Virginia parish adds ‘sensory Mass’ for neurodiverse Catholics
The Sunday 1 p.m. Mass at Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, Virginia is typically the parish’s least attended weekend litugy.But on August 11, the church was full.ShareVolunteers in matching gray T-shirts asked incoming Mass-goers if they needed any special accommodations. A table in the narthex offered tools like interactive Mass binders and “fidgets” — tactile self-regulation aids. The lights in the sanctuary were dimmed.It was the parish’s first monthly “sensory Mass,” held especially for ne...