The Catholic Moms Group of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with the priests of the Pittsburgh Oratory, is pleased to offer an hour of Eucharistic adoration specifically for families, 10-11AM on Mondays. An outgrowth of the successful perpetual adoration made available in the William R. Donnelly Chapel of St. Philip Neri at the Ryan Catholic Newman Center, the family hour offers parents and children an opportunity to spend time with Christ their Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Eucharistic adoration is usually observed in reverent silence. However, silence and stillness are difficult for children, particularly infants and toddlers. Scripture tells us, though, that this should not exclude children from seeking solace, succor, and spiritual sustinence in the lap of their Lord. “People were bringing children to [Jesus] that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.’” (Mark 10:13-15)
Family Hour is open to all, but attendees should be prepared to patiently endure disruptions. Children are expected to be fidgety and restless, but no one is allowed in the sanctuary at any time. Adorers need to remain in the pews or aisles of the chapel. Children make noise, and that is okay during this hour. That said, if a child begins to throw a temper tantrum or just have a complete meltdown, that child needs to be removed from the chapel until they are calmed down. Best parental judgement is requested.
The Catholic Moms Group of Pittsburgh is responsible for making sure that this hour of adoration is covered each week. We are hoping to get a group of 6-8 people that we can rotate through to be responsible for covering the hour each week. That way, those 6-8 people would only be covering the hour once every 1.5-2 months. So far, we have 3 people who have said that they would take a turn at covering an hour. In order for this to work, we really need to have those 6-8 people. Please prayerfully consider taking a turn covering the hour every 1.5-2 months. If you can make that commitment, please let Sue Rocco know (slr703@gmail.com).
The Oratory has its own parking lot where you are free to park as long as you are adoring. If you plan to do anything else in Oakland after adoration, please move your car so that the students and other adorers have room to park. Bear in mind that the city is now enforcing meter rules until 10PM Monday – Saturday.
The Catholic Moms Group of Pittsburgh is a free support group for Catholic Moms (and Dads!). If you have small children and are looking for support and fellowship in your role as Catholic parent, check us out! We have playgroups, online discussion boards, a monthly mass for moms and their kids and much more. You can find us on the web at http://www.meetup.com/The-Catholic-Moms-Group-of-Pittsburgh.
