Is it rude not to visit other churches of different denominations?
I was raised Catholic. As a young man I found a nondenominational church and have been walking that path for about 20 years. Over the years I’ve sporadically attended Catholic services with my dad and grandparents out of respect for them.
Tonight I took my dad and my kids out to dinner. Out of nowhere he asked why I never bring my kids to the local Immaculate Conception parish. I’d honestly never thought about it. We have our own church and we have a home there.
He got visibly upset and said it was very rude of me not to visit Catholic churches more often. I was taken aback. I told him we weren’t avoiding Catholic churches, we’re just not Catholic and have no interest in converting. If anything, not dragging my kids to mass felt like the respectful posture. I also mentioned that the few times I’ve attended Catholic services over the years and disclosed I was nondenominational, I was met with jeers.
He ended it with: we need to start attending Catholic mass so that we can know God. I didn’t press it. We moved on. But now I’m sitting with it and I’m honestly not sure what the conversation was actually about. We have a church. We know Jesus. We read scripture. No denominational badge required.
So I’m trying to unpack this and looking for honest perspective. Is there a specifically Catholic teaching he might be drawing on that I’m not tracking, something about the sacraments, the Eucharist, or apostolic succession that would make him feel my kids are genuinely missing something? Or is this more a family and cultural thing dressed up in theological language, where he wants his grandkids inside the tradition that shaped him? And for anyone who’s navigated this with a Catholic parent, did you find a way through that didn’t require either of you to budge on conviction?
I’m not looking to argue denominations. I’m just trying to understand my dad.