Fee for "Children's Liturgy of the Word"

[ELMitz]

A friend’s parish within our diocese charges a fee ($25/year I think she said) if you wish for your child to participate in the children’s dismissal during the Mass. Though she did not say, I’m guessing that financial hardships would be considered, but we all know how unlikely many families are to speak up in this scenarios choosing instead to go elsewhere or even worse stay home.

My friend’s parish handles dismissal exactly like our parish in which the kids are blessed by the celebrant immediately before the Liturgy of the Word and then taken to a separate location to uniquely receive the liturgy of the word, then they return before the Eucharistic liturgy. Our parish does not charge a fee for this participation.

Evidently this parish has suffered financially due to lagging attendance, and this policy, in her opinion, is partially to blame only making the problems worse.

The fact that they charge a fee for this seems wrong to me since this is an actual liturgical celebration (though not GIRM-approved obviously) but I can find no formal guidance on this issue except for diocese specific policies found on the internet which appear to ban such fees for liturgical celebrations.

Can any of you wise folks point to some specific Church teachings/law on this issue?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SMHW]

her

A friend’s parish within our diocese charges a fee ($25/year I think she said) if you wish for your child to participate in the children’s dismissal during the Mass. Though she did not say, I’m guessing that financial hardships would be considered, but we all know how unlikely many families are to speak up in this scenarios choosing instead to go elsewhere or even worse stay home.
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Evidently this parish has suffered financially due to lagging attendance, and this policy, in her opinion, is partially to blame only making the problems worse.

I’ve never heard of charging for CLotW.

As far as whether or not it is OK to charge for it… I don’t know. There are fees for using churches for weddings. And it is usual to offer a stipend for sacraments. But most parishes do not have actual clergy for CLotW.

My guess the motivation of this parish is similar to that of some marketing people. Sometimes people will value it a thing more if they have to pay for it than if they get it for free. Your friend seems to think it’s not working but sometimes there are things going on behind in scenes that parishioners can’t always see.

 

[lovemyjob]

Might it be like a fee for babysitting during Mass? Is the person who runs it paid?

Not saying that’s good, bad, right, or wrong. Just a thought.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

A friend’s parish within our diocese charges a fee ($25/year I think she said) if you wish for your child to participate in the children’s dismissal during the Mass. Though she did not say, I’m guessing that financial hardships would be considered, but we all know how unlikely many families are to speak up in this scenarios choosing instead to go elsewhere or even worse stay home.

My friend’s parish handles dismissal exactly like our parish in which the kids are blessed by the celebrant immediately before the Liturgy of the Word and then taken to a separate location to uniquely receive the liturgy of the word, then they return before the Eucharistic liturgy. Our parish does not charge a fee for this participation.

Evidently this parish has suffered financially due to lagging attendance, and this policy, in her opinion, is partially to blame only making the problems worse.

The fact that they charge a fee for this seems wrong to me since this is an actual liturgical celebration (though not GIRM-approved obviously) but I can find no formal guidance on this issue except for diocese specific policies found on the internet which appear to ban such fees for liturgical celebrations.

Can any of you wise folks point to some specific Church teachings/law on this issue?

Thanks in advance.

Isn’t the natural cost to families and the parish’s spirituality enough of a cost/fee?

 

[ELMitz]

Might it be like a fee for babysitting during Mass? Is the person who runs it paid?

I do not get the impression it is for babysitting. The children are gone for maybe 15-20 minutes – basically during the readings and homily – but the kids hear and discuss the readings in their own way apart from the rest oft he Church.

Our parish has both a full mass babysitting program and a CLOTW - there is a nominal fee for the babysitting but no fee for the CLOTW. I can get on board with a babysitting fee for the entirety of Mass, but this is a specific fee for a specific liturgical section.

 

[SMHW]

Might it be like a fee for babysitting during Mass? Is the person who runs it paid?

Not saying that’s good, bad, right, or wrong. Just a thought.

I’m not as adverse to CLotW as some people. The idea that families should attend Mass together is more of a cultural value than a historical Church value.

But any parish that views it as babysitting is REALLY doing it wrong.

 

[1ke]

A friend’s parish within our diocese charges a fee ($25/year I think she said) if you wish for your child to participate in the children’s dismissal during the Mass. Though she did not say, I’m guessing that financial hardships would be considered, but we all know how unlikely many families are to speak up in this scenarios choosing instead to go elsewhere or even worse stay home.

