the catholic community of st. francis of assisi
Cross Stepping Into The Faith
Parents of small children can sometimes find it challenging to keep their children busy and engaged during Mass. Parents want their children to be immersed with them in the faith at an early age, but it can be challenging for children. Asking a young child to sit quietly for an hour while adults talk at an adult level, distractions can come quickly, especially since there is so much cool stuff up there on the altar; why not make a run for it?
Fortunately, at St. Francis, parents can take advantage of Cross Step, a Faith Formation program at the Parish designed to provide liturgical lessons to preschool-aged children during the 9:00 AM Mass on Sundays.
Volunteer Spotlight: Rich Wessel
Rich Wessel loves basketball as a sometimes, possibly former, recreational player, a referee, a former coach, and the coordinator of the youth recreation basketball league at St. Francis for the past 19 years. Little did he know that when he volunteered 20 years ago, his “fate” would be to impact so many.
Rich remembers growing up Catholic and says, “All we did was receive the sacraments and go to Mass. It was not really an interactive upbringing at our Church.” “For Chris [his wife] and me,” he recalls, “getting involved at St. Francis gave us a new perspective on what it meant to be part of a Catholic community.” Their kids attended The Franciscan School (TFS), and Rich says the school drove a lot of that volunteer attitude toward giving back to the community. “Being part of the school meant a lot. Having that upbringing with our kids, one that advocated and encouraged volunteering, drove people to the Church and participation.”
