Loving Our Liturgy/Renewing Our Lives: Engaging Children in the Mass

On the fourth Sunday of each month at 9 a.m. (St. Albert the Great) and 10:30 a.m. (Our Lady of the Rosary) our parish offers “Family Mass.” These celebrations are prepared in accordance with the guidelines stated in the Directory for Masses with Children, which encourages the children take active roles in the Mass. We invite them to help lead us in music, to participate in proclamation of the Word, to assist in roles as greeters and with the collection, and to share prayer in movement and drama. Our goal is to offer a Mass which engages the entire family - all of us - and speaks in a special way to our children.

The active participation of the children not only engages them in and helps them understand the liturgy, but it also prepares them for future roles in ministry as adults, helping them to discern their own particular gifts and to understand the responsibility we all have as baptized members of the Body of Christ.

Our next Family Mass will take place on Sunday, October 27. On this occasion we will preview the celebration of All Saints Day with a procession of the saints by our children during the gathering rite. All children are welcome to come dressed as or to bring a symbol or picture of their favorite saint and to participate in this procession. We will gather at the entrance of the church to line up and review our procession ten minutes prior to the start of Mass.

An important aspect of the faith formation of our children is their participation in Mass, not just at Family Masses, but every Sunday. Let us help them learn to understand and appreciate what we do when we come together to worship. Let us help them to love our liturgy and with continual participation with parents, family and friends, to renew our lives of faith.