Brown Scapular as Catholic Dog Tags

Tom Perna has a blog and he posted a great piece on Catholic Dog Tags, the Brown Scapular. I picked it up from a Facebook post from Chicago radio personality and writer, Mike Houlihan, who like me went to Mount Carmel High School in Chicago.  The Brown Scapular was certainly significant for everyone who went to Mount Carmel. 

A lot of us Baby-boomers were believers-then non-believers-then believers at various times in our life.  I mean for us, the generational mantra was "is it relevant" and at least for a while many of us, we were "far out there" and not on solid ground and Catholicism seemed out of touch. I remember arguing with one of my college friends who believed God was a space alien. I was "far out" there somewhere, but I was not buying that nonsense.  Now-a-days, that same friend of mine is so far to the Christian right, he thinks Saint JP II was a liberal. Latin is the only church language for him, etc.

In the 1970s, books and theories about aliens causing practically every phenomena known to man were extremely popular. People were adapting to a new freedom of thought, but the alien thing didn't hit home for me. I was back at church as I started to be Dad to one, two, three, four---and then five and six.  Now, I am grandfather to one, two and three so far.  I don't know exactly how I am doing, but at least I'm pretty good at simple addition.

Getting Back to Scapulars

I think it's fair to say that a lot of people who wore scapulars in their youth are back it today, but I really don't know.  Perna points out in his post, that in 1251, "the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Simon Stock, Prior General of the Carmelites in England, and showed him the scapular...Through Our Lady’s motherly Queenship and Advocacy, the Scapular has a strong spiritual ability since she intercedes for the graces when things seem dark and hopeless." For Catholics, the Blessed Mother is a "Blessed Mother" and we pray for her to intercede.

I am not going to get off on the Da Vinci Code right now, but I have to believe the dumbest thing to pin on Catholicism is to see it as male dominated religion.  Our Catholic moms guided us as kids at home and the Sisters were the strongest teaching influence. Most of our dads were working, working and working. Priests were infrequently seen compared to the women in our lives. And powerful priests may have guided the ship of a Catholic parish, but the Sisters were the ones that carried most everything out and interpreted most everything for us.  

When the Fascists and Communists tried to take over the culture in Germany and Russia, they outlawed religious youth groups. If they tried to do that in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, they would have been tossing a lot of nuns in jail to do it. It's ironic in that the fight for equality in jobs has led women to a much less influential position in many homes and in the church itself. I don't say that as some kind of reactionary, I just think the Moms today have nowhere near the influence on their kids that they had back in the Baby Boom Era and the lack of nuns is a fundamental loss and tragedy. 

Many couples have no children at all today. And many young people hold onto two or more part time jobs to make ends meet. Kids have been replaced with Smart Phones, technology bills, fantasy league sports, cars, restaurants, concerts, and connectivity with hundreds of Facebook friends.

But, the Scapular serves as kind of road-sign for our faith and more and maybe, just maybe it will be a trendsetter towards a rebirth in the importance of many good things. Perhaps the importance of children and leading a faith-filled life. 

Lawrence Norris is the author of the thoroughly entertaining book, The Brown and White, a nostalgic look at boys Catholic High School back in 1967-1968.

Mass was a Litmus Test for Catholics

Going to Mass was a litmus test for Catholics back in the day. Going to Mass was getting your Catholic card punched each week. You might not be a saint, but if you went to Mass you were in the game. You recognized the reach and the power of the Man upstairs.  You were a believer in a profound way.

A few of the neighborhood men appeared to be among the worst sinners around, who were Catholic.  These were the guys who swore a little too much in front of kids and women. These were the guys who might be swigging a beer at 11 AM on the weekends. These were the guys who didn't seem to have love for their family. Some of them went to Mass—as if to say I know I am no good, but there is always a chance at redemption. Then there were other men that gave Mass attendance up. No Mass, but they'd wash the car on Sunday—stick out like a sore thumb on the block. 

Regardless of how you might have felt about faith or religion, these guys were just not operating well any longer in society. There was something wrong with them, with their lifestyle and they were in trouble. 

But back in those days, there were also a lot of very faithful women who like Saint Monica got down on their knees and prayed for anyone who seemed to lose the faith.  I knew some men who did it as well.  For Catholics, there is never any problem, never, that can't be addressed by prayer. So, wives, mothers, daughters and sometimes fathers, brothers and sons prayed for those who lost their way. And sometimes redemption came. 

That's the kind of faith that can help bring it all together again for the future. Going to Mass might not make you the best Catholic, but it says in you are a member--that you accept something greater than yourself or your own lifestyle or schedule.

