Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for the prioritization, multiple queuing and selective processing of PVC management frames by a Frame Relay message processing device. The device had an input port for receiving the messages. It also provides a number of message queues for storing and retrieving the received messages, each of the queues respectively corresponding to one of a number of response priority levels which vary from highest priority to lowest priority. Each of the response priority levels is assigned to a number of message classes associated with predetermined link management processes for communicating the status of message relay links among networking devices. The message processing device has a first processor for determining the message class associated with each of the received messages and for allocating each of the messages to a corresponding one of the queues based upon the response priority level assigned to the determined message class.