Using the Facilities

Dear Sr. Edwina: Is it okay for parents to let their children leave during Mass to use the bathroom? Some of these children presumably need to use the facilities several times during the same Mass. It becomes a distraction to the rest of us.

Concerned Catholic: Sr. Edwina believes that parents should instruct their children to use the facilities before leaving home. Since Mass rarely lasts more than one hour, one would presume that a healthy child should have no urgent need to visit the facilities. In the case of emergency or illness and also in regard to small children in the potty training stage, Sr. Edwina believes that the child’s parents should accompany them to and from the facilities. We are not able to guarantee a child’s safety if they are allowed to wander around unattended. This Sister has noticed that for many children, a visit to the facilities during Mass is simply a bad habit. Even our youngest members should be taught respect for both the liturgy and the community.