Latham parish has kids in mind when it comes to Word of God

When the Children's Liturgy of the Word was instituted at Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Latham several years ago, volunteer Sharon Paluch remembers praying before Mass: "Lord, let's at least have ten."

Her prayers were answered -- and then some. Three separate programs for Bible-curious young children are now in operation to accommodate those who show up:

* the regular Liturgy of the Word program for elementary-schoolers,

* the Rainbow program for 5- and 6-year-olds, and

* the Church Mice session for kids as young as one and two.

Meeting needs

The sessions, which take place at the 9 a.m. Mass and can hold 30-40 children, help kids better understand the Liturgy of the Word.

The sessions are split into three to cater to each age's special learning needs, and to keep the numbers of students from getting too large and the sessions too unwieldy.

At the appointed time during the Mass, older children repair to the chapel, where volunteers Ann and Bill Edwards help them follow the Mass by proclaiming a reading, singing the Alleluia and reading the Gospel. They then lead a discussion about the Gospel to help youngsters better understand meaning of the readings in their lives.

Prayer time

A music leader leads the children in song and psalms, and the Prayer of the Faithful includes spots for children to bring up their own concerns and prayers: for their pets, grandparents and -- "without fail," according to Mr. Edwards -- soldiers in Iraq.

"They think ahead of time" about what to include, he said. "It's the most touching part."

"The children are able to get something out of the Mass on their level," Mrs. Edwards noted. "They're able to participate. They hear the Gospel, and they're able to discuss it."

Younger ones

Things are a little different for the younger children, who begin Rainbow and Church Mice classes with basic prayers, including the Our Father, the Glory Be and the Hail Mary, and sing songs about God, accompanied with the hand movements that children find fun and fascinating.

"We teach them their basic prayers and how to pray together," said Mrs. Paluch.

The children enjoy telling the group what they're thankful for. On one recent Sunday, a six-year-old girl said that she was "thankful for having such a wonderful planet," while another said he was thankful for his mother.

Crafts and games

During the sessions, children listen to a Bible reading and take part in a craft or a game related to that reading. One popular game has the children roar, hiss and bark like animals on Noah's ark.

The crafts are often things the children can take home with them and sometimes items that the parish benefits from: banners displayed in the back and front of the church.

But felt and construction paper aren't the only things the Rainbow children take home, according to teacher Michelle Matuszek.

"They come into the religious ed programs knowing their prayers," as a result of the programs, she explained. "Three-year-olds know their prayers. What we've heard from the first grade teachers is that [their students] are prepared. They know their Bible stories. They'll even pick you out if you've missed something in the reading."

That continuity, explained Mrs. Paluch, is one of the unexpected and welcome effects of the triad of Children's Liturgy programs. The kids who start off in Church Mice graduate to Rainbow and then to Children's Liturgy. Later, they come back to help out, serve as catechetical aides, join the choir or get involved in the youth ministry program.

(9/1/05) [[In-content Ad]]