April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
YOUTH USHERS
Greenfield teens transition from altar servers to ushers
Greenfield teens transition from altar servers to ushers
Today, Mr. Cronin is an adult with a family of his own, and he's paying it forward. At his parish, St. Joseph's in Greenfield Center, he serves as head usher, and he has recruited at least a dozen teenagers to help out with that ministry.
Like Mr. Cronin did, some of the teens have balked at being altar servers after they reach a certain age. Ria Walsh told The Evangelist that she liked serving, but she just got too busy.
"I thought it was really cool," she said. "I love helping out the community."
But, after a few years, "I had school responsibilities. I couldn't always make it" to a certain Mass.
Now 15 and a sophomore at Saratoga Central Catholic High, Ria takes up the offertory collection at church along with other youth ushers.
"Whenever I go down the aisle to collect the money, I love to see the kids smile," she said.
Matt Sharpe agreed. The Saratoga High junior wasn't an altar server before becoming a youth usher; in fact, he said, ushering is "the first thing I've really, officially done" for St. Joseph's.
"It's fun," he said of his two years as an usher. Parishioners have a positive reaction to young people being visibly involved in parish life, too: "They like to see that. It makes them smile."
Mr. Cronin, who is also the Albany Diocese's advisor to Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger on family and parish evangelization, said even visitors to St. Joseph's comment on how "energizing" it is to see the level of youth involvement at the parish.
The youth ushers also take a head count of Mass attendance each week, hand out bulletins and clean up the pews after Mass. Four youth ushers volunteer at each Mass, so there are plenty of opportunities to serve.
Mr. Cronin's own daughter, who's going into sixth grade, is one of the teens who may move from altar server to usher. He called it a "natural progression" and a "great transition" for young people in the Church.
To Ria, it isn't necessarily natural. Teens want to be part of Church life, she said, but some "kids are thinking, 'Is this person going to ask me? Do I have to ask them?'
"There are kids my age who do like to help out," she added.
Ria's father, Gary, helps to count the offertory collection every week, so she sometimes pitches in with that. She likes the idea that she's collecting and counting money that will help her parish and community, plus all the charitable causes toward which parishioners donate.
She's a particular fan of the annual Rice Bowl collection by Catholic Relief Services: During Lent, people fill paper bowls with spare change to fight hunger worldwide through CRS, which is the U.S. bishops' overseas relief and development agency.
Matt said he was glad to be recruited as a youth usher. "Helping out at church is something I really wanted to do," he said.
Ria is passionate about her faith and says any kind of serving "is the right thing to do. I'm always willing to help."
Ushering, with all the joy it brings, also fits right into her view of what Catholicism is supposed to be. She pointed to the time during Mass when parishioners recite the "Our Father:" At St. Joseph's, children of different ages stand in a big circle and hold hands for the prayer.
"Church is something to enjoy," Ria said.[[In-content Ad]]
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