In Granger, Indiana, a Catholic parish has introduced a dedicated space to better serve individuals with sensory processing challenges, CBS affiliate WSBT reported July 24.
Saint Pius X Church recently opened a sensory room designed to accommodate parishioners, especially children, with autism or related conditions who may find regular Mass settings overwhelming.
The room was developed with support from Busy Hands of Michiana, a local nonprofit that provides therapeutic items made from donated materials. Volunteers created custom sensory tools for the space at no cost to the parish. The room includes features such as beanbag seating, noise-canceling headphones, tactile toys, and weighted blankets — tools that help reduce sensory overload and create a calming environment.
A window allows participants to view the sanctuary during liturgy, maintaining a connection to the Mass while in a more accommodating setting.
Church leaders say the addition responds to the needs of families who previously struggled to attend Mass together due to sensory sensitivities. Before the room was available, some parents alternated attending services with different children, unable to participate as a full family.
Tim Wheeler, the parish’s director of religious education, recalled one child who had not previously been able to attend Mass with his family. From the sensory room, the 9-year-old boy can engage in calming behaviors while watching the service through the window.
“[H]e was able to be himself and feel comfortable,” Wheeler said, adding that “every once in a while he’d look out the window that we have facing the sanctuary and say, ‘There’s Jesus, there’s Jesus.’”
Stephanie Sibal, the parish’s director of stewardship and engagement, hopes that the project may serve as a model for other faith communities, according to WSBT.
She said, “We want people from other Catholic parishes, even other religions, to come here and see what we’re doing so that maybe they can replicate it too.”
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Author: Rachel Quackenbush
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