Children’s Liturgy of the Word

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (21) directs us to the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship’s 1973 Directory for Masses with Children. In that document (16-17) the Congregation states:

In many places parish Masses are celebrated, especially on Sundays and holy days, at which a good many children take part along with the large number of adults . . .

. . . if the place itself and the nature of the community permit, it will be appropriate to celebrate the liturgy of the word, including a homily, with the children in a separate, but not too distant, room. Then, before the Eucharistic liturgy begins, the children are led to the place where the adults have meanwhile celebrated their own liturgy of the word.