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Forty plus years in the making, The Brown and White is a fictionalized memoir that tells the story of Collin Callaghan's freshman year at a Chicago Catholic High School. Collin is a white boy who is living in turbulent times in a changing city. He clings to his neighborhood and his family as he heads out each day with his classmates on the Brown and White, the ancient school bus driven by free-spirited Willie. Memorable characters abound as this story unfolds. Collin's lovable family, especially his Irish Catholic policeman father and his Irish immigrant mother face life together. Collin and classmates blaze their own humorous and passionate trail through the late 1960s. A unique cast of terrific teachers are there to see the boys through. Laughs and life meet readers head on as they travel on the Brown and White.

Good News on The Brown and White

I am starting to see some good press on my book, The Brown and White 

Skinny and Houli

One of my early gigs was an interview on the Skinny and Houli Radio Show. Mike Houlihan's booming voice shook the rafters as we began the show the Skinny and Houli Radio Show  recorded at Lizzie McNeills in Chicago.  Houli and Skinny were the consummates hosts and encouraging as things went along. 

Listen to the Podcast. 

An interview of me about the book has also been published in  Chicago Catholic. 

I  have also been interviewed on Catholic TV in Watertown, Massachusetts to air later this year.  


The story takes place in 1967-1968 during the Vietnam War, Chicago's historic neighborhood changes, the changes in the Catholic Church from Vatican II, and the assassination of Martin Luther King.  It was a time of turmoil. Yet, the theme of the book is one of growth that I hope in a funny kind of human way pays homage to my family, my teachers, and friends. The book brings back a lot of memories for readers who will no doubt think of their own experiences as they read it.

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See story in the Chicago Catholic. Listen to a conversation about the book on the Skinny and Houli Podcast with Norris--begins after the first Skinny and Houli dialogue. Norris was also interviewed on Catholic TV for broadcast in the future. Book signing are upcoming as well.

The What of the Brown and White

The Brown and White by Lawrence Norris

When we were little bitty kids, we learned the Hail Mary. It was easier than the Our Father and it was a prayer that honored Jesus's Mother. It was what we call a prayer for intercession. From the earliest days in Catholic School we learned that Mary would intercede for us, asking for us. At the same time, we were learning about Jesus and what he had done for us. As a little kid in a Catholic home and going to a Catholic School, there was many crucifixes around and images of Jesus. We prayed to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 

I'd like to use this thought today to introduce my book, The Brown and White. My book isn't about faith and beliefs so much as it is about the life that we lived at the time when I was in high school. But faith was at the core of our existence and a Catholic faith was at mine. In  truth, I'd like to go back and feel the faith that I had at that time. As an adult, I think it works a little different.  I think some of us, like Mother Theresa can feel disconnected at times and at other times feel in touch.  When we were kids, I think we felt in touch most of the time.

Forty plus years in the making, The Brown and White is a fictionalized memoir that tells the story of Collin Callaghan's freshman year at a Chicago Catholic High School. Collin is a white boy who is living in turbulent times in a changing city. He clings to his neighborhood and his family as he heads out each day with his classmates on the Brown and White, the ancient school bus driven by free-spirited Willie. Memorable characters abound as this story unfolds. Collin's loveable family, especially his Irish Catholic policeman father and his Irish immigrant mother face life together. Collin and classmates blaze their own humorous and passionate trail through the late 1960s. A unique cast of terrific teachers are there to see the boys through. Laughs and life meet readers head on as they travel on the Brown and White.
Copyright 2017, Sporting Chance Press

Lessons and Humor in The Brown and White

I once got a school jacket from a neighbor that was old and worn out after it was "advertised" as practically brand new. My mother, although certainly doing her best, added insult to injury by knitting some clothes to go with it.  This is a funny lesson in my book The Brown and White. I have a number of episodes in the book that are funny, but a little painful as well. My life, and I suppose many other people, could be described as funny and painful. 

More than anything else, my book is funny! But when you write humor, it gets a little tricky at times.  I wrote The Brown and White over 40 years and sometimes I looked at things and made changes. My sensibilities changed.

I often think of humor as having no conscience. Things can be funny and cruel; funny and racist; and funny and just wrong. Hitler thought Roosevelt's letter suggesting he leave the rest of Europe alone (after he started his expansionism) as funny. To Hitler and thousands in the audience, Hitler's response was funny. To Roosevelt and most people concerned with Hitler's threats, it was something different all together. 

It occurred to me this morning that several of the incidents I have written about in The Brown and White are not only humorous, but on some level instructive. The instructive stuff is good, but I certainly didn't write the book for its lessons. I wanted people to know the way it was for us back in 1967-1968. And I wanted to give everyone in my past a kind of hug. The book is written for adults, although I do hope it gets a lot of play with young adults.

My book, The Brown and White, examines the life of a Catholic High School freshman who goes through some funny and scary times.  It's a good quick read that is based on fact. I've been working with books by other people for a long time and this is my first book. Maybe I will end up like Carole King, behind the scenes for years and break out into super stardom! Well, I can hope.