While parents attend 11:00 a.m. Mass, Little Church provides a safe, fun environment for children age 3 (by September 1) through Kindergarten to learn more about our faith through stories, songs, and crafts. Sessions are held during the 11:00 a.m. Mass, from September to May.
When I reflect on celebrating Mass as an engaged, or newly married, couple some years ago, it was such a special time for me and my husband. We were sitting close to one another in the pew. We were listening intently to Scripture. Sometimes we’d hold hands, or he’d put his arm around me during the service.
And, then came Baby.
For a while, while our daughter was still in the ‘sit-in-her-pumpkin-seat-and-do-nothing’ phase, we could still mostly focus on Mass. As she grew older though, I would find myself become more distracted: feeding our daughter, trying to keep her quiet, and hoping that she didn’t fling a toy or handful of Cheerios outside of our pew.
And, then came Baby #2.
Now, we were in full man-to-man defense.
Instead of sitting next to one another celebrating mass as we did early in our marriage, we found ourselves acting as guards during the service; sitting as human book-ends at the end of each pew to prevent children from escaping. They were becoming more active and I was spending more time as a referee than I was spending in active participation.
Sometimes I would leave feeling discouraged, and think to myself, “I was so busy picking up sippy cups and crayons that I didn’t get anything out of this today.”
Sometimes, I’d think that maybe I shouldn’t even try to attend Mass until my children were older…
Does this sound familiar to any of you?
Then, I stumbled across the “Little Church” ministry at Immaculate Conception.
Little Church is a ministry geared toward 3, 4, and 5-year-olds in the Parish. The Program is held during 11 o’clock Mass between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Parents may drop off their children in the Knights of Columbus Room before 11 o’clock mass. Then, while Parents return upstairs to worship, our young friends are playing, doing crafts, learning about the Gospel, and having lots of fun! After mass concludes, Parents return to the K of C room to be reunited with their children.
But wait… did I say this was a ministry geared toward 3, 4, and 5-year-olds? It IS, but……….
The intended beneficiary for this ministry is also PARENTS!
Each week I pray that this ministry helps Moms and Dads to be spiritually-fed during this a one-hour undistracted respite, keeping their families strong.
So, if you’re the parent of a 3, 4, or 5-year-old in the Parish, I’d invite you to explore our Little Church ministry - which resumes on September 9th.
Registration forms can be found online at: https://www.icc-columbia-il.us/little-church-registration or on-site at Little Church.
In Your Service,
Jessica Wray