Are large families welcome enough in church?

I was sorry to read the Aug. 25 article by Faith Jablonski, “Parishes need to be more welcoming. They should start with large families,” on AngelusNews.com because it describes an unfortunate experience that has not been my family’s. 

Our parish is a bit of a Disney World for young Catholic families: eight altar servers at each Mass, and any family with less than five children is considered a small one. In each pew, there’s a holy card that says something to the effect of “a quiet church is a dying church. We welcome your baby’s crying and are glad that you are here.”

Still, as the mother of a disabled child, I hope that the Church can do a better job of listening to the voices of families trying their best to pass on the faith to their kids, especially in the pews on Sundays. 

— Stephanie Thigpen, Stillwater, Minnesota