It sounds like we had a similar upbringing, my mother is Irish. I was an alter boy for 8 years and used to make money by serving on weddings and funerals. I went to catholic schools and I frequently questioned the hypocrisy of it all and it got me in trouble. The biggest bullshit scam is confessions. So people can do anything they want and all is forgiven with God, so long as you tell the priest what you did in a special box on Sunday morning.
I call bullshit on that.
parochial school second grade God and theory of evolution was when i realized God was like Santa.