Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family
by Veronica Chater
Published by W.W. Norton & Company Inc. (February release)
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Reviewed by Claire Vath
Sitting seven or eight pews from the front, I watched the family of 12 enter the church. Quickly, quietly, and with military precision, each person began his or her covert descent to one knee on the cold marble floor. Lacy veils perched on the women’s heads, and usually a baby was thrown haphazardly over their hips. The men sported nondescript suits and perfect parts. They filed into the pew, and I watched over the next hour—incredulously—as they beat their breasts during the “Lord have Mercy” and stuck out their tongues for the Eucharist.
Reading Veronica Chater’s memoir, Waiting for the Apocalypse, bridged the gap between those seven or eight pews, allowing me a glimpse into the life of those who refused to accept the modern Catholic church.
Veronica Chater’s father, Lyle Arnold, was convinced that Vatican II was the worst possible thing that could happen. It was true: The world was coming to an end. So when priests stopped saying masses in Latin and turned to face the congregation, the Arnolds migrated over to Portugal. Surely, Lyle was convinced, the “true mass” would be said in Fatima. So he turned in his California police badge, packed up his eight children and all their possessions and fled.
Thus begins the Arnolds’ family quest for a preVatican II mass. But disappointments in Portugal, and a wandering lifestyle upon return to the United States, make for upheaval in the family’s life and Veronica (Arnold) Chater’s faith.
Veronica and her family, steeped in traditional Catholic faith, attend underground masses, eschewing modern Catholicism and those who took part in it. But is faith enough to hold the Arnolds together?
Veronica Chater had one of those childhoods so tumultuous and unbelievable, it’s no wonder it makes for a compelling memoir. I flew through the book at a good clip, hungry for what would happen next.
Growing up Catholic, the memoir afforded me a look into the lives of those fundamentalists. Turns out, those seven or eight pews were actually miles apart—and amen to that.
Armchair Interviews says: A well-done memoir with a most interesting story.
Author’s Web site: http://www.VeronicaChater.com