17 January 2025 · 2025-01 newsletter
It has been a year since we began offering Children’s Liturgy at the 11am Mass at Mount Schoenstatt Mulgoa, on the first Sunday of each month.
We have been inspired by a text from St John Paul 11, “the Christian life of the faithful, young and old is intended to develop, with God’s help, an as yet initial faith, and to advance in fulness and to nourish day by day…. It is a matter of giving growth, at the level of knowledge and in life, to the seed of faith sown by the Holy Spirit with the initial proclamation”. The Directory for Catechesis 2020 also indicates that it is a unique formative activity of the church that out of respect for the different age groups of believers efforts are made to keep the Gospel of Jesus Christ alive for all.
Our team has been guided by the following thoughts:
- We believe that faith is transmitted through interpersonal connection and is nourished within the circle of the community.
- We express our faith with liturgical prayer and bear witness to it with the power of charity. We read and proclaim the Gospel witnessing to an encounter that keeps the focus on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, incarnate in the history of humanity in order to bring to fulfilment the revelation of the Father’s saving love.
- Our goal is the living encounter with the Lord who transforms life that takes place in the light of encounter.
- When we share the Word and celebrate the Eucharist together, it fosters fraternity and make us holy and a missionary community, more understanding and with a deeper experience of the liturgy.
- This process is the living encounter with Christ oriented toward forming persons who get to know Jesus Christ and his Gospel.
As mentioned above the Children’s Liturgy is held on the first Sunday of the month. The children are sent out by the priest before the Readings and are joined by two catechists and a Sister who guide the children in understanding the Gospel or specific theme of that particular Sunday. The children then return to the Mass celebration at the Offertory. We follow the ‘The Liturgy of the Word with Children’ (Katie Thompson) 2020, as recommended by Sister Mary Louise, the Liturgy Educator for the Parramatta Diocese and supported by CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development). The children have enjoyed the work activities that reflect the Gospel Reading and the take home activity.
We have noted that the children’s attendance has increased between 7-20, with ages ranging from 4-10 years with increasingly more interaction from the children. The parents are also encouraging their children to attend the liturgy.
For us, it is such a joyful and fulfilling ministry.
Edna & Agnes Aldana
1 Directory For Catechesis, Pontifical Council For Promoting New Evangelization, 2020 St Pauls Publications, Strathfield
2 Ibid. C.f. pp. 53-104
Filed underCommunity · Newsletter