Childrens Liturgy

[KathleenElsie]

Our new priest just had a form sent out asking if parents would be willing to do a children’s liturgy. Now my opinion is that the children belong with the family. So our answer was no.

Now it would not be an issue if we had two priest and one of them did the children’s liturgy. But, this is not the case. We do not have a deacon or nun available for this.

How do others feel about children’s liturgy?

 

[sunnygirl807]

My parish is starting a children’s liturgy for ages 6-11, one Sunday out of the month. From what I gather, they will seat up front for the readings. Then they will receive a blessing and be escorted to the chapel where they will have the readings explained to them on their level. It hasn’t started yet, but I am willing to see how it goes.

 

[LRThunder]

At my parish, children have their liturgy during the Liturgy of the Word. They go before the first reading and return right after the Prayers of the Faithful.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Who does it? At a parish I attened years ago their was a nun that did it. So who does it now?

 

[Veritas41]

This issue came up at my parish just last year. I was approached to help with it, but I declined for the same reason. The Church has been around for 2,000 years, and the idea of taking children out of Mass is a new one. Somehow kids managed to survive Mass with their parents for millenia, so it seems more a concession to our times to have children separated from their parents during Mass.

I know from my own personal experience as a former Protestant, where children were usually kept in a nursery during the church service or sent to “children’s church” (which was the case with my oldest child), that they had a hard time learning to behave in church when they outgrew the nursery and children’s church. On the other hand, my children that attended Mass from day 1 seemed to learn earlier how to behave.

As it turned out in my parish, not enough parents were willing to volunteer for children’s liturgy duty, so it was dropped.

 

[thann]

Children who have received their First Holy Communion belong at Mass with their families. To remove them from the Mass does them a great disservice, and is incredibly disruptive.

My parish has the children’s liturgy at one Mass a weekend. They all parade out, and when it is through, the children all parade back in (often quite noisily despite the leader’s continued shushing). One time they came back in during the consecration, right in front of the sanctuary, wandering about trying to find their respective parents.

I know people mean well, but removing part of the congregation to another room (or in my case, another building) is an act of separation and distinction when we should be celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass as one body, and this is particularly true of those who have already received their Holy Communion. There is no reason to separate them. If people are worried that they won’t understand the readings, provide the simplified readings in the bulletin and expect the parents to go over it with them.

Also, I suspect that many of the adult leaders have little or no special training to explain the readings. I know this true in my parish. The volunteers are simply parents who read out of the children’s lectionary and then do a craft with the children.

'thann

 

[Dancelittleewok]

At my parish, children have their liturgy during the Liturgy of the Word. They go before the first reading and return right after the Prayers of the Faithful.

My parish has been doing that for years and I’m not sure I like it. The Mass is a Divine Sacrifice, true worship, not something like a community gathering. It is not something that should be interrupted. Why not teach the kids about the readings during by their parents or Catholic school?

 

[VAC]

In our church at the children’s mass, our priest or deacon invites the children up front for the homily. He directs the homily to them, asks them questions, and uses the opportunity to teach. He sends them back to their parents when he’s done. Sometimes, he also talks a few minutes longer, directed at the adults.

I like this setup better than taking them out of the mass.
Sometimes, the sermons aimed at the kids are a little easier for me to stay focused on…

 

[puzzleannie]

Our new priest just had a form sent out asking if parents would be willing to do a children’s liturgy. Now my opinion is that the children belong with the family. So our answer was no.

Now it would not be an issue if we had two priest and one of them did the children’s liturgy. But, this is not the case. We do not have a deacon or nun available for this.

How do others feel about children’s liturgy?

please tell me you are talking about children’s liturgy of the Word, where children who have not yet made first communion, are taken from the church during Mass but before the readings, taken with a competent catechist and helpers to another location to hear the readings proclaimed from the children’s lectionary, with a teaching suited to their age (not for coloring and playtime) and return to the church before the Eucharistic prayer begins.

has been discussed exhaustively here.

 

[puzzleannie]

Children who have received their First Holy Communion belong at Mass with their families. To remove them from the Mass does them a great disservice, and is incredibly disruptive.

My
'thann

these children are obligated to attend the entire Mass including readings and homily. Unless they occasionally assist with CLOW, or the readings and homily will be done by a priest or deacon, they may not leave at this time. The concept is for younger children, preschool and primary grades.

 

[KathleenElsie]

please tell me you are talking about children’s liturgy of the Word, where children who have not yet made first communion, are taken from the church during Mass but before the readings, taken with a competent catechist and helpers to another location to hear the readings proclaimed from the children’s reactionary, with a teaching suited to their age (not for coloring and playtime) and return to the church before the Eucharistic prayer begins.

has been discussed exhaustively here.

Sorry but our older children (those that are not yet in the youth group) were included in the survey. They have made communion and conformation.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Children should not be removed from the Mass IMO. They should be in Mass with their parents, not missing half of it.This is a new concept for Catholic churches and I wonder if it might be modeled after protestant services. The parent volunteers who take the kids out in my parish don’t even teach catechism. The program keeps falling apart where I live, and comes and goes in spurts.

 

[Walking_Home]

Children should not be removed from the Mass IMO. They should be in Mass with their parents, not missing half of it.This is a new concept for Catholic churches and I wonder if it might be modeled after protestant services. The parent volunteers who take the kids out in my parish don’t even teach catechism. The program keeps falling apart where I live, and comes and goes in spurts.

---

I agree—children should stay with the parents and not be separated. It is like breaking up the family at the most important part of family life—attending Mass together.