By Gary DiLallo
Contributing writer
Mark 14:16 “Could you not then watch one hour with Me?”
A whole hour of prayer and devotion is great for some, but can be daunting for families with small children. That’s why a new, innovative approach to spending time in church with the Lord is being offered at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Endicott.
According to Stephen Hrehor, the staff of Our Lady of Good Counsel met with Faith Formation families to brainstorm on church gatherings and events they would likely attend. “Several families asked that we consider a Holy Hour that was not an entire hour, so they felt more comfortable bringing their young children, too,” he said.
A committee was formed between Father Richard Prior’s two parishes (Our Lady of Good Counsel, Endicott and Our Lady of Sorrows, Vestal), and the members organized a new service in the Fall of 2024 at Our Lady of God Counsel Parish called “Family Holy Half Hour.” It is family-friendly and specifically designed for young ones. Bethanie Hrehor, who has led monthly Adoration nights with praise and worship music for the past couple of years, stated that they took a similar approach by using music to help guide the time and keep kids engaged.
While children are always welcome to attend Adoration, it can sometimes feel daunting for parents to keep their children’s squirming and talking contained, especially when it feels disruptive to others present. By advertising the Holy Half Hour as being for young families specifically, the aim is to help remove some of the embarrassment for parents, allowing them the chance to come and pray, even if a little distracted, knowing that other families with active children will also be present.
“We have child-like materials for the children that correspond to Scripture reading,” said Kathy Hamilton, parish director of Faith Formation. “We provide a family dinner [afterward] so parents don’t have to worry about cooking, and there’s also an open gym for the youngsters to play in while the parents gather in fellowship.
“We’ve even seen some of our youth group teens attend. Parents and grandparents are participating, and all ages are welcome,” Hamilton also shared. “We’ve seen between 10 and 20 participants [in the past] and plan on opening this event to all the parishes in the Southern Tier Region this Fall.”
Father Prior is very supportive of this sacred endeavor — he celebrates each Holy Half Hour and offers concurrent Sacrament of Reconciliation, as well.
“I am very grateful to Kathy Hamilton for organizing this opportunity for family prayer,” said Father. “I also appreciate Deacon Paul Heiland’s participation in helping with the liturgy and the meal. The hope is that this opportunity will help families grow in their love for each other as they grow in their love for God.”
At each Holy Half Hour, Deacon Heiland reads a Scripture passage and gives a short reflection. “Deacon Paul is great with the kids and tries to call some of them by name during his brief message, or you can find him playing with them in the open gym afterward,” said Hamilton.
“Holy Half Hour for families was a nice way to spend an evening practicing our faith with our kids that was stress-free and just the right length,” shared past attendees Justin and Katie Sisenstein. “As the parents of young children, who at the time weren’t quite of age for formal faith formation classes, we wanted an opportunity for children and their parents to get an introduction to the faith, without the pressure of keeping little ones content for a [whole] Holy Hour. The kids really liked being able to color while listening to the music, and they enjoyed having dinner and playing in the gym afterwards.”
Now entering its second year, Family Holy Half Hour at Our Lady of Good Counsel is scheduled according to the Liturgical Calendar. The next Holy Half Hour is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. Dinner and open gym will follow at 5 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be available. Future dates are Jan. 11 and April 26, starting at 4:30 p.m. with dinner and open gym to follow at 5 p.m. Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is located at 701 W. Main St. in Endicott.
