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Views from the Choir Loft

Young Boys Who “Play” Mass

Veronica Moreno · December 18, 2022

Y SON started by carrying a stick (as processional cross) around the house. He would don a towel and carry sticks around the house. In time, it slowly evolved. By the time he turned 10, it was the entire Mass. This mother couldn’t help it; I bought him a “play vestment set” one Christmas. Then some play vessels. One day he found a vintage silver-plated goblet (now a chalice!) in his grandmother’s garage, and slowly his MASS KIT grew. Visiting a colonial Mexican town, we bought him candy that looked like hosts.

His Bell Summons My Children • At first, he “played” the entire Mass—from beginning to end—in our living room. He memorized (broadly speaking) the entire Mass in Latin. He single-handedly functioned as priest, altar server, and choir. But like the “instruments” and “tools” of Mass, this also grew. My other children learned to accept that during his “Masses,” they’d have to go to Communion when they heard his bells ring. The bells. I forgot to mention the different bells he went through until he found the right set. I am not joking about this: He memorized most of the Latin Mass server responses, priest prayers, and chanted chants.

*  PDF Download • Excerpt from Fulton Sheen’s Autobiography
—Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen speaks about children and priestly vocations.

Possible Vocation? • To be perfectly honest, my husband and I didn’t know how much or which way to nurture this. We’re happy to see him grow in his faith, but we’re also aware that our excitement needn’t turn into “pushing.” If he has a priestly vocation, God will let him know. And if not, God will also let him know. We’re going to stand by his side as he becomes a man and hopefully see him lead a long life as a holy Catholic man.

Recruiting “Whomever” • My son started recruiting altar servers and “parishioners” outside of our immediate family. A recent family and friend gathering turned into a Low and a High Mass. We are used to it. He even has a little brother to boss around the altar. But this time he had a “real altar server”. This time he had a friend who actually serves at the altar in a real Mass. This time his altar server actually has an attention span longer than his little brother’s 3.7 minutes. So what you see in that video is a glorious event for my son. (above)

Introibo Unrequited? • I’m not sure anyone but his mother will recognize the intense pride he has in this video. Only his mother may recognize what it may mean for his friend to ring the bells at the right moment, with the right cadence. Only this mother may recognize a complete “Prayers at the Foot of the Altar” after hearing countless unrequited INTROIBO AD ALTARE DEO’S. (He didn’t have to respond to himself. Finally someone to answer back!)

Not Alone • It seems my son is not the only child who does this. We were sent the following images of our son’s friend:

Purchasing Mass Sets For Boys • My friend had a good experience buying children’s vestments, chasubles, maniples, burses, corporals, chalices, patens, and other items from Vestments For Juniors on Etsy. We have bought from Lil Catholic Novelties who make and sell Mass sets for boys.

M Know of additional
M vestment makers?
M Email: seekenchantaspire@gmail.com

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, PDF Download Tagged With: Boy Chasuble, Child Vestments, Children Mass Set Vestments, Young Boy Playing Mass Last Updated: December 18, 2022

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About Veronica Moreno

Veronica Moreno is married to a teacher and homeschools five children. She has been cantor at her local Catholic parish for over a decade.—(Read full biography).

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    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
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The Sacrifice is celebrated with many solemn rites, none of which should be deemed useless or superfluous. On the contrary, all of them tend to display the majesty of this august sacrifice, and to excite the faithful, when beholding these saving mysteries, to contemplate the divine things which lie concealed in the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

— Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566)

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