Posted on 05/07/2008 12:03:13 PM PDT by NYer
A good friend recently pointed out a web site which has scans of Catholic comic books from the 1940s through the 1960s. On the one hand, they are fun and a great snapshot into mid twentieth- century Catholicism. On the other hand, it is remarkable how much serious content they bring with them. The images pictured here come from a 1948 issue on the Mass, which starts with Old Testament typologies, gives a short history of the development of the rites, and then establishes that the earthly liturgy takes place within the context of the joining of heaven and earth. Interestingly its language shows the effects of the liturgical research of the time on the nature of the Mass as corporate worship of the Mystical Body. Here, a priest saying Mass at the high altar with the pre-conciliar Missal, ad orientem, is said to be celebrating Mass "in the community or group form of praying" (click an image for larger view). "None of us is alone," it says, "we are all one in Christ." This simple comic book presents a proper view of liturgical community, one in which we form one Mystical Body of Christ, addressing our prayers to the Father, through the Son, who is sacramentally represented to us in the priest acting in persona Christi. That this notion of community became distorted after the Council no one can deny, but the proper roots were there, even for 10 year olds.
For some of us, this will bring back fond memories ;-)
Bump to read later.
Nice! Thanks for the link!
Yes, and I love the argument used by some resistant bishops now that the old Mass is “too hard” for the PRIESTS to understand! Gimme a break.
WOWZERS — thanks for this, I know now what I’m doing on the next rainy day!!!!
I always loved Treasure Chest day at my Catholic school. Unfortunately I only got it for one year before they stopped publishing. But I had all my older brothers’ and sisters’ issues to read :-)
THANKS!
> Not all that suprising...they appear to be a religional-instruction version of “Classic Comics”.
More than this: Treasure Chest had all sorts of articles, games and more (of course with a Catholic flavor) not just Classic stories or biographies.
It was made for kids but never talked down to them. In those days kids were assumed to be able to read and reason. Not like today where just showing up gets you an Esteem Award.
I recall Treasure Chest from the late 50s and early 60s. There was the Chuck White series, and I recall a series on a hypothetical communist takeover of the USA. We always used to look forward to the day when the new TC came.
Imagine the adult reactions if copies of these comics got into the hands of the children at St. Joan of Arc? Oh ... they would probably bring out the big puppets from Call to Action, to distract them.
self-ping
Those CTA puppets are incredibly ugly.
The only reasonable use for them I can think of is to post them at various distances between the firing line and the 200yd berm and see how many rounds of 7.62mm NATO they can withstand.
Puppets! I HATE those big puppets! Their appearance is a sign of how WRONG the demonstration is!
Those comic books would be a good idea. Maybe we should suggest Ignatius press re-issue them.
I would also like to see them issued for history and science as well!
(I want copies for myself! I still have all my old Mad Magazines!)
Is that rhetorical, or the beginnings of a plan?
Ditto! The only thing I dislike more, are clowns.
Thanks for this post. I never knew about this comic magazine!
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