Celebrating St. Christina the Astonishing with a Mass Open to All

Last year, a young altar server walked slowly towards the altar at Our Lady of Sorrows (OLS) on a Monday evening. Holding a heavy cross, he was supported by two helpers. When they reached the front of the church, the helpers stood back as the young man placed the cross carefully in a stand. He returned to a pew where his mother greeted him with a tearful hug and a photo. Such scenes were repeated throughout the mass, as OLS celebrated the feast of St. Christina the Astonishing with a service designed for those with special needs.

Another such mass, honoring St. Christina the Astonishing, and open especially to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will be held on Saturday, April 9, at 3:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake in Verona.

Anne Masters, Director of Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities of the Archdiocese of Newark explained that such masses are held in churches around the county.

"Although people and families living with any disability are welcome to any Mass, we know that there are many families who have a child with a developmental disability, particularly autism, who are hesitant to come," explained Masters.  "Therefore, we have Masses  from the end of September to the end of June at some parishes around the archdiocese, so families can attend Mass, celebrate God in their life and draw strength from it, without worrying about any behaviors or noises that their child may make." 

The mass at OLS was distinctive in a number of ways, and churchgoers are likely to see similar activities at Our Lady of the Lake. As families entered the church, volunteers took a photo. Instead of a monetary offering during the service, families pinned those photos to an altar cloth. In addition, Masters welcomed families with clear directions to nearby bathrooms. She explained, too, that St. Christina the Astonishing was a 12^th-century mystic. She suffered from seizures, but others saw the divine through her. St. Christina the Astonishing is the patron saint of therapists.

The order of service was a large print booklet, color-coded with Picture Communication Symbols to show, as well as tell, congregants what happens during the service. For example, the priest's homily was noted in the program with a symbol for "sit," and a photo of the priest. 

Masters noted that, in connection with the ADA, excerpts from a pastoral statement on people with disabilities that was issued by the U.S. bishops in 1978 were read on the Senate floor in support of passing the American with Disabilities Act. 

"It is not enough merely to affirm the rights of people with disabilities," the document says. "We must actively work to make them real in the fabric of modern society. Recognizing that individuals with disabilities have a claim to our respect because they are persons, because they share in the one redemption of Christ, and because they contribute to our society by their activity within it, the church must become an advocate for and with them."

Masters sees the Catholic church striving to live out this belief with services such at that at OLS. "However, when we fail to affirm the participation of all people regardless of ability or disability, it is usually from a lack of knowledge rather than a lack of desire," she noted. "This is where my office comes in.  Any family that is having difficulty with participation in any part of parish life because of disability should contact me, and I will be happy to help."

Anne Masters can be reached at the Archdiocese of Newark, masteran@rcan.org, or 973 497-4309.