Sunday Memories: Mass and Doughnuts

My dad and mom were serious Catholics. Mom often went to daily Mass and I don't remember my parents EVER skipping Sunday Mass even once when I was growing up except for childbirth or serious illness. Every Sunday we were out of the house and in the car to arrive for Mass a little early where we filled an entire pew. Everyone dressed in Sunday best to meet mom and dad's approval: no blue jeans, shorts, message t-shirts, etc. The girls mostly wore dresses and skirts (and head coverings) and the boys were in dress pants. We attended the Tridentine Mass because that WAS the Catholic Mass until 1965 when I was in college and away from home except for summers.

After Mass Daddy took us all to the bakery, a Sunday tradition, where everyone clamored for our favorite goodies. The little ones liked to pull the ticket from the machine and we all waited eagerly to hear our number called. I'm sure the bakery owner LOVED seeing us coming! We exited in triumph with bags and boxes of powdered jelly and glazed doughnuts, elephant ears, assorted danish (cheese were my favorite), crullers and cinammon twists, and something chocolate. Each of us could have three choices for breakfast - talk about a sugar high! But we all loved it and looked forward to the Sunday bakery run. To this day, a powdered, raspberry filled doughnut triggers childhood nostalgia.