Reflections from MACC’s Parish Ministry and Contemporary Children’s Spirituality Course
“Children’s ministry is a joint effort between the Church, the family, and the community.”
Testimony by Graciela Morgan
MACC Student
Thank you, MACC, for the class on Parish Ministry and Contemporary Children’s Spirituality.
This experience helped me rediscover that being a child… is not just a stage of life, but a way of looking at the world with an open heart, full of trust and wonder.
As time goes by, we often lose that ability to trust without fear, to forgive unconditionally, and to find joy in the simple things. In this class, I realized that, at times, we have limited children’s encounter with God to concepts and teachings, forgetting that they are called to experience His love in a living and intimate way.
“To sow Jesus in a child’s heart is to sow hope for a lifetime.”
Through discussions with my colleagues, I confirmed the great need for comprehensive formation among those of us who work with children: priests, parents, catechists, and pastoral agents. It is essential to grow in our human, cognitive, pastoral, and spiritual dimensions, recognizing that spirituality is essential for both children and adults.
I learned about theology for children, the different types of spirituality, and the importance of fully integrating them into liturgical and sacramental life—especially children with special needs. I also reaffirmed the family’s role as the primary educator in the faith, living out its mission as the “Domestic Church.”
This class motivates me to promote a pastoral ministry of encounter, dialogue, integration, mercy, and unity, as called for by Pope Leo. I leave with a commitment to share what I have learned with other communities and hearts, convinced that it is indeed possible to bring children closer to Jesus from an early age. This is not merely an academic lesson… it is a call to transform the way I accompany, believe, and love.
Children’s ministry is a joint effort between the Church, the family, and the community, seeking to form disciples of Jesus with a living and participatory faith, rooted in God’s love.
We are MACC.
Mary, Mother of the Church, guide us and intercede for us
