SFX children participate in Mass

By Percy D’Cruz
Start them very young. That’s the policy the Banda Kaba St Francis Xavier Sunday school management team is adopting in efforts to ensure the Masses for Children is better attended.

They will now be depending on lower secondary and upper primary students to play the principal roles at future Masses for Children.

Sunday school coordinator, Josephine Ovaree said, “The priest has his role and so the young ones who are being nurtured and groomed accordingly, will be able to join the celebrant confidently with heart and soul during the Eucharistic Celebration. In this way, the faithful as well as parents and family members can look proudly at their young sons and daughters embarking seriously on their faith journey.”

The first Mass for Children was held on Friday, February 28 with Fr Michael Mannayagam presiding.

Following the service, Fr Michael remarked that the new endeavour by the Sunday School for younger ones to come to the forefront is most encouraging.After all, these young ones could be our parish’s future leaders and role players. The ‘start ‘em young’ policy is novel but certain to pay dividends for the Church and parish as a whole in many forms of leadership and roles, he added.

Among the young ‘potentials’ who participated in the service were Nicholas Thevianaban, Ashleigh Scully, Gillian Danker and Natasha Tan, who prayed the Intercessions. The school’s management team is now inviting parents, who feel their young children have what it takes to play more active roles at Children’s Mass, to contact Josephine.

Meanwhile, the parish Sunday School has finalised dates for further Masses for Children this year. The upcoming dates are June 27 and October 31 with another service coinciding with Catechetical Sunday celebrations on September 21.

During the season of Lent, the SundaySchool will also be organising visits to the old and aged of the parish at their respective residences, the sick in hospitals and medical centres as well as children at orphanages and welfare homes. Activities and campaigns on how to save money would also be introduced at Sunday School class sessions

A gotong-royong clean-up project by students and teachers is also in the works at the Banda Kaba parish church compound and the Good Shepherd Seminary in Taman Bakti over two weekends prior to Holy Week in mid-April.