Daddy's Little Girl

My youngest daughter had been a acolyte at the Presbyterian Church we used to attend. Her duties then were to walk down the center aisle, slowly so the flame on the end of her candle-lighter does not go out, and then light the two candles on the altar table and leave back up the center. Then at the end of the service she was to come down the aisle again, snuff the candles, then stand with the minister and exit with him. She started doing that when she was in the second grade.

But having moved south a few miles we wanted to find a church closer to home--it really helps build a sense of community when you see familiar faces at church and school and soccer and the grocery store, etc--and my wife was finally submitting to her years long pull toward the Catholic Church. I feel it is important that the family not attend separate churches so I had to consider becoming Catholic myself and putting my daughters through that as well. I was raised Catholic and missed much of the traditions, however, I was very leary of re-joining them as I was afraid much of my political and theological leanings would not fit well. Turns out the parish priest is even more liberal than I am, I think, and his explanation of the usage of the term "virgin" helped me accept some of the Marian ideas of the RC. So last Easter, the whole family was confirmed into the RCC.

Still it was a tough slog for the kids. Frankly, a Catholic Mass is not as fun a most Protestant services mainly because the kids have to stay through it all. Before my daughters would go off to their classes after about 10-15 minutes in the sanctuary, but the Catholics keep them all in for the most part. But my youngest (who still pines for our "old church") is game girl who tries to make the best of her situation. She started singing off and on with the children's choir and just recently signed up to be an alter server. Now, back in my day it was only the boys who could do that as it was seen as a possible step toward the priesthood, but I guess back in the 80s the pope cleared the way for girls to participate, too.

Yesterday was her first time as an alter server. I was surprised at how proud I was to see her up there. She looked so incredibly sweet as she was the only fourth grader up there, the rest were sixth graders I believe. The other two girls and the boy were very kind and helpful which helped a lot. She asked them and they allowed her to hold one of the candles while the priest read the gospel and she held the bowl for him to wash his hands in preparation of the Eucharist. Once when she was sitting with the rest during the homily, she was looking kind of bored. I caught her eye and winked at her and she smiled the sweetest smile. That's going to be one of the memories I'll be able to rely on to make me feel better for years to come.