My friend’s parish handles dismissal exactly like our parish in which the kids are blessed by the celebrant immediately before the Liturgy of the Word and then taken to a separate location to uniquely receive the liturgy of the word, then they return before the Eucharistic liturgy. Our parish does not charge a fee for this participation.

Evidently this parish has suffered financially due to lagging attendance, and this policy, in her opinion, is partially to blame only making the problems worse.

How bizarre.

It seems quite odd that a parish would attempt to charge a family for this. How would this be policed, anyway? I mean, if you call for all kids to go to the front for dismissal do you turn back the unpaid interloper, the child visiting Grandma, the children of the family from across town going to Mass at your parish this week? Is there a buzzer that goes off at the door when an unpaid child attempts to join the rest?

I mean, the entire thought of charging for CLOW just silly.

The “fee” seems to work out to about 50 cents a week, perhaps a misguided attempt to cover the cost of a handout given to the children? Well, put it in the overall religious ed fee if necessary.

Your friend should bring it up with the Parish Council, religious ed committee, or the pastor.

but I can find no formal guidance on this issue except for diocese specific policies found on the internet which appear to ban such fees for liturgical celebrations.

Can any of you wise folks point to some specific Church teachings/law on this issue?

Thanks in advance.

You aren’t going to find anything because the Church doesn’t get into that sort of detail on every aspect of parish life.

 

[pensmama87]

How bizarre.

It seems quite odd that a parish would attempt to charge a family for this. How would this be policed, anyway? I mean, if you call for all kids to go to the front for dismissal do you turn back the unpaid interloper, the child visiting Grandma, the children of the family from across town going to Mass at your parish this week? Is there a buzzer that goes off at the door when an unpaid child attempts to join the rest?

I mean, the entire thought of charging for CLOW just silly.

The “fee” seems to work out to about 50 cents a week, perhaps a misguided attempt to cover the cost of a handout given to the children? Well, put it in the overall religious ed fee if necessary.

Your friend should bring it up with the Parish Council, religious ed committee, or the pastor.

You aren’t going to find anything because the Church doesn’t get into that sort of detail on every aspect of parish life.

I know at our parish children are supposed to be registered, but I don’t think there’s any fee associated - I think it’s primarily for headcount purposes (and if there would for some reason be an emergency they’ll know, at least for the regulars, which kid(s) belong to who.)

I agree that a fee is very strange.

 

[nodito]

Could the $25 be part of a larger religious education fee for which the CLoW is just a part?

Since you know the parish name, why not go to the webpage and see what they write about the Children’s Liturgy? I’d be interested to read it and it may give you some insight as to their rationale.

 

[Phemie]

Since there should be no cost to the Parish beyond a set of Lectionaries and possibly a workbook to help the leader prepare the reflection, there is simply no valid reason to charge for what is really part of Mass – and something which the Directory on Masses with Children says should only happen “occasionally.”

 

[pianistclare]

A friend’s parish within our diocese charges a fee ($25/year I think she said) if you wish for your child to participate in the children’s dismissal during the Mass. Though she did not say, I’m guessing that financial hardships would be considered, but we all know how unlikely many families are to speak up in this scenarios choosing instead to go elsewhere or even worse stay home.

My friend’s parish handles dismissal exactly like our parish in which the kids are blessed by the celebrant immediately before the Liturgy of the Word and then taken to a separate location to uniquely receive the liturgy of the word, then they return before the Eucharistic liturgy. Our parish does not charge a fee for this participation.

Evidently this parish has suffered financially due to lagging attendance, and this policy, in her opinion, is partially to blame only making the problems worse.

The fact that they charge a fee for this seems wrong to me since this is an actual liturgical celebration (though not GIRM-approved obviously) but I can find no formal guidance on this issue except for diocese specific policies found on the internet which appear to ban such fees for liturgical celebrations.

Can any of you wise folks point to some specific Church teachings/law on this issue?

Thanks in advance.

We don’t dismiss. We offer the Parish school of religion. Faith Formation. Sunday School.
Its completely separate form the MASS which children should go to.
We do have tuition, but a family is never ever turned away because of hardship or inability to pay. Almost everybody does. Those that don’t, Father and I are the only ones who know. All the catechists and classroom aides get to have their children in classes for free, as a thank-you for their time and expertise.
If a parish thinks that pulling kids out of Mass is a good idea (I don’t, sorry) then they can figure a way in the budget to cover any necessary materials. But since the children are supposed to be reflecting on the Gospel message in kid-friendly language I don’t see even the need to purchase anything. Either the adults can explain the Gospel or they can’t. All you need is a Bible and good discussion.

