Back row of moms, from left, Maureen Sabo, Nancy Viera and Karen McDonough with their children, Katie Sabo, 19, Emily Viera, 13, and Sean McDonough, 14. The families are part of Holy Family Catholic Church’s “Faith and Light Ministry,” which will host a special Mass this Saturday. The children will greet parishioners as they come in for the 5 p.m. service.
By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital
For families who have children or other family members with disabilities, day- to-day life can be both beautiful and challenging. So it is fitting that in their faith, these families have a place to go to not only worship, but also seek out fellowship.
To celebrate that faith and fellowship, the "Faith and Light Ministry'' at Holy Family Catholic Church will be hosting Mass Saturday at 5 p.m. in Davidsonville.
The Faith and Light Ministry got its start a few years ago, when Mary Ann Sabo, whose daughter Katie is confined to a wheelchair, thought that her Davidsonville church might be a good place to gather families who shared her joys and struggles. After all, there were other families at Holy Family who had children with disabilities.
Mary Ann met Maureen Flanagan, a fellow parishioner. Maureen doesn't have a child with a disability, but is a speech therapist in private practice. Maureen wanted to find a way to give back in her community, and after meeting with Mary Ann and talking with her, the two women decided to start their outreach with a church-based coffee house meeting.
They met monthly at the church and encouraged families and friends to attend. That regular coffee house meeting went along for a year or so, but then Mary Ann and Maureen decided that they needed to dig a little deeper.
They got in touch with Bill Fleming, from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Bill coordinates religious instruction for persons with developmental disabilities. Bill introduced them to the "Faith and Light Ministry," which is, according to Maureen, "a way for families and friends to become an integrated part of the parish community."
The Faith and Light program is a ministry curriculum, which includes outreach suggestions, prayers and readings, and other ideas for bringing disabled parishioners into the fold.
Once Mary Anne and Maureen began to implement the Faith and Light program, their group grew. Now the half-dozen core members meet each month to share stories, faith and fellowship.
Since March is Disabilities Awareness Month, Mary and Maureen thought it would be a good idea to have their group host the Mass as a celebration. In November, they approached the Rev. Joseph Barr, Holy Family's pastor, who agreed that it was a good idea, The women then got to work, preparing the children to act as ushers and greeters, finding Faith and Light family members to do the readings, seeking out siblings who could be cantors, and making arrangements for the music.
"A lot of this is for the awareness, but they need to be included too," Mary Ann said, referring to the children and adults with disabilities who attend Holy Family.
Once they'd established a date and time, and lined up the right people, they began to spread the word, alerting the other parishes in south county - Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Edgewater and Our Lady of Sorrows in Owensville. Since neither of those churches has a Faith and Light ministry, the ladies from Davidsonville thought it would be a nice way to include other families from the area in the celebration.
They have also organized a reception after the Mass so that families can spend a little time meeting one another.
The celebratory Mass will take place Saturday at the 5 p.m. service at Holy Family Catholic Church, 826 West Central Ave. in Davidsonville. The reception will follow immediately after. Although there is construction on the premises, entry into the main church is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call the parish office at 410-269-0586.
No comments:
Post a Comment