Food for Thought fromThe Diocese of Grand Rapids

Dear Friends in Christ,
 
St. John Paul II reminds us that, “Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God’s image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are.” Centesimus Annus (“The Hundredth Year,” Donders translation), 1991, #11


We are excited to announce that the Diocese of Grand Rapids Office of Catechesis is working to better assist parishes in opening their doors to welcome people with disabilities and their families into full life in the Church.
 
We are teaming up with St. John Paul II parish in Cedar Springs to start a sensory friendly Mass and we would like your help. 


Please join us at St. John Paul II Parish on February 16, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion on how to make our sacramental celebrations more accessible to persons with disabilities. For example, we understand that there are many families that no longer attend Mass due to a disability of a family member. The Body of Christ is not complete without these members. How can we reach out?
 
Some questions we would like to consider at our meeting:
What would a sensory friendly Mass look like for your family?
Would your family be more comfortable attending a regular weekend Mass with adaptations to make it more sensory friendly or a sensory friendly mass at another time?
What makes your family feel welcome and included at Mass?
 
For questions and/or to rsvp for the meeting Feb. 16, please contact Katie Mendenhall, kmendenhall@jp2-mqa.org, 616-696-3904