Dedication Mass and children

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Southparkmom

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Our parish has just completed building a new church. Tomorrow is the Dedication Mass. My children are also attending Summer totus tuus this week. Tomorrow is their last day. They obviously attend mass while at the camp.

My kids are 10 and 7

My question is this…1. Do I have them skip the totus tuus mass?
2. Do they even attend the Dedication Mass? Is it appropriate for a child?
3. How long is a Dedication Mass?

Just not sure…thanks.
 
If tomorrow is the last day of camp, don’t make them skip the Mass - what a letdown that would be for them.

Is the Dedication Mass in the evening? If so, how does the time relate to their bedtime? I would expect the Dedication Mass to be pretty long, with anointing the altar and all kinds of blessings and such. Were the children interested in the new church as it was being built and are they excited about it? Or will they find it a long, colossal bore?

Can someone stay with them during the time you go to the Mass, or can they spend the night with some friends? Have you asked other parents what they’re doing?

I know - more questions than answers, but maybe they’ll help you decide.

Betsy
 
My suggestion would be to let the kids stay home from the dedication mass unless they ask to go, which I think would be unlikely.
 
If Totus Tuus is a summer camp, let the go to the final Mass, they shouldn’t have to miss the very last thing. It would also be fine to make them go to the dedication Mass. They may not like it at the time, but thirty years from now when thy come home to visit you, they’ll be able to say, “You know, I was there for the very first Mass when that church was dedicated!”, and that’s what they’ll remember.
 
MarkThompson said:
If Totus Tuus is a summer camp, let the go to the final Mass, they shouldn’t have to miss the very last thing. It would also be fine to make them go to the dedication Mass. They may not like it at the time, but thirty years from now when thy come home to visit you, they’ll be able to say, “You know, I was there for the very first Mass when that church was dedicated!”, and that’s what they’ll remember.
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I disagree. Taking a child to mass on Sunday because we’re Catholics and this is how we worship God on Sunday is reasonable. Taking a seven year old to a second mass on a weekday if he doesn’t want to go is not, IMHO.

I clearly remember going to one Sunday mass with my father when I was about that age. I remember trying to kneel straight and be quiet and I remember after mass I asked my dad if I had been ‘good’. But I don’t remember anything at all about that mass.

As adults, the children will still be able to say, “I remember when that church was first built; I was __ years old at the time.”
 
Those kids are very young. I don’t know if they’d appreciate it. If they were teenagers, of course they should go, but 7 and 10? Maybe if they ask to go…
 
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