Since Children’s Liturgy of the Word was first proposed in the Directory for Masses with Children, many parishes have decided to adopt the practice. Some parishes will not choose to celebrate Children’s Liturgy of the Word at all, but others may do so on special occasions, and others (such as ours) will celebrate it at a fixed time more frequently.
As for the exact scheduling of Children’s Liturgy of the Word, this is a decision each parish has to make. Often parishes will find that the celebration is very beneficial, encouraging the participation of children in the Mass and helping them to understand the scriptures. As such, they will be eager to have regular celebrations of Children’s Liturgy of the Word.
It is also important, however, that children have opportunities to observe, and begin to participate in the regular Sunday Mass. Our knowledge of how we celebrate Mass in the Catholic Church is typically built upon an apprenticeship model, where we learn by doing with the support of more experienced ‘experts’.
As such, choosing how and when to celebrate Children’s Liturgy of the Word is about trying to find a good balance so that children may fully, consciously and actively participate in the liturgy now, and be well-formed so that they can continue to do so well into the future.
Liturgy 