Children's liturgy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hoping4more
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
And children aren’t required to attend and adults aren’t forbidden from going with them.

Why should others be limited in experiencing a Mass that is meaningful to them because of your bad experience with parochial school?

It’s fine that you don’t care for it; I don’t care for apple pie - the texture is unpleasant and, more importantly, it’s not chocolate cake. I don’t act like those who decide on apple pie are harming themselves and others by making that choice instead of cake. I am happy that we are both able to experience dessert.
 
Removal of the catechumens partway through the liturgy began in the first or second century, and residuals remain in EC and EO liturgy, notably the dean’s “The Doors! The Doors! Wisdom, be attentive!”. (although we don’t secure the doors to protect non-confirmed persons from witnessing the Mysteries any more). (at least one liturgist has commented that the latter portion might be more accurately [though less politely] be better translated as, “Shut up and listen1”])

Taking the small children out is not for precisely the same reason, but certainly of the same nature: the catechumens received further instruction once removed.

hawk
 
buffalo said:
I would be interested in the stats on this. How long do the children retain the faith. We have been doing these for what 30 years now?
Click to expand...
Well, here’s a thought. If statistics show that only 22% of Catholics attend Mass faithfully, then I guess we might say that 78% of children, when they grow to an age of independence and go out on their own, don’t retain the faith??? After all, that 78% were all children once.
 
Our children don’t go to their own liturgy but stay. The homily is sometimes a question-answer or more of a dialogue to keep the children paying attention to the readings. Children are called forward. About 3 minutes long and then some minutes for adults. This works very well in my parish as there are a lot of immigrants who are learning the language.

At one time, two of the catechists had 60% of the kids in their group (7-year-olds) that they didn’t have a common language with and the two catechists spoke 5 languages between them. Our children’s choir had 65% that the cantor couldn’t speak with because of different languages but 3 years later they are singing in several languages and very well!
 
I have done some reading since posting, looks like it is on the up and up. Just seems unneccearry. But who knows, maybe I’ll try, might make them less squirmy and more likely to enjoy going.

I guess I had a negative reaction since the first time I attended the parish, that I had previously left due to its bad practices, and this is the first time I had seen or heard of this childrens liturgy. So my first thought was “Oh no, just when I thought it was getting better they add something.”

I’ll reconsider.
 
Last edited:
It’s certainly not a requirement that you send your child. Some children don’t want to go. Some do. It’s for those below the age of first communion, about 4-7.
 
Any Catholic may attend any mass; no one is “compelled” to attend any particular type of service, no matter their age.
 
buffalo said:
Children can understand what is going on and the preaching. No need to dumb it down.
Click to expand...
It seems to me a very Protestant thing where the focus is on learning rather than the Holy Scarifice of the Mass. As a convert I will have to say I often found children’s sermons better. The reason was they were to the point and not full of fluff. But as a Catholic I think the whole family worshipping together is far superior.
 
When I was a kid- I was born in 1956- the school aged kids were shuffled to the chapel in the basement to hear mass on Sunday away from the adults. There was a whole separate Mass for us children.

Part of this was also to alleviate crowding in the main church, there was a lot new residences in the parish at the time- my folks bought in a new subdivision at the very edge.
 
I am not sure I understand your point… Children do have to attend the children’s liturgy, even it is at a popular time. Before age 7, they are exempt from the requirement to attend mass on Sunday, and afterwards, may attend any lawful mass of any rite to fulfill their obligation. The children’s mass is lawful, but it is but one of many lawful options for anyone to attend.
 
I think he meant that the Mass that offers “Children’s Liturgy” is often the one that most of the parishioners attend. I know that when I go to my daughter’s parish there are 5 Sunday Masses: Sat. 5 p.m., Sun. 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. Children’s Liturgy, where the children go to another space for the readings, reflection, Creed, and General Intercessions, is only offered at the 10 a.m. Mass, usually the one with the highest attendance. Now is the attendance high because of the children’s liturgy, or was the children’s liturgy placed there because it’s the Mass most families attend? I don’t know.

In our parish all children preparing for First Communion are expected to attend the Children’s Liturgy. It’s offered pretty much every week of the school year at the only Sunday morning Mass.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a document about this very topic 11 years ago. A few points they made: it shouldn’t happen every week; it should be a true liturgy; no child should be compelled to go even for sacramental preparation; if pencils/pens/crayons are involved you’re doing it wrong. Ours ignores every single one of these points.

http://www.cccb.ca/site/eng/media-r...brating-the-liturgy-of-the-word-with-children
 
Last edited:
If I wish to attend the “convenient” Mass best for my family, I have to work around the children’s liturgy or accept it at that Mass.

The children’s liturgy and folk Mass seems to run together.
 
That is where the catechesis is needed by parents. It is what you put in, not what you get out of Mass. Active participation does not mean jobs assigned to people, it means actively worshipping and participating in what is happening.
 
buffalo said:
That is where the catechesis is needed by parents. It is what you put in, not what you get out of Mass. Active participation does not mean jobs assigned to people, it means actively worshipping and participating in what is happening.
Click to expand...
All well and good, but kids still learn to hate it. The more flexibility that is built in, the more likely a kid may find the relevance and decide to stick with it. Flexibility is a good thing.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top