighton

[sugar and spice]

I believe there are only two or three schools left that still have the a-bid-for-every-girl-who-goes-through-rush rule.

From the other thread -- it sounded like only the sororities, and not the fraternities, had this rule. Does anybody know why it would apply to one and not the other?

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I believe there are only two or three schools left that still have the a-bid-for-every-girl-who-goes-through-rush rule.

From the other thread -- it sounded like only the sororities, and not the fraternities, had this rule. Does anybody know why it would apply to one and not the other?

Probably because Catholics are never going to recognize that women are equal. Seriously, that's a good question, because it seems like in a lot of places fraternities get to run rampant compared to sororities.

wow
this threads been running a long time, I was amazed to see it at the top of the posting chain again. I go to church with a lot of my fraternity brothers and a bunch of us had encouraged each other to give up things for lent. Helpin' each other be better Catholics I guess.

That part about Pope John Paul becoming an honorary brother of Phi Kappa Theta really interesting.

Learn something new every day

[GeekyPenguin]

I wish there were more Catholics in my chapter - we live adjacent to a church and yet I still don't go to Mass. I am going to make a conscious effort once we get back to school though. Hopefully I will be at Marquette next year and have lots of friends to go to Mass with.

[nyrdrms]

I was actually surprised at how many other catholics are in my chapter (and in the other organizations at my school). Not because of the whole Greek/Catholic thing, but because we're in the south, and of over 100 churches in this city, there are only 3 Catholic churches...