First Communion Leaders

Making the parents attend a Communion reflection, role-model group while the kids are going through their paces separately has caused several parents to either renew their faith or convert in the case of non-catholics using the RCIA programme - all very envouraging, thanks be to God

The levels of unsupervised communications that young people have at their disposal are a cause for concern when parents are not taking an active interest in the moral well-being of their children - it is clear that parents are not always either interested or able to guide the kids and protect their innocence

Confession /Reconciliation for our small group of 8 all went off ok on Saturday, and several parents are reflecting on their own spiritual existence as role models,
Deo Gratias

Giving up one evening a month to talk to parents about being role-models for Christian education, and receiving the Reconciliation and First Communion might not sound like a lot, but when it comes around, not only does it feel like a responsibility, but it takes a day or two to reflect on it afterwards.

When parents are sitting in a group, they tend not to want to readily volunteer their thoughts, excepting the more outspoken ones, and sometimes it can leave you wondering whether it was worthwhile, but yesterday was exceptional, as a parent returned to reconciliation after an adult lifetime of layoff - so join me in giving thanks to the Holy Spirit today.

We cannot, Benedict XVI warned, live in "a childhood of faith". Many adults have never gone beyond the first catechesis, meaning that "they cannot - as adults, with competence and conviction - explain and elucidate the philosophy of the faith, its great wisdom and rationality" in order to illuminate the minds of others. To do this they need an "adult faith". This does not mean more........

HI Aida Luz, thanks for joining and sharing your experiences - interesting and helpful.

I tried your link, raising two questions -
1. What are BLM's ?
2. Where does the access code come from, as without it it won't let me review any of the programme you recommended ?

Hi, everyone,

I'm a certified Catechist here in NY. I prepare older kids to receive First Communion. These are children 5-7th graders, so it's harder to reach them as they get older. For example, in my 5 years as a catechist I had two kids who didn't believe in the real presence. Today one is an altar boy; the other child is presently in my class. So prayers are needed for this young lady.

An eleven-year-old told me I wouldn't see her again after she received First Eucharist. Now she goes to Church every Sunday.

And then I saw another little miracle: A mom who hadn't gone to confession asked me to send her the instructions in Spanish. She wanted to receive communion with the child. Now she receives Communion with her child.

To the lady whose grandson hasn't received instructions yet, I'll offer a suggestion. The Church teaches that the best catechists are the parents. Since they are not doing it, and making sure they won't object, why don't you buy a workbook, and a teachers' manual and teach him yourself? Please look at http://www.loyolapress.com/christ-ou...on-program.htm and you will find the material you need there and for his age level.

God bless!

Hi VeronicaRebecca, good to have you with us. I will include your grandson 'G' in my rosary intentions each day, but let's ask Mary to help us now by saying the Hail Mary together
Hail Mary full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
Blessed art though amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death Amen.

Hi brenzgrove, thanks for sharing this experience -

'Above all, I am trying to show her how to be a good catholic by letting her see me practice. My own daughter will do her first communion next year and so all of this is good preparation for her as well.
Another school in our board has a very strict pastor and he monitors attendance for several months and does individual meetings with the parents and children to decide whether or not they will be permitted (based on understanding) to receive the sacrament.'
- 'think above all it is so important for parents to practice the sacraments themselves and talk openly at every opportunity to help get the kids ready.'

You are so right in your assessment - the kids follow the parents example - and this can be where their faith falls on stony ground if the parents don't play their crucial role.

Have you looked for any kind of guidance programme to help you, or are you confident you can manage at this stage ?

Hello,
I am currently taking my great niece who is also my godchild through the steps to her first communion this Easter. Her mother is catholic but not actively, so i have taken it upon myself to bring the child to mass. I will go with her to her first confession and all the steps up until her first communion (and afterwards). I don't have a programme, I just keep the communication open as to what the school is teaching her and I try to elaborate or fill in what i think is needed. Above all, I am trying to show her how to be a good catholic by letting her see me practice. My own daughter will do her first communion next year and so all of this is good preparation for her as well. The three of us discuss the mass and the sacraments. I think it is important for the kids to really understand why first communion is so special. When i was their age i just kept hearing you will receive Jesus...i did not actually know how i was receiving Him. That lead to me taking many communions without true understanding or proper preparation. Every school in our board approaches first communion differently. This particular school has a meeting only 6 weeks before the time and does not monitor attendance at mass. The priest goes in and talks with the children weekly for those 6 weeks to prepare them for first communion and confession. Much is left up to the parents and the parish community to initiate these children. Another school in our board has a very strict pastor and he monitors attendance for several months and does individual meetings with the parents and children to decide whether or not they will be permitted (based on understanding) to receive the sacrament. My daughter goes to a third school within the same board, so I am eager to see how they handle the preparation, though i feel it will coincide with the second example because it is the same church. I think above all it is so important for parents to practice the sacraments themselves and talk openly at every opportunity to help get the kids ready.