We offer Liturgy of the Word for Children (LWC) to help children Kindergarten to Grade Four encounter the Word of God in an age appropriate manner. The Liturgy of the Word for Children is celebrated at the 9:30am Masses two Sundays per month. The Liturgy of the Word for Children is a required component of our Faith Formation program at St. Catherine’s parish for all students in our pre-sacrament, First Reconciliation and First Communion programs.
LWC is a wonderful opportunity for children to become a part of the liturgy in a way they makes sense to them. Children begin the Mass by sitting with their families and taking part in the Opening Rites. Then, just before the first reading, they are dismissed with an adult leader to go to the parish hall where they hear the readings and the homily proclaimed at their level of faith development. They rejoin their families during the Offertory so that they can celebrate the rest of the Mass together.
Children’s Liturgy is not baby-sitting or a means of getting restless children out of the church to give their parents and the parishioners a break. It is not a play time for children or a chance for them to meet other children of the parish. And it’s not just bible story reading for children. This experience exposes the children to the same readings that the Universal Catholic Church hears every Sunday and helps them apply it to their lives.