Little Saints Story Time provides community for children and parents alike
Story and photography by Amberly Boerschinger | For On Mission
GREEN BAY, WI — “I’ve been waiting four years for this,” the mom of an infant was heard saying at the first summer session of Little Saints Story Time at St. Bernard Parish in Green Bay. “First, I had to get married and have a baby.”
A cloudy morning with a cool breeze in early June didn’t stop the group of parents and children who gathered outside Bishop Hall on the parish grounds. Carts of books, toys, crafts and more invited moms and dads and children of all ages to park strollers and lay out blankets.
“This is the biggest crowd we’ve ever had,” said Jeannine Hadzima, facilitator of faith formation and first sacraments at St. Bernard. Now in its fourth year, Little Saints Story Time meets weekly for a lightly structured hour of reading, songs and fellowship.
Each year has a theme, and this year’s theme is the liturgical year.
The first session focused on how we measure time — short periods like minutes and hours with clocks and watches, and longer periods of time like weeks, months and seasons with clocks and rituals.
Over the following weeks, participants learn more about the liturgical seasons: Ordinary Time, Advent, Lent, Easter and other important feasts and their rituals.
“A few things inspired me to begin a story time for young children and their grownups,” Hadzima said. “I saw that as a parish, we were not offering much for our very young families. Story time seemed like a fun way to teach our faith, give kids a chance to play and their grownups an opportunity to connect with each other.”
Before working at St. Bernard, Hadzima was a stay-at-home mom of three daughters. She recalled how she and her children enjoyed visiting local libraries and nature centers for story times and making new friends along the way.
“Since my children are now young adults and don’t ask me to read to them anymore, it is so much fun for me to share this love of books and the Catholic faith with other little people,” she said.
The group started with the book “Pitter Pattern” by Joyce Hesselberth, published by Greenwillow Books. The kids reflected on months of the year and the experiences, sounds and rituals marked through visual and word patterns.
As the group walked through the seasons, the little ones chimed in with their own observations: “We found a toad at home!” “We have a snowball maker!” One dad added, “Hunting season!”
“My kids attend St. Bernard during the year, and every week last summer, we said we were going to come and something always came up,” said Leslie Martinez, mom of three. “This is our first time. It’s nice for my daughters to come somewhere familiar for this because they know the space, had some friends there and it made it comfortable for them to dance along to some of the songs.”
Martinez was also glad to bring her preschool-aged son, Matteo. “He is used to pretty unstructured play, so I want him to start experiencing the start and end of activities with others.”
Hadzima noted how much storytime created a sense of community when she was raising her children.
“What I find most meaningful about this program is the relationships that I have seen develop over the course of the summers,” she said. “The children who attend have become buddies and get excited to see each other arrive. Likewise, friendships have formed or deepened between the parents and grandparents.
“Again, reflecting back on my earlier days of parenting, I recall how isolating it sometimes felt to be home with my kids and not have the pleasure of regular adult conversation. I looked forward to it as much as they did, so that I could connect with other people too. The sessions begin with prayer as a reminder of one way we can communicate with God and then alternate between books and songs, keeping all ages engaged.”
Toward the back, a small group of 11- and 12-year-old girls danced and giggled while their younger siblings clapped their hands and watched Hadzima from their blankets.
The hour ends with a craft and free play. New this year: a cart featuring children’s books and parent resources from the parish library that can be checked out by families.
Little Saints Story Time takes place most Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. through August 20. Sessions are free, open to all, and held outdoors by the Fatima statue, weather permitting.
For those looking for a weekend option, “Kid’s Catholic Story Hour” sessions are offered on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. at Cathedral Book & Gift in Green Bay. Local guest readers have included priests, sisters, deacons and even Bishop David Ricken. For more information, visit cathedralbookandgift.com.
Those looking for an evening option can check out the Rosary community nights offered at Lumen Christi Farm in Reedsville, which include story time, farm activities, animals, Rosary prayer time and other activities as announced. More information can be found at lumenchristifarm.org.