Interrupting the priest

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I just want to say that you’re not wrong for feeling such an interruption is rude or jarring. I would feel the same way.

Now, if the priest inadvertently skipped over part of the Eucharistic prayer, then I would hope someone would interrupt him and discreetly let him know. But for something like this?

I’ve never been to a parish that did children’s liturgies, though. Was it a case of the music people wanting to make sure the children didn’t miss their “cue” to leave? In that case, I can understand (even if not necessarily agree with) their interrupting him.

You’d think, though, that if this is something that happens with every new priest, they would have learned that they need to bring this to the new priest’s attention before his first Mass at the parish. That would be the ideal solution.
 
Thank you. I was starting to think maybe I’m just being weird for finding it so jarring!

I think the music team was concerned the priest had forgotten to send the kids away. The one time it happened there were only 2 kids leaving for children’s liturgy so it was … awkward, to say the least.

I know they think they’re helping, they aren’t being deliberately obtuse. I just think perhaps they are stepping outside their bounds. Which is an ironic thing for me to say as I contemplate how to address the issue! ROFL!
 
somecanadian said:
I’m starting to wonder if the visiting priests haven’t been speaking up because they don’t realize the same people have done the same thing repeatedly. They might think it was isolated and not worth addressing.
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Right. If I were the new priest to the parish, and just meeting everyone for the first time, I would probably let this slide, too, as it is clearly not something they will do on a regular basis but only once (because now he knows).

But even if he does say something, that doesn’t mean the people will not do the same thing to the next priest. They may only learn that this one particular priest doesn’t like being interrupted, not that they shouldn’t interrupt the liturgy in general.
 
somecanadian said:
I know they think they’re helping, they aren’t being deliberately obtuse. I just think perhaps they are stepping outside their bounds. Which is an ironic thing for me to say as I contemplate how to address the issue! ROFL!
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If it were me, I would just file this away. And then, next time you have a new priest, mention to the music team at that time that it would be a good idea to prep the new priest on the format of the children’s liturgy in case he is unfamiliar with it. Either that, or you could mention it to the new priest directly.
 
I had a seizure at my old parish. The priest ignored it completely as the people dealt with me and hustled me out and to the hospital.

But… children’s liturgy? Now that we should stop the Mass for. 😉 LOL. I jest, I jest.
 
This really doesn’t seem like a problem for the OP to deal with. If the priest doesn’t like it, it’s up to him to deal with the choir.

I’ve seen several suggestions for speaking to the priest before Mass. That may not work. In my parish we do dismissals of the catechumens every week. It’s in the priest’s binder. It’s done week after week after week. But we had a pastor who used to forget at least once a month. He’d give his homily, sit for a time of silence, and then go on with Mass without the dismissal. It frustrated him that he forgot – he was something of a perfectionist and told me he felt like a failure when he would realize the he forgot AGAIN. Finally we worked out a system where if he started the Creed I would walk up the side aisle and stand near the communion rail. He’d see me, realize he forgot the dismissal, and would do it after the Creed. Tiny mistake, hardly noticeable to the rest of the congregation, and everyone was happy.

Perhaps the children’s catechist could do something similarly unobtrusive to get the priest’s attention.
 
CilladeRoma said:
Now, I would wait until after the Penitential rite & the Gloria were over, but that is just me.
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Right. CLOW should begin at/just before the First Reading and conclude around the Offertory, just as the name implies: Children’s Liturgy of the Word.
 
When it’s a new priest who doesn’t know what he’s expected to do about the children’s liturgy, and nobody interrupts him to remind him about it, what happens? Is there simply no children’s liturgy that day? Do the kids stay on in the congregation for the whole Mass with everyone else?

Or do their parents take them out at that point as if the priest had included the sending-off song?
 
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somecanadian said:
. Everything I’ve read suggests it is an innovation that is allowed if it’s a custom of that particular parish but that isn’t actually an official part of the actual liturgy.Maybe I was reading wrong.
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An “innovation” that goes to the first or second century?

This is the modern version of the sending of the catechumens.

To this day, the liturgies of St. John Chrysotum and of St. Basil (an I assume of St. James, though I’ve never observed it) have the deacon crying, “The doors!” at this point . . .

hawk
 
What if at some point a new priest arrives who simply decides not to continue having the children’s liturgy of the word? After all, how the liturgy is conducted is ultimately up to the priest.
 
CilladeRoma said:
It’s the liturgy for children. It is the same readings and themes, geared toward children between the ages of 4-7
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Thankfully, my Parish never had that. I wouldn’t have been interested in it anyways. I’m quite obstinate.
 
Actually there is no such thing as a “children’s liturgy;” all we did is go color. I’ve seen mention of it in NO Missal. Certainly it is no requirement but rather something likely concocted by laypeople. There is little liturgical about it. I hope priests everywhere dispose of this deficient idea from a time of experimentation and allow the children to hear their homilies and the fullness of our actual Liturgies again.
 
The kids who go out for it in the parish I see doing it are about 4 or 5 years old. They aren’t going to be listening to any homily if they do stay in the pew. Taking them out to go do something else actually gives their parents a chance to listen to the homily and participate in the Mass without constantly having to police their little ones.
 
Good then they can learn at a young age to sit still and not make any noise instead of running around and distracting everyone.
 
somecanadian said:
Each time a new priest comes in, he does not send the children for ‘children’s liturgy’.
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some Canadian,
The next time a new priest arrives go to him before the mass and ask if he knows to sent the children for liturgy? Then maybe an alter server can be told to remind him at the appropriate time in the mass.
Hopefully some proactive measures can prevent the problem.
 
Actually, you are wrong. In the US Children’s Liturgy of the Word has it own lectionary, and it’s own rubrics to be followed. If you don’t like it, fine, but at least be honest about what it is and if you don’t know, don’t give false information.
 
My parish has had the opposite “problem.” Every now and then (like 2/3 in the last year or so) father invites the children up to go to the children’s liturgy only to find out there is no liturgy that day. There’s a brief chuckle when the children get all grouped up only to be told to go back to their parents. I’ve never seen one of the priests have to be reminded though.
 
DignumEtJustum said:
Actually there is no such thing as a “children’s liturgy;” all we did is go color. I
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Actually, children come back from this asking parents questions, which never would have been triggered had a four year old sat through the adult readings and homily . . . not only that, children of an age for which the natural reaction to a long service is boredom get interested in going to church.

I had to take my second down to the pre-school during mass when she was 2-3, as my wife leaving was traumatizing. After a couple of weeks, instead of clinging, she closed the door and said, “Daddy, you go now.”

Insisting on a child too young to understand stay for the Mass rather than going somewhere where they learn to love being at church is . . . well apply your own adjective to describe the weak intellect and understanding of faith shown by the proponent . . .

hawk
 
Seems like the different parties in this issue need to meet to work things out.
But I guess that is easier said than done?
 
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