Table 12:5, Householders” Occupations, 198823

Maple

Occupations Kinkora Plains Middleton Newton Shamrock Totals

Farming 44

Commercial and

Social Services 23

54 19 11

Industry Employees Marine Atlantic Employees Owners of Businesses

Professionals, including teachers

Retired 64

* Householder: the husband or only adult in household.

majority of householders are working outside their com— munities in industrial, commercial and service related jobs. Those working for the Marine Atlantic ferry transporta— tion company were employed in Borden; and the health— care, government and commercial jobs were in Charlot— tetown and Summerside. Among the 145 wives of the male householders, 62 (42%) were employed in full—time work outside their homes, mostly in teaching, health-care and clerical work. An equal number were identified as “housewives”, and a small number were in farming or part- time work. Only 5% of the women indicated they were retired, in contrast to 29070 of the men who indicated they were retired. These represent major changes.

New patterns of thinking and behaving emerged in other realms besides education, farming and employment. Bet- ween 1962 and 1965 the Second Vatican Council began a major modernization of the Roman Catholic Church that altered its doctrinal, liturgical and moral teachings and practices. Some of the modernization required renovations to churches. By 1965 St. Malachy’s church had installed a new low altar facing the congregation, removed the com- munion rail that separated the sanctuary from the main

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body of the church; and removed the prominent preacher’s pulpit. English became the language of the Mass and other sacraments. A much more active role for the laity includ- ed greater participation by lay people as catechists, lectors and Holy Communion distributors, as well as ad- ministrators in the parish. Old practises regarding abstinence from meat on Fridays, women covering their heads when inside the church, and strict prohibition against contraceptive devices, were relaxed. The Council also en- couraged greater dialogue and cooperation between Catholics and others Christian Churches. This more tolerant approach to the Protestant Churches may help ex- plain a sharp rise in mixed marriages at St. Malachy’s, shown in Table 12:6. (Mixed marriage refers to a marriage involving a Catholic and a non-Catholic, approved by the

church.)

Table 12:6, Mixed Marriages in St. Malachy’s Parish 25

No. of Mixed Marriages

Decades Total No. of Marriages

19405 48 19505 51 1960s 47 1970s 51 1980s 55

Greater freedoms were allowed to men and women in religious congregations in such things as dress and choice of work. Confusion and conflict over the meaning and im— pact of these changes caused some to abandon their religious vocations, and the number of new recruits to decline. The decline in religious vocations can be seen in the numbers given in Table 12:7, for St. Malachy’s Parish.