Saturday’s Profession of Faith

Well, we’re all Catholic now. :-)

We got the kids dressed up in their Easter finery and they looked so nice, I snapped a few photos of them before we left for Mass. The baby was enthralled with her new shoes – I know, you’re not supposed to put kids in shoes before they start walking, but her little linen-and-cotton dress just looked incomplete without shoes on her feet. And she only took a few steps in them holding onto my fingers, so I don’t think they did any damage.

I was surprised how well-attended the Saturday afternoon Mass is. (We usually go at 9:30 on Sunday.) It was packed – we got there considerably earlier than we usually do & still sat pretty far in the back of the church. Which is where people with small kids are "supposed" to sit, anyway.

Our son had been admonished to be on his best behavior and reminded that he only got one bathroom break during Mass. He did really well, only asking in a loud whisper six or seven times where his friend Jacob was (our sponsor’s son, who was sitting a few rows ahead of us).

The baby was another story. I swear, she just loves the acoustics in this old cathedral. She got pretty loud a couple times and I took her out, and then she immediately quieted down. But every time I tried to take her back in, she’d shriek again. So we just hung out in the vestibule with the ushers and the lady who was selling tickets for the altar society’s quilt raffle.

Yes, there is a baby room at our parish. And no thanks, I’d rather not. It’s a small section of the choir loft that’s been partitioned off, and it’s usually packed. Anyway, my baby wasn’t noisy in the vestibule, and I could at least see the Mass better. I couldn’t hear very well, but then I usually can’t hear well in the baby room, either.

I slipped in again and stood in line with my husband to receive the Eucharist. Father blessed the kids, too, which I always think is so very sweet. And then as soon as we returned to our pew and the song ended, the baby started to shriek again. So out we went.

Then after the Mass was ended, we all joined our sponsors and their kids in the front pew and waited for Fr. Witt to finish greeting folks and shaking hands outside. It was short and sweet – the same rite that brought my husband into the Catholic Church last week during Easter Vigil, only we (and our sponsors) were answering on behalf of the children. Our son was interested and listened intently. The baby gawked, smiled and cooed and didn’t shriek once. Maybe she realized something important was happening. And then that was that. We are all Catholic. And that feels great.

--Sparki