Friday, February 12th, 2010
Coldwater church to offer Sunday night Mass
By Shelley Grieshop
Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Coldwater will offer a Sunday evening Mass each week beginning Feb. 21.
The Mass, which will fulfill the Sunday obligation, will take place at 6 p.m. and have a focus on youth, said the Rev. Rick Walling, senior pastor of Holy Trinity and two other parishes in the Coldwater cluster of Catholic churches.
"We're doing this on a 6-month trial basis," he said, adding the idea was brought to his attention by several parishioners.
The churches' current Mass schedule will remain the same, he added.
No other Catholic churches in the area offer Mass on Sunday evening. However, there are 20 churches in the Dayton and Cincinnati area that give parishioners the opportunity. Those Masses are scheduled in a range from 4-7 p.m.
Walling said Sunday evening Masses are often more popular in regions where colleges and universities are located.
Walling and his assistant pastor, the Rev. Barry Stechschulte, believe the extra Mass will be more convenient for families with a busy weekend schedule.
"It's about versatility and convenience. People are much more mobile today," Walling said.
Although the Mass will be geared toward youth, it is open to people of all ages.
"We really hope this works out," he said. "We'd like to see if we can reach people we've not reached before and offer something different to others."
The priests are seeking servers, readers, ushers and Eucharistic ministers - particularly high school age - for the Sunday evening Mass. Anyone interested is asked to call the parish office at 419-678-4802.
Besides Holy Trinity, the Coldwater cluster of churches includes St. Anthony church and St. Mary church in Philothea. Their Mass schedules also will remain the same.
