Feeling unwelcome with my child in a new parish

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As St John of the Cross said: Where there is no love, put love, and you will then draw out love.

Don’t give in to victimhood, self-pity, real or imagined motives, resentment, over-focus on yourself.

Just spend time serving others…do you need a songbook, would you like more space, can I help you take off your jacket, are you ok…I haven’t seen you in weeks, would you like Holy Communion brought to you…I see you have a wheelchair, you have such a nice voice. I love that dress, is your husband doing better.

Don’t give self-focus one second of your time.
 
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MShort said:
I know I should be loyal to my local parish but I just don’t know what to do at this point.
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If it your intention to support your new parish in all the proper ways, then your local parish has an obligation to be loyal to you. I’m tempted to say if it isn’t all that much a bother, spend the 40 minutes to go back to your old parish where you are welcome. But, on second thought that caves in to the treatment and that is their problem/fault, not yours. All the other advice here I spot on. But you have a right to be respected, especially in being the first teachers of your children and exposing them to the practice of the faith.
Shalom
 
I think some people have a very excitable / irritable temperament, a sort of noise sensitivity and so noises really do bother them more. That’s just the way it is, I suppose.

(On a side note, someone kept rattling their rosary beads, back and forth, I think they were just doing it nervously as a habit in the adoration chapel. I wasn’t able to mortify myself and had to turn around and look at her. I did smile, though. She kind of gave me a blank look and left soon after. Hopefully, I was not the cause of that. I was only mildly irritated. )
 
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True. Notice I said try. I don’t always do the best I might. I can think of few who are perfect with interpersonal interactions. I am blessed, however, to have a wonderful wife to mirror compassion for another.
 
just ignore them. some people are ridiculous.

I had a similar issue, I don’t have a child but I use a guide dog. Sometimes I have to deal with disgruntled parishioners who say that it’s a distraction for them or that’s it’s irreverent to have an animal at mass.

some have also tried to tell me that the priests wouldn’t be happy about my service animal, when I know for a fact that this is untrue, so
people do tend to put things on the priests that they never said. perhaps that is what happened to you, or maybe he really did just see the child from where he was
 
It is hard to ignire when the comments come from the priest. I have been there. I stayed away from daily mass as he suggested. My ADHD boy just couldn’t handle it. We continued to go to church on Sunday and volunteer at the church.
 
I’m sometimes tempted to wear message t-shirts to Mass. Maybe you could have one printed up that says “Let the children come to Me” on the back, then wear it up to Communion. 😂
 
I’m sorry you are in this situation. The only thing I can think is were you stood far away from the child and maybe people thought the child was unsupervised in a potentially dangerous area?
 
Just wanted to update everyone. We went back to our old parish today and it was wonderful. Just as I remembered. They even had children doing the readings. Smiles and welcoming all around! I’m still torn on wether I should speak to the local parish priest or not. I truly wonder if my experience is the reason there are only three other families with young children in attendance there. It is a small parish but it seems there should be more young families than that. I’m very non confrontational so I naturally shy away from these types of conversations but I almost feel a duty to give a young family perspective. I need to pray on this for sure.
 
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