Bring Your Babies to Mass

By Charlotte Phillips

It was such a joyful sound to hear a church full of little ones at one the end-of-the-year Masses at our children’s school. Sitting in the back of the church, I could not only hear the school children sing and respond with their loudest and proudest voices, but I could also see and hear moms and dads pass out books, sippy cups, and crayons to keep little siblings quiet during mass. 

With our oldest being 12 and our “baby” almost 5 1/2, the days of goldfish, sippy cups and a purse full of quiet “church” toys ended not that long ago, but at the same time feels like a distant memory. 

My husband and I (for the most part) are no longer alternating taking the screaming or crying child to the back of the church. I am no longer worried about the squeals or the drop of a book disturbing my fellow mass-goers as I remind my children to be quiet. After years of shushing, swaying and toy swapping, our children are now old enough to pay attention and participate in Mass.  

As parents to little ones, it can be easy to think it isn’t worth the time and effort it takes to bring your children to Mass. You may think spending so much time quieting kids is too much of a distraction for others in the church. 

Please bring your babies to Mass! 

A church filled with cries, sippy cups and babies swaying on parents’ hips is a church full of life! Color sheets, squeals and dropped books is a church where families are learning, growing and praying together. 

A church filled with the muffled chatter and loud singing voices of children is a church filled with belonging, where, in a few years, the children will be adults who feel comfortable bringing their own little ones to church. 

While I know it can be hard and you may think you are being a distraction, please know a church filled with little ones isn’t a distraction, it’s a church filled with love.