Holy Childhood Association Mass raises mission awareness

- Photo supplied More than 1,100 students, staff and parents attended the annual Holy Childhood Association Mass in the Edmonton Archdiocese May 2 at St. Thomas More Church.

Special to the WCR
Edmonton

The ninth annual Holy Childhood Association Mass in the Edmonton Archdiocese was celebrated May 2 at St. Thomas More Church.

The Holy Childhood Association Mission Day Mass is a national event that celebrates the work of the Holy Childhood Association in Canada and the archdiocese.

The Holy Childhood is one of four Pontifical Mission Societies supported in the archdiocese.

Following the motto Children Helping Children, the aim of the Holy Childhood Association is to create and raise mission awareness among school-aged children through educational, social action and charitable fundraising opportunities.

Mission awareness

The HCA-Mission Day Mass marks the culmination of all of these efforts towards raising mission awareness in the schools and parishes of the archdiocese.

More than 1,100 students, staff and parents from several school districts across the archdiocese attended and participated in the celebration.

This year's Mass was hosted and organized by the Edmonton Catholic School District. Superintendent Joan Carr encouraged the work of the Holy Childhood Association in all schools of the district.

Sharing

Many young people from Edmonton Catholic schools shared their gifts of music, dance, word and deed as they served the various ministries in Mass. Costumes, dancers and an animated choir added colour and vibrancy to this celebration.

Attention was given to mission activity happening in India, the featured country for this year's Mass.

Archbishop-EmeritusJoseph MacNeil, who presided at the Eucharist, shared an account of his own experience in the missions and reminded the young people about the importance of helping all people, especially those who are most in need.

Spiritan Father Michael Troy, director of missions for the archdiocese, Fathers Sylvain Casavant and Kazimierz Kubat of St. Thomas More Parish, and Basilian Father Theodosius Machinski of the Edmonton Ukrainian Eparchy concelebrated the event.

Next year's Mission Day Mass will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Sherwood Park.

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