1st communion abroad?

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Hi, We will be in Europe on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. My daughter is supposed to make her 1st communion during that time. Can she do it in France? I know that you can have a Catholic wedding in some countries. But, can you have your 1st communion in one? If so what is the protocol? The other reason is that while I was pregnant my husband prayed faithfully for a succesful pregnancy, he promised Our Lady to name our daughter in her honor and to take our family to Lourdes.
 
usually there is a program within a Catholic school or PREP (or RCIA for adults) that will prepare them for first communion

technically, anyone can just walk up to a priest during communion, receive, and there’s your first communion. but if your daughter isn’t prepared to receive, she may not appreciate what communion is all about and be poorly catechized about it.

i’m not even aware of any sort of first communion ceremony. usually the ceremony would accompany a scheduled mass and is a result of one of the three programs i mentioned
 
While we do make a fuss when the entire class receives together, in some parishes the children simply go up and receive with their families when the pastor has decided they are ready to do so. If she was prepared to receive with her class at the time you will be in Lourdes there is really no reason that she cannot simply accompany you to Communion while you are there.

Unlike a wedding, you shouldn’t expect that her First Communion would be acknowledged over there. You will have to be the one to make the day ‘special’ for her.
 
nlaborin said:
Hi, We will be in Europe on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. My daughter is supposed to make her 1st communion during that time. Can she do it in France? I know that you can have a Catholic wedding in some countries. But, can you have your 1st communion in one? If so what is the protocol? The other reason is that while I was pregnant my husband prayed faithfully for a succesful pregnancy, he promised Our Lady to name our daughter in her honor and to take our family to Lourdes.
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what a beautiful idea. talk to your pastor who can help you find out a good contact with the diocese to make the arrangements, we arrange 1st communions all the time, in Mexico, Philippines and other countries. You have to find out what that diocese requires, but usually it is a statement from the pastor that the child (and parents and sponsors if applicable) have completed all the sacramental preparation required in your diocese, has made first confession, and is prepared and properly disposed for the sacrament. and her baptismal certificate, original with the parish seal, not a copy.
 
puzzleannie said:
what a beautiful idea. talk to your pastor who can help you find out a good contact with the diocese to make the arrangements, we arrange 1st communions all the time, in Mexico, Philippines and other countries. You have to find out what that diocese requires, but usually it is a statement from the pastor that the child (and parents and sponsors if applicable) have completed all the sacramental preparation required in your diocese, has made first confession, and is prepared and properly disposed for the sacrament. and her baptismal certificate, original with the parish seal, not a copy.
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And, don’t forget you need to make sure that the priest who gives her first communion in Lourdes documents it and sends the sacramental records to your parish.
 
1ke said:
And, don’t forget you need to make sure that the priest who gives her first communion in Lourdes documents it and sends the sacramental records to your parish.
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While we record First Communions, it’s not one of the sacraments that requires recording under Canon Law. I’ve received many a certificate of Baptism in my twelve years in this job and I’ve never seen one with a notation of First Communion. My own doesn’t show such a notation and it’s not a sacrament for which we notify the baptizing parish.
 
nlaborin said:
Hi, We will be in Europe on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. My daughter is supposed to make her 1st communion during that time. Can she do it in France? I know that you can have a Catholic wedding in some countries. But, can you have your 1st communion in one? If so what is the protocol? The other reason is that while I was pregnant my husband prayed faithfully for a succesful pregnancy, he promised Our Lady to name our daughter in her honor and to take our family to Lourdes.
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First Holy Communion is supposed to be received when the child’s own pastor determines that he is ready. This doesn’t rise to the same level as a marriage, where a priest needs faculties or it’s invalid, but the principle still holds. From the point of view of a priest, I would not be willing to administer First Communion to someone from outside my own parish (especially a stranger, but not even a close relative) without first speaking to the child’s proper pastor. That could be a simple phone call. Wanting your daughter to receive First Communion at Lourdes is a great thing. I would suggest that you first ask your own pastor if he agrees to this, and if he does, ask him to write a letter (on letterhead and especially with the parish seal) stating that 1. your daughter is properly prepared to receive First Communion and 2 “delegating” to some priest (or any priest) this function. Delegation as such is not strictly required, so I put that in quotes, although the word would still apply in a sense. It would help a lot if you know of a priest who will be there (maybe you’re going on a group pilgrimage or something like that), and he can speak with your pastor to make the proper arrangements. If you don’t know of a particular priest who will be there, but you know you’ll find some English-speaking priest that’s one thing, but if you’re not sure, I would even ask him to repeat the same words in French.
 
Phemie said:
While we record First Communions, it’s not one of the sacraments that requires recording under Canon Law. I’ve received many a certificate of Baptism in my twelve years in this job and I’ve never seen one with a notation of First Communion. My own doesn’t show such a notation and it’s not a sacrament for which we notify the baptizing parish.
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We do record it here. So, maybe that’s a directive of our bishop.
 
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