What is Children’s Liturgy of the Word?
During Mass, it is the practice of gathering the children from the assembly during the Liturgy of the Word to celebrate a separate Liturgy of the Word that is more appropriate to their level of understanding. They are guided by men and women volunteers who were screened according to the Safe Environment Standards of our Archdiocese
Why it is celebrated?
It is to make the Word of God more accessible to children and to enable them to participate more fully in the Sunday liturgical assembly.
When does a Children’s Liturgy of the Word happen?
In our parish, It is held every Sunday Mass at during term time at the 12 noon Mass. The children join the procession, stays in front of the sanctuary at the beginning of the Mass and while the Lord Have Mercy is sung they proceed to the St. Francis Hall (upper room) where the Liturgy takes place. They return to join the full congregation at the offertory. Any work they have done is brought up during the offertory as their gift to God.
What’s next?
In the future, since it is important to give children the experience with their family and eventually to regularly celebrate all of mass with the whole community, the Children’s Liturgy of the Word would be celebrated twice a month at noon and also twice a month at the 9:30 AM Mass.