The Mass is a bit foggy to me but I remember it as something mysterious. The priest in front was doing something partly hidden. And I couldn't understand the words. As I became old enough to read I realized the words were in Latin and the missal book had the English translation opposite the Latin on each page. We always dressed up, my brother and I wore neck ties, jackets, dress pants, and polished shoes. My mother and sisters wore dresses and veils.

We were taught that we needed to confess our sins in order to be in a proper state to receive Communion. Confession was held in confessionals where the priest and the penitent were kept separate.