From left, Wyatt Hammes, Olivia Hochstetler, Rose Hammes and Khloe Hochstetler participate in Holy Family Parish’s “Flames of Faith” Pentecost Celebration last month at St. Mary Catholic Church in Riverside.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
RIVERSIDE — With support from Catholic Extension Society’s grant program, Holy Family Parish recently launched a series of seasonal events to bring faith to life for families of all ages.
The parish, which includes church sites in Riverside, Richmond and Wellman, received a $15,000 grant last year through the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative — Formation for the Next Generation Program to invest in new faith formation projects. “This has been a unique opportunity and generous gift that we have been given,” said Mary Ruth, a religious education coordinator for the parish.
The idea to host seasonal events for families grew out of the Catholic Extension-moderated listening sessions at the parish. “There was a desire to make the liturgical year tangible and meaningful for families, to bring faith alive through shared experiences,” said Angie Goodwin, the parish’s director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry.
The planning team, which includes representatives from the parish’s three church sites, looked for opportunities to highlight Catholic observances such as Easter and Pentecost. Team members “leaned into creativity” to plan engaging activities with educational and faith-building elements, Goodwin said. The parish purchased local items whenever possible and looked for things that could be reused or repurposed. “We created our own kits in-house, tailored to match themes and spiritual goals for each event.”
The first event, “Faith in Bloom” took place in March and included a “resurrection egg hunt.” The eggs contained small objects symbolizing aspects of the Passion. Families gathered afterward to reflect on and discuss the meaning of each symbol. Participants engaged in an interactive prayer walk, stopping at four points along the path to reflect on the Eucharist, mercy, trust and joy. Families planted “gardens of faith” with flowers representing virtues such as patience, kindness, forgiveness, faith and love. “Each family got four flowers and one flower pot to create a garden they could take home,” Goodwin said. Throughout the event, volunteers engaged with families and facilitated conversation.
Last month, the parish hosted a Pentecost-themed event, “Flames of Faith.” Families made wind chimes, raced through an obstacle course and released biodegradable prayer lanterns. Each activity incorporated lessons about the Holy Spirit. At both events, families received an activity/lesson kit to support faith-filled conversations at home.
The parish regularly checks in with Catholic Extension, whose involvement extends beyond funding, Goodwin said. “They give us encouragement and affirmation. Their belief in what we’re doing validates our work and gives us confidence to dream big… they celebrate our wins with us.”
Megan Hammes attended both events with her husband and two children. “The volunteers did an amazing job,” she said, noting that the take-home crafts bring back memories. The family kept one wind chime from the Pentecost event and gave the other one to a family member. The “Faith in Bloom” container garden is on display in the Hammes home and the flowers are still thriving.
Hammes believes the events appeal to the whole family, not just kids. “As an adult, I learn and grow at these events, too. …they are appropriate for anyone wanting to live out and grow their faith while also connecting with others, including their own family! I would encourage people to come solo, invite neighbors, invite friends and just come check one out!”
In addition to engaging families, the planning team hopes the events will foster connection between the three communities whose parishes merged in 2021. Families are more likely to attend events where they celebrate Mass, Goodwin observes. On Pentecost, the Riverside community invited youths from Wellman and Richmond to serve at Mass to encourage more families to make the trip and to participate in the family event that followed.
“It doesn’t matter which church you go to,” Goodwin said. Everyone is welcome at each site. The next event, “United in Faith: Feast of the Holy Family Picnic” will take place Aug. 3. Festivities include a picnic and activities aimed at strengthening bonds within the parish community.
Scheduling the events to accommodate families from three locations can be a challenge, since multiple school districts are involved, Goodwin added. Transportation can be a barrier for some, though parishioners have stepped up to offer rides. She observes a positive shift in engagement and energy from families who participate in the seasonal events and hopes positive feedback will lead more families to participate in future events. “There are so many things that pull families from even making it to Mass sometimes,” Goodwin said. “There is no one-size-fits-all” solution.
“I truly hope we can get more families involved,” said parent Lindsey Hochstetler. “Nowadays people aren’t looking for more to add to their busy schedules, but it just seems like if we can prioritize sports and other extra activities on the weekends we can make a little room for the extra church things too! I think that once families discover how fun these events are it won’t be hard to get them to come back and tell others about the good time they had.”
