CLOW is it okay?

[Patrick]

Well, I was responsible for starting a CLOW at our parish about 10 years ago. We had noticed that we were getting few children at mass as well as few young parents. CLOW was a form of outreach and it worked wonderfully. Soon, attendance at mass increased by about 25% and we starting seeing new young couples. Ten years later, many of those young couples are great volunteers and the children are still coming to mass.

Having read what happens at other churches, I generally like the way we do CLOW although I know that one aspect of it will attract a lot of criticism.

The meet at the back of the church before mass and join the priest in the procession. When they get to the front, they move to the side and the priests welcomes them specifically. He blesses them and hands one of them “The word of God” which is carried by the children to the chapel with three lay leaders. We insist that the program feel and look like “church” not “school”. When the children assemble, they sing a song, say a prayer, consider intentions, hear the gospel and a reflection. The reflection includes an activity to reinforce the gospel. At the end, they sing again and here’s the kicker (the part that will generate replies I’m sure) … they return to the main church after the “Great Amen”. We have wrestled with the fact that the children miss the consecration. Sometimes, God pulls our youth committee one way and then back again. However, the program is only for children who have not yet reached the “age of reason” (Junior Kindergarten to Gr. 2) and children preparing for first communion return to the church as a group right after the homily and are there for the consecration. The younger children remain as a group through the Our Father and return to their parents after the Sign of Peace.

For me the proof is in the pudding. After 10 years, we find that we are building strong faithfilled children who have a strong appreciation for the mass. Young families are returning to the church.

Patrick

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Without trying to argue against the experiences of those who say the CLOW has been helpful to them, either in their own childhood or their current experience, I’d like to present my own childhood which shows the CLOW is not the only viable way of teaching children to appreciate the Mass. I was fortunate enough to attend a solid Catholic elementary school (K-6) where we attended Mass twice a week. When I was in 4th grade I (along with all my male classmates) was trained in the ways of the altar boy. We had just gotten a new priest at the parish/school, and by modern standards he was an old hardliner. He expected discipline and respect, and he taught children with a minimum of watering-down. He even went so far as to teach the whole school how to sing a Sanctus and Agnus Dei, explaining to us the Latin and its meaning, for use during Lent (remember, these are all children 12 and under), as well as a song that may be familiar to “older” folks for use after benediction which began “Pace Domine…”. This man’s pastoral strategy was almost an exact opposite of the CLOW. He believed if you gave people high standards they would live UP to them instead of lowering standards to accomodate weakness. Under this priest’s tenure my mother was constantly commenting to me about how much more attentive I was during Mass, even including improvements in posture. I would never have come to appreciate Catholicism enough to be on this forum if it hadn’t been for that priest who challenged me. He made me the Catholic I am today.

 

[Lizard]

My parish has CLOW at the Saturday Vigil Mass, and at three or four of the five Sunday Masses. It is restricted to children from kindergarten through second grade who have not yet received their First Communion. They often come back with little activity sheets, etc. (I don’t have children, so I don’t know for sure what they do.)

The children are called up to the front by the priest right before the first reading. Their catechist is blessed by the priest, and leads them off to the Chapel for CLOW. They return during the Offertory.