Published by Nuestros_Ranchos –

If one thinks about it, an "expuesto" child was placed
(whether physically or metaphorically) on the doorstep of a church or a home and
"exposed" to the elements, to the scorn and ridicule of the public, and to
take on the sin of its parents.  Illegitimate children paid for their being
the union of the unmarried.  They couldn't hold certain positions or go to
some universities.  It was a terrible existence, and it was not their
fault.  Marge


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----- Original Message -----


style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From:
href="mailto:auntyemfaustus@...">Emilie Garcia


Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 11:42
PM

Subject: [ranchos] Re: Confirmaciones,
Expuestos



Hello, everyone,

 

I am like Christopher; I don't know much Spanish or the practices in the
Catholic Church, even though I was baptized and confirmed.  I was
baptized in New Mexico at the age of a few months, then my mother told me that
I was confirmed at the age of 2.  She told me this because when we moved
to California, my little friends asked me why I had never made my first
Communion.  I asked my Mother why, and she said it was not necessary
since I had been baptized and confirmed by a bishop in New Mexico.  I
don't remember the slap on the face, but I do remember the bishop being angry
at me because I kept trying to take his hat and the little bottle of oil from
him.  He told my aunt who was holding me in her arms to hold my hands so
that he could get on with the ritual.  Strange that I remember
that.

 

Later, when I wanted to get married in California, my husband said I had
to mak! e my first communion in order to receive the sacrament of
matrimony.  I went to classes at the age of 23 with other adults
converting to Catholicism.  My husband couldn't understand why I had
never made my first communion, and he didn't believe that I had been confirmed
as a small child.  Now, thanks to your e-mails, he has to believe
me.

 

As for Expuestos, that was a new one to me.  I had never run across
such records.  I looked in my Spanish-English dictionary for the
definition of "expuestos" and it says it means "exposed, liable, or
obnoxious".  Now I am really confused about that term.

 

Emilie Garcia

 Port Orchard, WA





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