Holy Communion after Children's Liturgy of the Word?

[tanwinee]

In my church the facilitators for the Children’s Liturgy will leave at the commencement of the Mass and return only after the Offertory. Is it all right for the facilitators to receive Holy Communion and have these facilitators fulfilled the ‘Sunday obligation’ re Mass attendance?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Directory for Masses With Children, November 1, 1973, Congregation for Divine Worship

1. In many places parish Masses are celebrated, especially on Sundays and holy days, at which a good many children take part along with the large number of adults…

1. …Sometimes, moreover, if the place itself and the nature of the community permit, it will be appropriate to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word, including a homily, with the children in a separate, but not too distant, room. Then, before the Eucharistic Liturgy begins, the children are led to the place where the adults have meanwhile celebrated their own Liturgy of the Word.

The Liturgy of the Word takes place from the first reading until the closing of the Universal Prayers (i.e. Prayer of the Faithful). The children should thus be dismissed for the children’s Liturgy of the Word after the Opening Prayer and return either during the offertory or at least before the “Pray brethren…”

The adult facilitators have attended a legitimate Liturgy of the Word and are participating in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Therefore I see no reason why their Sunday obligation has not been met, nor why they cannot receive communion.