CECILIA PHAN, coordinator of the Young Adult Ministry and Evangelization for the Diocese of Orange, (30s, Young Couples, Young Families) is a woman on a mission to present the foundations of faith to children under five through play.
SPACES WERE SET UP WITH ACTIVITIES AND SENSORY PLAY GEARED TOWARD CHILDREN UNDER AGE 2 TO 5. PHOTOS BY OF IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“We are great at sacramental preparation,” said Phan, “but seven years of a child’s faith life go unaddressed from the time the child is baptized until they start preparing for First Communion. Other than the children’s liturgy during Mass, there often aren’t a lot of ministries for very young families. But this is a crucial time in family life and a dramatic transitional time for discovering who you are and who your child is.”
Phan is concerned that parents often look outside the Church to engage their children during this stage of life.
CECILIA PHAN (RIGHT) IS THE COORDINATOR OF THE YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY AND EVANGELIZATION FOR THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.
“Kids can learn and be exposed to faith at a very young age,” she said.
In Matthew 19:14, Jesus was very clear in telling the apostles to permit the little children to come to him, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Phan is experimenting with giving children a fun learning experience following Sunday Mass, where little ones and their parents can enjoy faith-themed activities, crafts, circle time, story-telling and kid-friendly food. The event is free to attend, while health food options are available for purchase from vendors.
More than 225 children and parents attended the kickoff event held on Feb. 23 in the Cultural Center following family Mass at Christ Cathedral. Spaces were set up with activities and sensory play geared toward children under age 2 to 5, but the children could move around and explore as they wished. The event was themed around God’s creation and the children’s creativity. The fun included painting, toys, face painting and games to reinforce the truth that what “God created is good, and I am good, too.”
Volunteers from Christ Cathedral parish youth ministry staffed the event.
Hunter von Tersh Pohrer and Adrian Pedroza helped set up and poured paint into trays for guests to paint lambs. They chatted with the children and parents about the meaning behind the craft and enjoyed watching the little ones dive into the activity.
“I haven’t done arts and crafts for at least 20 years,” said Pohrer, a Deputy Grand Knight and Youth Ministry member at the Christ Cathedral parish. “But this was a lot of fun for everyone.”
Pohrer said he helped one shy boy paint an elephant, and pretty soon, he was “jumping around and enjoying himself.”
“His parents were thrilled,” he added.
His play station included foam sheep, wooden elephants, rhinos and llamas for painting before heading to Noah’s Arc.
“We had a lot of great feedback; everyone enjoyed themselves,” Pohrer recounted.
“We are really preaching to parents and their children,” said Phan. “We hope this gives parents more tools to take with them to continue the conversation about faith when they get home.”
The next Play and Pray date is scheduled for June 1 at Christ Cathedral.
For more information and to RSVP, please get in touch with Cecilia Phan at: [email protected], or visit the Play and Pray Date website at https://www.rcbo.org/playandpray/
Donations are gratefully accepted to help grow Play and Pray to include more parishes.