[B]ut Jesus said, ““Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” – Matthew 19:14
With so many changes to our Church Building, we thought it would be helpful to our Parish Family to provide some suggestions and guidance on how to enjoy this faith-enriching environment. This “Survival Guide” will take many forms, from this column to a consolidated pamphlet and even walking tours of the church to help us all Finish the Church. Please join us in embracing these wonderful changes and prayerfully consider any support you can provide to complete this campaign.
When developing the new church layout and structure, we had several core precepts, some of which were: make the church as welcoming and accessible as possible, and, to find every conceivable place to squeeze in more seating. In order to try and make both ideas work simultaneously, we had to think outside the box. One box in the church that made sense to dispense with was the Cry Room. Not only did the room take up a significant amount of space in the Sanctuary, it created a barrier that many families felt separated them from the Sacred Space of the Liturgy and the Blessed Sacrament. We are, after all, a Parish Family, and every one of us, youngest to oldest, deserve to be near the Lord, and if we want to live by the above Scripture, we should not contain the children in a glass box.
By removing the Cry Room, along with the complete deployment of pews throughout the Sanctuary, we have significantly increased the amount of seating of the church to over 1700, which will assist us all during the busy times of year and our Seasonal Parish Family Members returning. It should also signal to everyone that the children of the parish are welcome at all times, even if they say “Yay, Jesus!” in the middle of the Consecration. We never want to make a family feel uncomfortable for their children, so we have created several mechanisms if a parent, grandparent, or guardian believes their child might be getting a little rambunctious and could use a break:
Narthex
We have completely redesigned the Narthex of our church (the entry-way / vestibule / “lobby”) to become a space where families can still participate in the Mass while allowing their children to move around a bit and make noise. New full-glass doors separate (and provide sound dampening) the Narthex and Sanctuary, so viewing the Mass is easy. Our new sound system pipes in the Mass, and the video displays can be set to show the broadcast of the Mass, when we have our A/V Ministry there to operate it. There is seating and walking space in the Narthex, so families should feel free to utilize it when they feel it is appropriate.
Outdoor Spaces
The front of our new church has been outfitted with excellent speakers as well, which provide clear sound for any family members that may need to stretch their legs a little bit. The same goes for behind the church building, where we have speakers that provide the Mass to those walking through the Prayer Garden or around the veranda between the church and the Parish Activity Center. Please feel free to utilize these spaces for your children if you believe it would be effective for you.
We need your help to Finish the Church. In the next few weeks, you will be hearing more about this last push for our Capital Campaign and how you may be able to prayerfully consider assisting us with our effort.