Faith

The choir from Lawrence Catholic Academy performs during the Mass. Pilot photo/Wes Cipolla

Formed in Christ

Friday, December 6, 2024Faith

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Among the best ways to engage children and families at the Mass is to involve them as altar servers, readers, or members of a choir.

Pope Francis, in his 2019 address to the "Scholae Cantorum" of the Italian Association of St. Cecilia, said, "Liturgy is the first 'teacher' of catechism." This statement is simple, yet its implications are profound. The Mass, our greatest prayer, has an unfathomable influence upon the faith of our children. Prayer forms our belief, which, in turn, informs us of how we are to live our lives. This is the power of the Mass: to bring us, and our children, into an encounter of the living Christ.
Therefore, school liturgies, Mass with children's choirs, and truly, every parish Mass, bear enormous responsibility. A difficult reality is the large percentage of children who no longer attend Mass by the time they finish high school. There are complex reasons for this. Contributing factors include altered habits developed by some families or parishes stemming from curtailed practices necessary during the pandemic. Some conventions have continued in varying degrees beyond a useful time. This is neither a judgment nor an assignment of blame, but a reality of loss.
Among the best ways to engage children and families at the Mass is to involve them as altar servers, readers, or members of a choir. The shuttering of such activities for a great length of time caused a loss of development, engagement, and learning. I so admire many of my colleagues who have rebounded beautifully, rebuilding robust choirs and children's choirs despite unprecedented obstacles!

Underscoring such loss is the vital role of sacred music in spiritual formation as we lead our children through the mysteries. Secondly, musical education often sharpens other intellectual pursuits.
A singular example is the Archdiocese of Boston's very own St. Paul Choir School in Cambridge. These boys sing at Mass five days per week with music drawn from the sacred treasury of our Roman Catholic faith. They recently sang Mahler's "Eighth Symphony" with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which required them to sing in both German and Latin. These are regular kids! But far more important is the impact a prayerful Roman Catholic environment has on these children and on those who hear them at Mass. A number of students have converted to the Catholic faith, and they inspire countless conversions within the larger community. This is the power of "the way of beauty" of which Pope Francis speaks:
"Every expression of true beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus . . . So a formation in the way of beauty ought to be part of our effort to pass on the faith." ("Evangelii Gaudium" no. 167)
Furthermore, the Archdiocese of Boston's Office of Evangelization developed a "Catechetical Guide for Liturgical Celebrations" that includes a modest list of essential hymns for first Communion and confirmation but apply universally. It can be downloaded from the Evangelize Boston website under Divine Worship and Sacred Music (www.evangelizeboston.com/resources/divine-worship/sacred-music). These hymns are chosen for their simple beauty, strong Roman Catholic theological content, and suitability for young voices, as they are much easier to sing than typical pop-style music.
Additionally, a national Roman Catholic organization devoted to evangelization through sacred music is the American Federation of Pueri Cantores. Their mission "is to evangelize and catechize choristers through the medium of sacred music, aiding them in growing in their faith and rooting them ever deeper to the Church."
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross hosts the annual New England Pueri Cantores Choir Festival, with children's choirs ranging from fourth to 12th grade. Over 100 children come together to sing at Mass at the cathedral, celebrated in recent years by Bishop Robert P. Reed. This coming year, the festival will be held on Saturday, March 8. Please consider bringing your children's choir so they may be supported and uplifted by so many others who share the same joy of praising God through sacred song!
Finally, I wish to note that my most important vocation is not that of a musician but as a husband and a father to my four children. Bringing small children to Mass can be an exasperating challenge for parents. We've been there, and it gets better. Many priests, including Msgr. Kevin J. O'Leary, the rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, remind parents that babies and young children are absolutely welcome at Mass. The sound of crying infants or sometimes unruly children is a joyful sound, for it means the church is alive! A silent church building is a dying church. If babies cry during one of our carefully prepared choir pieces, I can only smile.
Children certainly absorb far more than we often know. At Mass, they will witness their parent's love of God, develop a growing familiarity with God's word, and encounter the living Christ, the true center of our lives.

RICHARD J. CLARK IS THE ARCHDIOCESAN DIRECTOR OF MUSIC AND DIRECTOR OF MUSIC OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS.