| Author | |
graciefaith
Forum Pro
Joined: June 08 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 361
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 8:24am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
My church is asking for volunteers to get this running. I wouldnt be able to volunteer b/c of my newborn but i'm wondering if this is a good thing for the kids to be involved in. From the way it sounds, they'll be taken out of church right before the readings and will have the readings read to them by a volunteer in a more kid friendly version. They'll have games, crafts etc. I'm not so sure if this is something they should do in place of Mass. I mean, they wont be sitting with us until the end, i believe. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be every Sunday or just once a month. I just wanted to know if anyone else's parish does this and what you think about it. TIA!
__________________
Blessed wife and mom of 3 girls, Sept. '01, Dec. '02 and Oct. '07
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mom2mpr
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 16 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1550
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 8:33am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Our church here has one. My kids love to go and learn a lot. The prayers, postures, songs, sign language for songs, readings on their level, etc. There are no crafts they really do the mass that is occurring upstairs on the kids level and teach them why we do the things we do. The children leave before the readings and arrive back in church, a few children at a time and quietly, after the homily. I remember a thread about this in the past and if I knew how I'd link you 
I think it is a good thing if done well.
Anne
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
5athome
Forum Pro
Joined: Oct 01 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 351
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 8:37am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I think this might be the discussion.
Children's Mass Discussion
__________________
Margaret
ds '93, dd '96, ds '99,
ds '01, dd '04, ds '06,
ds '08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
graciefaith
Forum Pro
Joined: June 08 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 361
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 8:38am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you Ann! That sounds lovely. I hope that ours is done just as well. I plan on peeking in when dh is with us. He doesnt always get to attend with us b/c of his work schedule.
__________________
Blessed wife and mom of 3 girls, Sept. '01, Dec. '02 and Oct. '07
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lorri
Forum Pro
Joined: Dec 21 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 248
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 10:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Our church has one on Sundays and I'm not that thrilled with it. Each time they go, my dc come back with a coloring sheet. 
We usually go to mass on Saturday evenings, so it's not an issue. But now since we no longer have a military priest, we have a contract priest. His contract states how many hours he works, so when holy days of obligation come around, they drop the Saturday mass. So once in a while we're at the Sunday mass and I've completely forgotten about the children's liturgy until they announce. That's not the time to say "not", so I usually let them go. I'm going to try to remember to talk about it ahead of time so they know they're not going.
__________________
Lorri
mom to   
The Mac and Cheese Chronicles
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 12:23pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We have one but we don't let our kids go. Well, we used to but they would bring candy back if they memorized their Bible verse. It sounded too much like Awana to me, especially since the person leading it often goes to Bible Studies at the Baptist church and disagrees openly regarding much of what is Catholic Doctrine.
On the other hand, I've heard that, if done correctly, it can be a really nice thing. We just prefer to have our kids with us during the whole Mass at this point.
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MaryatHome
Forum Rookie
Joined: April 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 75
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 12:39pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We have one, for grades kdg-third. Younger children stay with their parents (no nursery! yippee!), as do the olders. Children begin serving Mass in 4th grade, though for the first year they are assigned to weekday Masses.
They are dismissed before the readings by the priest, who gives them a blessing, and they process out as the choir sings a blessing song.
The leaders use the Children's Lectionary for the readings, and the children are separated into two age groups. The children discuss the readings, learn songs, and pray. They come back to the main congregation after the homily. There is an activity sheet (coloring, puzzles, references for the readings, etc.) for the two age groups, but it is sent home with the children for reinforcement, not to be done there.
I have mixed feelings about it, to tell the truth. I do like that as Catholics, they are returning for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. On the other hand, it does separate the children out. If all they were doing was playing games and such, I would be very unhappy, but since they are using the approved Lectionary, I do feel as if it CAN be acceptable.
Most of the children in our parish attend the parish school (I'd say there are probably only about 15-20 kids in PSR, and most of them don't attend our school because of special needs which can't be met there), so they do have experience and expectations for "church behavior." I have noticed that most of the children who are going to the Children's Liturgy of the Word are at the younger end of the spectrum, the kindergarten and first grades; the older ones tend to stay with the main congregation.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lisbet
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2706
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 12:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
One thing that I really have a hard time with when it comes to Childrens liturgy is that if you opt NOT to send your children along with the others, people tend to get upset when/if your children make a peep. We attended a parish from time to time that has this, and after a few times when we did not permit our children to go (we just prefer them to stay with us.) someone came up to us after mass and asked why we went through the 'trouble' of keeping the kids with us when we (as parents) would get so much more out of the mass if they (the children) went. I think that's one of the 'dangers' of this.
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
graciefaith
Forum Pro
Joined: June 08 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 361
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 10:59pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I fear ours will just be games and coloring, which is not worth missing Mass for.
How do your children take not being able to go, especially when they see all the other kids going?
__________________
Blessed wife and mom of 3 girls, Sept. '01, Dec. '02 and Oct. '07
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MacBeth
Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2518
|
| Posted: Dec 31 2007 at 11:52pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
graciefaith wrote:
I fear ours will just be games and coloring, which is not worth missing Mass for.
|
|
|
Oh...I don't think any children's liturgy is worth missing Mass.
__________________
God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: does anyone have a childrens liturgy?
