By Gia Myers • Posted April 7, 2025

Sensory-friendly Masses regularly take place at six parishes across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, offering special-needs children and their families a more relaxed and adapted environment to practice their faith and nourish their souls.

If a young person feels the need to take a stroll around the church during Mass, or express oneself in other ways, parents feel comfortable knowing that everyone will understand.

The sensory-friendly Mass (SMF) is designed to be more inclusive for individuals with sensory sensitivities or other disabilities. It offers adaptations including dimmer lighting, no music or soft music, and short homilies.

SFM started two years ago at St. Martha Church in Northeast Philadelphia, where SFM is offered every fourth Sunday at 1:30 p.m., preceded by a social hour starting at 12:30 p.m.  in the nearby school meeting room.

Parishioner Walt Mulholland is the liaison for SFM and special needs at St. Martha. He says 10-13 families regularly join SFM at St. Martha each month, and he’s hopeful that number will soon grow.

Being the father of three daughters – 11, 7, and 6 years – he knows it can be challenging to get the whole family ready for Mass each week.

His oldest daughter Jessica has autism and is non-verbal, which can make getting the family to Mass additionally challenging at times. For this reason he greatly appreciates the more relaxed environment that SFM offers.

Though he says fellow parishioners at regular Masses are understanding of family situations, he can feel more relaxed at SFM, even if daughter Jessica feels restless during Mass and needs to move out of the pew, or if a child “is in a crying mood.”

A lifelong resident of Northeast Philadelphia, Mulholland has been a parishioner of St. Martha for six years and he’s a member of his parish’s Knights of Columbus council – Mary Queen of Angels Council #12384.

Knowing that Mulholland well understood families with special needs, Father Jonathan Dalin, pastor of St. Martha, invited Mulholland to help begin the SFM ministry.

Before Mass, families gather in the school’s meeting room to enjoy coffee, doughnuts, cookies, and conversation. Parents share their challenges and helpful resources, finding support from one another.

“We found the more chances to connect, the better,” Mulholland said of the families with special needs. “It’s nice to know you’re not the only one going through it.”

For the future, Mulholland hopes to have children participate in the readings and bring up the offertory gifts, as well as “getting the word out” so that more families in the region can join St. Martha’s SFM.

St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish in Avondale, Chester County started its SFM last November on the third Sunday of the month at 10 a.m., although in April, starting on Easter Sunday, it switches to the Sunday 8 a.m. Mass.

Father Anthony DiGuglielmo, pastor of St. Gabriel, believes SFM at his parish has been well accepted and had a “grassroots origin.”

“We were seeing more and more of those coming to Mass who are neuro-divergent and have a need for (SFM),” he said.

The pastor understands how certain aspects of the Mass can be challenging for neuro-divergent individuals.

“It can be little things like the bells, the lights, and the music,” he said.

The 22-year-old church has over 300 lights and a huge pipe organ, “which is beautiful, but it plays with a lot of strength,” said Father DiGuglielmo.

Even families with no neuro-divergent issues have told him after SFM that they enjoyed the Mass, finding it more reverent, calming and peaceful.

Looking ahead, Father DiGuglielmo hopes families have more SFM opportunities in the archdiocese.

“You want families to be able to go every week to a sensory-friendly Mass,” he said. “So, if we had more parishes that offered it as an option, that would be helpful.”

More information about churches in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that offer sensory friendly Masses is available here.

To learn how your parish can participate in sensory-friendly Masses, visit the website of the archdiocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities or contact them at opd@archphila.org.