 

[IrishAm]

There may be legitimate costs involved with the “separate location” or in the methods to “uniquely receive the liturgy of the word” (crafts/activities) or children’s books which are provided or teaching manuals provided. If the parish is having financial difficulties, they may be asking people to pay as they go if they are able . . . $25/year is about $.50 a week . . .

 

[Phemie]

There may be legitimate costs involved with the “separate location” or in the methods to “uniquely receive the liturgy of the word” (crafts/activities) or children’s books which are provided or teaching manuals provided. If the parish is having financial difficulties, they may be asking people to pay as they go if they are able . . . $25/year is about $.50 a week . . .

There should be no crafts or activities. As the Canadian Bishops said, “If pencils are involved, you’re doing it wrong.”

 

[pianistclare]

There should be no crafts or activities. As the Canadian Bishops said, “If pencils are involved, you’re doing it wrong.”

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[SMHW]

There should be no crafts or activities. As the Canadian Bishops said, “If pencils are involved, you’re doing it wrong.”

Yep.

In many/most parishes CLotW is run by the CCD/FF/RE/??? people because it’s convenient to group together all the people who need training and background checks before they are allowed to work with children. But CLotW really belongs in the liturgy category (readers, ushers, altar servers, EMHCs, musicians, sacristans, etc.)

It’s possible there might be a handout or worship aid but we don’t charge adults fees for those sorts of things so I don’t know why we would charge the children.

Maybe the fee is to help cover the cost of background checks and fingerprinting?

 

[1ke]

There may be legitimate costs involved with the “separate location” or in the methods to “uniquely receive the liturgy of the word” (crafts/activities)

No, there are no crafts or activities involved with Children’s Liturgy of the Word. Proclaiming the message in words children understand, yes. That does not cost any money.

or children’s books which are provided or teaching manuals provided.

A one-time cost for the parish and certainly not $25/child! A children’s lectionary doesn’t cost that much.

If the parish is having financial difficulties, they may be asking people to pay as they go if they are able . . . $25/year is about $.50 a week . . .

Perhaps they have a handout for the child, perhaps it costs 50 cents per child. But it’s still a weird thing to try to charge for. You cannot control who is in Mass on a given Sunday, which children come forward during dismissal, etc. It just makes no sense.

 

[pianistclare]

yup. Charging for anything with regard to Mass is a bad idea.
I would just go to Mass with my family, and not participate.
OP: How old is your child? Are they involved in Religious Ed classes? Do they attend Catholic school? Do you teach them at home?
.

 

[ELMitz]

yup. Charging for anything with regard to Mass is a bad idea.
I would just go to Mass with my family, and not participate.
OP: How old is your child? Are they involved in Religious Ed classes? Do they attend Catholic school? Do you teach them at home?
.

I have 6 children, all in Catholic schools, my wife teaches in a Catholic school. Yes, we spend a great deal of time passing on our faith to our children. I’m not sure, however, what any of this has to do with my question regarding my friend’s church’s policy…

 

[MissRose73]

As far as I know at my parish, when they do the CLOTW, there is no cost. There are charges for the normal religious ed classes etc, and those parents who come to the pastoral admin who want their kids enrolled but can’t afford it, are encourage to speak to the admin privately as donations from things like those who give to the church in memory of a person will often cover things like scholarships for the children/young people’s offerings, vacation bible school, etc for those kids whose parents lack the means to send them.

The costs for religious education and VBS cover the paper back textbooks mainly. For those in sacramental prep classes, they have additional books and gatherings to attend with parents before 1st Confession, 1st Communion then Confirmation. Those who teach, will often bring in the necessary supplies for the class such as paper, pencils and/or items for crafts - my mother does that for her kindergarten students. The costs cover also refreshments - punch/kool aid and cookies.

 

[1ke]

I have 6 children, all in Catholic schools, my wife teaches in a Catholic school. Yes, we spend a great deal of time passing on our faith to our children. I’m not sure, however, what any of this has to do with my question regarding my friend’s church’s policy…

I believe she mistook your question, and believed you to be asking about your own parish me children, not that of a friend.