Senior adults are a huge and growing portion of the Church in the United States. They are often the Mass greeters, the lectors, the altar society members in their parishes — a sort of backbone in the Body of Christ; but many senior groups and ministries in the local Church have diminished or disappeared over the years, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ministry
Hours before dozens of residents and guests gather at The Tradition Prestonwood for a Sunday celebration of Mass, Father Michael T. Barry moves about the room, quietly transitioning it from a community theater to a place of worship. It is a ritual the retired priest from the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois has done since arriving at the north Dallas senior living facility.