Churches invite all to new Masses for individuals with disabilities and their families
Seeing the pain experienced by individuals with disabilities and their families from disparaging stares or attitudes of others when attending Mass motivated Father Carlos Briceño to begin offering Sensory Friendly or Inclusive Family Masses at St. Anthony Church in Northvale.
“[During these Masses] they do not have to worry about noises or the fact that their child does not stay still in one place,” Father Briceño said.
Although everyone is welcome to attend Masses at churches of the Archdiocese of Newark, some individuals with disabilities and their families may not feel comfortable attending their local parish masses. For some, their loved one may have an increased sensitivity to sounds and smells at Mass. For others, their loved one has a need to move around or vocalize more than others and they are concerned about being disruptive.
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People may stray away from attending Mass because it was either too uncomfortable or they may have experiences in which they felt unwelcome and that they didn’t belong, said Anne Masters, Director of the Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities.
This may include individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities such as autism, sensory processing disorder, Down Syndrome, and cerebral palsy.
The Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities recently announced its Mass schedule through spring 2024. Three parishes — St. Anthony Church in Northvale, Church of the Nativity in Midland Park, and St. Therese of Lisieux in Cresskill — are offering Inclusive Family Masses each on a monthly basis. The first Mass of the season was held at St. Anthony Church on Sept. 10. The Church of Nativity’s December mass will be on Christmas Eve. Many people and families living with disabilities appreciate the opportunity to celebrate Christmas more quietly.
“I want those families to find at St. Anthony’s a place of prayer and of encounter with Jesus who came to bring us life,” Father Briceño said. “These Masses are stigma-free for these families, they are shorter, no music, and with a family ambiance.”
Inclusive Family or Sensory Friendly Masses offer some modifications to the structure helping individuals with disabilities and their families to feel comfortable and welcome attending Mass.
“Parishes hosting Sensory Friendly – Inclusive Family Masses (SF-IFM) are going the extra mile to ensure that individuals with disabilities feel welcome, valued, appreciated, and supported,” Masters said.
The modifications could include dimmed lights, softer music or no music, readings that are shorter and in simpler language, simpler homily, lower sound system volume, a quiet area, no incense, and a shorter Mass overall.
“Masses may include additional noises and movements as people participate in the mass,” Masters added. “This is totally fine because the reason we gather for Eucharist is to celebrate God in our lives and to draw strength from this together. We are always stronger and more complete together.”
Some families attend the Masses to help their loved ones to become familiar with the flow of Mass and then feel comfortable attending their regular parish mass.
But for many, it is a comfort to gather in faith with people who share similar experiences, Masters said.
Persons with disabilities, like all people, seek a sense of belonging in their church, to be accepted and appreciated as they are, according to the Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities Synod Report released a year ago. The report written by the Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities Archdiocese of Newark, highlighted the experiences, interests, and desires of persons with disabilities and their families of the Church.
A true sense of belonging in their parish includes feeling valued and supported, accepted as they are, and welcomed to participate in parish life, according to the report.
Father Briceño recalls the gospel of Luke 4:14-30, which states the mission of Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
“This is what Jesus would do, to welcome those who suffer and struggle and this is what I would do to bring some comfort and healing to those who suffer,” he said.
People from the larger community are encouraged to attend the Masses.
