Catholic MOOKS: First Communion

[lilles]

If you are Catholic but your kids don't attend Catholic school how/when are you doing First Communion? Our Church does it when kids are in second grade which DD1 is starting on Monday. They give you the option of having her go to an hour long class every Sunday before Mass or going to a few classes and I can do the Catechism at home.

It is almost a year long process from September to May.

I'm leaning towards the second option since we hardly make it to Mass (something I hope to change).

DH is not Catholic and is not really on board because he thinks she will have too much going between school, soccer, and possibly a Spanish reading /writing class she might be doing.

It is important to me that she does this but it is not a priority for him at all. So we still need to work it out.

Anyway sorry this got so.long...

So what are you /will you be doing?

[Deleted]

Obviously, my kids are younger but I plan to send the kids to CCD beginning in first grade. Then first communion will be part of this in 2nd grade I believe it is.

[6fsn]

We have to start in 1st grade to do 1st Communion in second. We have a huge parish with no school so we have tons of options for classes- 3 on Sunday, 2 Monday, 2 Wednesday. We're signed up for Wednesday at 4:30.

[lurknomore]

DH is Catholic. I am not. It was a conversation we had before we married. I agreed we could raise the girls catholic and while I will support it, I would not be particularly involved. We've had DD1 in PSR on Sundays since she was in K. She will do her first communion this time. TBH, it seems a bit disingenuous to have her take a few classes at home and then do her communion. I do appreciate that DD is learning about her religion such that she will be able to make a knowledgable choice when she's older whether to continue to be a practicing catholic. DH takes her to mass most Sunday's and then PSR immediately follows for an hour. I try to join them with the little ones about once a month. If your goal is to get to mass more often, use this as your opportunity to do it.

[IrishBelle]

My kids do attend Catholic school and DD1 has made her 1st Communion. However, the school is no longer involved except to provide information on when the process starts.

First Communion and First Confession are both done in Grade 2 here now. It was different when I was growing up. There were 4 sessions that we had to attend for each and they were held on a weeknight at the church. When it came time to make the First Communion, there was a choice of 2 weekends and 2 masses on each of those weekends.The First Confession happened on a Satruday afternoon.

[ilikedonuts]

Our church says your child has to be enrolled in weekly PSR if they do not attend Catholic school and then the sacraments are part of the PSR curriculum. (2nd grade for communion)

[bugandbibs]

We did RCIC. It was really a good way for DD1 to bond with other kids in the parish and helped me make other mom friends.

[Marmee]

My kids go to catholic school but the preparation for 1st communion is done at home. They used to do reconciliation & 1st communion in 2nd grade but now they are doing confirmation first, I think in 2nd or 3rd. This is the original order & several bishops are "restoring the order".

[beefjerky]

I would do the Sunday option and go to Mass. My boys are in Catholic school but my husband is also not Catholic and I can count on one hand how many times he's been to church (and we didn't even get married in a Catholic church...gasp!). She would have to do reconciliation first so I don't know how that would play into the plans but regardless I would do the Sunday option, it will give her a better base of knowledge and have her be more prepared for receiving first communion. I know in our parish there is a lot of prep for first communion!

[beefjerky]

Sept 3, 2015 19:48:04 GMT -5 Marmee said:

My kids go to catholic school but the preparation for 1st communion is done at home. They used to do reconciliation & 1st communion in 2nd grade but now they are doing confirmation first, I think in 2nd or 3rd. This is the original order & several bishops are "restoring the order".

They're doing confirmation prior to communion? That's interesting, as I've only heard of confirmation being in 6th or 8th grade, never earlier than that.

[Marmee]

Sept 3, 2015 23:33:47 GMT -5 beefjerky said:

Sept 3, 2015 19:48:04 GMT -5 Marmee said:

My kids go to catholic school but the preparation for 1st communion is done at home. They used to do reconciliation & 1st communion in 2nd grade but now they are doing confirmation first, I think in 2nd or 3rd. This is the original order & several bishops are "restoring the order".

They're doing confirmation prior to communion? That's interesting, as I've only heard of confirmation being in 6th or 8th grade, never earlier than that.

Yeah I'm in Denver & this came down the pipe from the Arch bishop this Spring. They actually receive confirmation & 1st communion in the same mass but confirmation first. I didn't get confirmed until 14yrs old myself. Here is an article on the change.

m.ncregister.com/daily-news/denver-archdiocese-moves-to-restore-the-order-of-sacraments/#.Vekf_4pOLCQ

[beefjerky]

Sept 3, 2015 23:41:33 GMT -5 Marmee said:

Sept 3, 2015 23:33:47 GMT -5 beefjerky said:

They're doing confirmation prior to communion? That's interesting, as I've only heard of confirmation being in 6th or 8th grade, never earlier than that.

Yeah I'm in Denver & this came down the pipe from the Arch bishop this Spring. They actually receive confirmation & 1st communion in the same mass but confirmation first. I didn't get confirmed until 14yrs old myself. Here is an article on the change.

m.ncregister.com/daily-news/denver-archdiocese-moves-to-restore-the-order-of-sacraments/#.Vekf_4pOLCQ

Huh, that's fascinating, thanks for the link! I've not heard any rumblings about this in our Archdiocese (I'm in PA), fascinating. I was 13/14 as well when I was confirmed. 

[whiskeyandwine]

Confirmation at 1st grade seems pointless to me. I think 8th grade is young, but 1st grade? Nah....

OP, do not take the easy way out of you want church to become a part of your weekly life. Make the commitment to attend classes. I would almost guarantee it helps you attend church more regularly.

[drloretta]

DD will start parochial school next year so that's where she'll get First Communion prep. If we weren't doing that option, she'd be enrolled in CCD starting next year and would start FC prep in second grade.

I agree with whiskeyandwine, send her to classes, which will likely have a Mass requirement as part of the curriculum.