Saturday, September 18, 2004
Appropriate liturgy and music for school children
Ava inquired below about appropriate material for children's liturgy. More people than you want to listen to have their own opinions on this. Obviously I have mine too.
1. Masses with school children should take the parish Sunday Mass as its first model. By the time kids are in junior high, their Masses (if separate) should look pretty much like mainstream parish Masses, including communion under both forms, a wide variety in "adult" music. By the time kids are in their first year or two of full communion, their Masses (if separate) should be planned with an eye to integration in the parish mainstream.
2. Kids like all kinds of music, so I think the best liturgical music of all styles can and should be used.
3. Most Catholic school kids don't go to Mass on Sunday. Keep this in mind when forming expectations about songs and rituals you think they should know.
4. If leaders usurp the role of the assembly at school Masses, kids will remain passive. A priest I knew once with very good intentions, would boom the people's responses louder than his own script. It was no surprise that the kids were timid to silent in their responses. He didn't like my suggestion to say nothing of the people's parts at all. "But then there will be an embarassing silence," he said. Not if you take advantage of the school year start to catechize kids well. If necessary, gather the children in church once or twice before doing a full Mass.
5. Masses with children should have a predictable ritual aspect to them. If many priests are scheduled to preside, they should try to agree on a common format.
Of course, if kids aren't participating, it could be for the same reason their parents don't participate: spiritual, acoustical, motivational, etc..
