Dear Friends,
Dear Friends,
It has been said that one of the signs of a healthy, vibrant parish is the presence of children in the assembly at Sunday Mass. Here at Precious Blood Parish, there are signs of such health and vibrancy, and we all should welcome it and encourage it. Of course, at times, young children can “act up” at Mass. When faced with that reality, we have two options. The unhelpful option is to roll our eyes and show irri- tation at the child and the parents. The more helpful option is simply to be patient, to smile, and to let it roll off our backs. The clergy of the parish warmly welcome the presence of young children at Mass and we encourage all to do so. There may be times, though, when a child might be particularly difficult at Mass, and it is for the parents to decide when to take the child out of the church so as to calm him or her down.
At St. Mary’s, there is no so called “cry room,” but at St. Agnes there is one. It is in need of cleaning, an update, and some serious attention. At present there is a wide variety, hodgepodge of toys and other items in the room. It has been decided to replace those items with toys and books of a religious nature, age appropriate, for the use of children when in the cry room. If anyone has put toys or other items in the cry room at St. Agnes and would like them back, please remove them by October 1, for after that date, they will be discarded. Going forward, all are kindly asked not to place any items in the cry room that are not for children and religious in nature. If any such articles are found there, they will be discarded.
In the Gospels, there are several stories which tell of the great affection that Jesus had for children. As followers of Jesus, we are called to have the same attitude. We must be a parish community that wel- comes families with young children, for their pres- ence among us is a sign of hope for the future and of vibrancy in the present.
This Saturday, September 28, we will welcome Msgr. Joseph Donnelly, the Episcopal Vicar [official representative of the Archbishop] for the western region of the Archdiocese as well as the pas- tor of Sacred Heart Parish in Southbury, to our parish for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. On that day, ninety six young people and fourteen adults will be confirmed. We congratulate them on achieving this milestone in their Christian life and we pray that the Spirit of God will be with them always and bless them, empowering them to be effective witnesses to Christ wherever they may be.
Have a great week!
