Parish celebrates a Mass in which children are active participants

Friday, Jul. 03, 2015

OREM — Oftentimes children, after receiving their First Communion, stop being protagonists and become secondary characters in today’s Catholic Church, with almost no attention from the grownups.

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Orem, where every year almost 250 children attend catechism in order to receive their First Communion, has tried to address this problem.

“During this time of catechesis we try so hard to educate them in the basis of the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist,” said Father Fernando Velasco, the parish’s parochial vicar. However, after receiving those sacraments, the children often become antagonistic; “the message of the homily is usually focused on the grownups; children are practically forced to listen to it and even become angry with their parents for taking them to Mass,” he said.

Considering this, the parish decided to celebrate a special Mass for children at least once a month.

“The children read, sing, they make the offerings. Children that see other children are celebrating together the Eucharist, and they listen to a homily dedicated especially to them,” Fr. Velasco said.

The parish’s first Mass for children was celebrated in March, paralleling the start of the “Escuelita de la Fe” (Little School for Faith), which is part of the Integral System of the New Evangelization (SINE), a program meant to form Catholics in the faith  who are able to participate in various parish ministries, serve as resources for other Catholics, and lead others to the Catholic faith.

“In this first Mass our parish, which has a capacity to seat 1,000 people, was totally filled, so we decided to consult with the parish staff and the members of SINE if there was a possibility to have this Mass every month. They all welcomed the idea,” said Fr. Velasco.

Every week they have almost 500 children in the Little School program.

“This has become a very good channel to continue the children’s religious education  outside the parish; now the children have learned the parts of the Mass, so when they attend their Mass they can participate actively, as every Catholic should,” said Fr. Velasco.

Many parents in the St. Francis community worry about educating their children in the Catholic faith, he said.

“Sometimes their children are attracted by other kids of other faiths who question them … and they have no answers. … Having a Eucharistic celebration with the children and young people is an effort that will have results in a near future,” said Fr. Velasco.

“I have always been worried for all the questions that my boy always has regarding Catholics,” said Mirna Rodriguez, who has a 10-year-old son. “Sometimes it seemed that he was even challenging me, as if being a Catholic was something not good. … Since I have been more involved in the parish, his level of religious anxiety has been less.”

Although Catholics are considered a minority in Utah, “we have to be motivated to make an effort so our children won’t lose their faith when they become teenagers or young adults. … We have to provide enough resources so they can be strong when they are questioned about the Catholic faith. If we as pastors and spiritual fathers don’t prepare our children in the near future, we will have parishes filled with adults but with no new generations that at some point will replace them,” said Fr. Velasco. “We have to open our eyes to our reality and realize how big is the number of children that every year go to our schools and catechisms and after that are left by themselves, without any pastoral care or any further religious education.”

The next Children’s Mass will be celebrated Sunday, July 12 at 5 p.m. All children are invited. For information, call St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 801-221-0750.