A Step Out of the Broom Closet

My husband's parents are Catholic.  They don't go to Confession or pray the Rosary every night (that I'm aware), but they do attend Mass every week, and adhere to the dogma of the Catholic Church.

Hubby and I haven't attended Mass in quite a long time now, though we've only recently started practicing Wicca/Paganism.  Well, his parents attended Mass this evening and afterward called Hubby.  They asked when we were going to go to Mass again, and told him he needs to believe in something.  When he told them we've been practicing at home and that we do, in fact, believe in something they didn't believe him.  They all but called him a liar.  So he said that we have been exploring religion at home, and mentioned that we're studying Wicca.

My jaw dropped.

It's not that I don't want them to know, but I know how his parents are, and I don't want to cause unnecessary stress because of something that's really none of their business to begin with.  I didn't think he'd ever want to tell them, to be honest, and since we're solitary practitioners, it didn't need to be told.  (I haven't told my family yet.  I know my mom will be much more laid back, but I'm just not ready to tell them yet.  When the time is right, I will.)

I'm not sure what his parents are going to think now, or how they'll act.  I don't know whether they'll tell my mother-in-law's parents, who are devoutly Italian Catholic, or how the holidays will be (will they expect us to go to Christmas Mass?).

To be honest, part of me is relieved that they know, no matter how they're going to react.  (Maybe they'll stop pushing us to attend Mass.)  I feel like there's this important part of my life I've been careful to hide, and maybe now I don't have to anymore.

I won't, of course, throw it in their faces that I'm Wiccan.  I won't wear a huge pentacle necklace at Christmas dinner (I wouldn't wear a huge pentacle necklace anyway), I won't say a protection spell out loud before going into their home, and I'll never, never argue about their faith.

Spirituality is a very personal thing, and I would never ridicule someone for their spiritual practices.  After all, who's to say mine is better?  It's just different.  We're all different people, and we all need different things, spiritually.  I won't discount their spiritual path, and I hope they won't discount mine.

I guess I won't need to hide my altar when they come over now.