by Evelyn Jock
St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Sandakan Diocese comes alive again with the shufflings and murmurs of children serving at Mass as wardens, guiding parishioners to their seats, guiding children for the Children Liturgy of the Word, helping with the collection, ushers during holy communion and more. Young boys, age 10 and above assuming roles as altar servers. Is this not a good thing?
Children assuming roles traditionally held by adults in church. The pandemic has caused all churches to close in 2019. After about 2 years of lockdown and online masses, the churches started opening her doors but with some constraints and trepidation. The children were willing participants in offering their services as wardens, collectors and ushers. In May 2023, we saw the Children Liturgy of the Word resumed after a hiatus of 3 years. The Children Liturgy of the Word provides an opportunity for children to listen and respond to the Sunday Gospel at an age appropriate level of reasoning and understanding.
During the pandemic, the church used teenage children to help as wardens, to guide parishioners to their seats, going out for communion and exiting the church. Very few adults offered to help and it was easier to ask the teenagers for assistance.There were also children aged 10 years who asked if they could serve as wardens. When these children first started serving in the church such as helping with the collection, there were complaints that they were too young, they make mistakes and they fumbled. Instead of supporting and receiving these children, there were met with negative remarks and perception.
At St. Mary’s Cathedral, the teenage wardens help guide the young Children participating in the Children Liturgy of the Word to a room separate from the Cathedral and later ushers these children back to the Cathedral. The advantages of the children helping at a very young age, are that they become more brave, confident and have the willingness to learn. They are the reason the parents are coming back for holy mass. Children pray at mass with their family. They become young witnesses to the other children who are encouraged to join in to serve as well. The children bring joy to the church. The young wardens also act as mentor to the younger and smaller ones. Of course, as adults, we are responsible to help the young wardens to learn how to do things, guide them as they perform their roles so that they may grow in “wisdom, stature, and in favour with God” (Luke 2:52).
We said the children are the future of the Church, why are we not giving them the chance to serve? Proverbs 22:6 clearly states that we should “train up children in the way they should go”. If we do not do this now then when? To wait for them to be taller and bigger, they would already have given up wanting to serve. By 17 years, they would be leaving for further studies, so where will we get the next generation of wardens? A child, 10 years old, small in stature but eager to help serve in the Church, are we to turn them down the first time? Jesus himself said Mathew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”