Parish of Blessed Pope John XXIII Since 2002: Sacred Heart (1904) and Saint Lucy (1925)

Religious Education FAQS - Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions parents often ask about their children's preparation for First Solemn Eucharist

Why should parents be involved in the preparation of their children for First Communion?

Parents should be involved precisely because they are parents—the most important adults and the most important Christians in their children's lives. It is first of all from their parents that children learn Christian love and faith. Thus the National Catechetical Directory calls parents and guardians "the primary educators of children"(6). More than anyone else parents are in a position to use their children's experiences as starting points for teaching them about God's love for them.

Who decides when children are ready for First Communion?

Deciding when children are ready for it is a shared responsibility. The National Catechelicat Directory makes that clear. "As for children," it states, "their parents, catechists, and pastors are responsible for determining when they are ready to
receive First Communion" (122), Also, like the teaching of children, the primary responsibility lies with the parents.

How do parents know when their children are ready for First Communion?

Long-standing tradition holds that in order to receive First Communion, children should understand, according to their capacity, "those mysteries of faith necessary for salvation. Simply put, that means they should be aware that God loves us and gives us Jesus, and that Jesus gives us his Spirit of love to help us love one another.

Children also should be able to distinguish between the bread of the Eucharist and ordinary bread, They should know that when Jesus gives us the eucharistic bread to eat, he gives his whole self to us and shares his life with us.

Finally, children should want to receive the Eucharist. They should appreciate the importance of the Eucharist and want to share fully in it.

• What should parents do to ensure that their children are ready for First Communion?

• Must children make their First Reconciliation (Confession, Penance) befroe receiving First Communion?

• What should children wear for First Communion?

What should parents do to ensure that their children are ready for First Communion?

Parents may be confident that they are fulfilling their responsibilities in preparing their children for First Communion if they:

• take the religious education of their children seriously and
  introduce them to the mystery of God's love through the
  example of their own love.
  
  
• offer the personal witness of their own faith in the eucharistic
  presence of Jesus.
  
  
• join with other adults in giving their children the example of
  enthusiastic participation in the Eucharist.

Must children make their First Reconciliation (Confession, Penance) before receiving First Communion?

A number of recent official Church documents have reaffirmed that the practice of celebrating First Confession before First Communion is to be considered the general rule. It remains the responsibility of parents, with the support and assistance of pastors and other parish leaders, to determine whether and when their children are ready to celebrate sacramental reconciliation by taking part in individual confession and absolution.

What should children wear for First Communion?

That will depend on the custom of the parish and the decision of parents. But whatever parents and relatives decide regarding clothing---or other matters such as gifts or parties related to First Communion-should not distract from the importance of First Communion itself.

Parents should do everything they can to help their children appreciate that First Commuion is a beginning, not an ending. It is the first among many special
experiences of communion with Jesus.

please note: more will be discussed at parent meeting.