I think it's partly a Southern thing. Catholic people are not nonexistant by any means, but Baptists and Methodists of many flavors predominate. In highschool, from 9-12 grade, less than ten people at my entire school were Catholic. Actually, I only knew of 2, but I'd prefer to err on the side of caution. There were a little more than 400 people at my school. If we take that as a microcosm of the larger community, not that many Catholic people.
In Oxford, there was one Catholic church; if you didn't want to go there you could drive 45 minutes to Tupelo. There were, however, around 7 Protestant Churches in the same town.
Here in Cochran, a town of a population less than 5000, we have 4 Protestant Churches within the town proper and no Catholic Churches at all.
In some cities in the South, there is literally a Baptist Church every two blocks.
Even in a city like Jackson, MS that has more than one Catholic church, St. Richard's where my husband's family go, they can have easily a thousand people at Mass.
I think it's much easier to have a smaller church community as a Protestant because there is so much choice.
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Date: 2009-10-22 12:37 am (UTC)In Oxford, there was one Catholic church; if you didn't want to go there you could drive 45 minutes to Tupelo. There were, however, around 7 Protestant Churches in the same town.
Here in Cochran, a town of a population less than 5000, we have 4 Protestant Churches within the town proper and no Catholic Churches at all.
In some cities in the South, there is literally a Baptist Church every two blocks.
Even in a city like Jackson, MS that has more than one Catholic church, St. Richard's where my husband's family go, they can have easily a thousand people at Mass.
I think it's much easier to have a smaller church community as a Protestant because there is so much choice.