1st Confession for 7 year old in 1st grade

  • Thread starter Thread starter shocktrooper
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

shocktrooper

Guest
My son is turning 7 this Friday. He is going into 1st grade since we held him back a year due to maturity. Our school provides 1st Confession and reception of the Eucharist in 2nd grade after simple catechesis. I would prefer not to wait another year for this. How should I go about doing this earlier or would any suggest that I don’t?

I plan on discussing this with our Pastor but wanted to get advice to whether or not I should even pursue it. I can’t think of any logical reason why I should wait, but then again, I have not been known to be the most logical person.

Thank you in advance.
Pax Christi.
 
Discuss the situation with your director of religious education first. It may be that the bulk of the preparatory catechesis for these sacraments takes place in the 2nd grade and so your son would not have received that. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t be made up as something extracurricular, though.
 
shocktrooper said:
My son is turning 7 this Friday. He is going into 1st grade since we held him back a year due to maturity. Our school provides 1st Confession and reception of the Eucharist in 2nd grade after simple catechesis. I would prefer not to wait another year for this. How should I go about doing this earlier or would any suggest that I don’t?

I plan on discussing this with our Pastor but wanted to get advice to whether or not I should even pursue it. I can’t think of any logical reason why I should wait, but then again, I have not been known to be the most logical person.

Thank you in advance.
Pax Christi.
Click to expand...
The confessions is good for him.
Just tell him to say the the priest what he thinks he did it wrong.
An tell the priest that he want to correct what he considers his fault an to each time more be a better boy.
The fact that he looks inside himself and see good and bad points, the fact that he puts the reponsability or some of the responsability on him, the desire to be better day by day, in these times of irresponsible kids ( I am a teacher for 35 years - non english speaking) is already very God.

Join to that the fact that He is talking to Jesus and it is a good deed for a kid.👍
 
shocktrooper said:
My son is turning 7 this Friday. He is going into 1st grade since we held him back a year due to maturity. Our school provides 1st Confession and reception of the Eucharist in 2nd grade after simple catechesis. I would prefer not to wait another year for this. How should I go about doing this earlier or would any suggest that I don’t?

I plan on discussing this with our Pastor but wanted to get advice to whether or not I should even pursue it. I can’t think of any logical reason why I should wait, but then again, I have not been known to be the most logical person.

.
Yes, your should talk to your pastor and present the story you had told us and he can give you good advice. Don’t feel funny about this, a pastor has heard about everything.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
shocktrooper said:
My son is turning 7 this Friday. He is going into 1st grade since we held him back a year due to maturity. Our school provides 1st Confession and reception of the Eucharist in 2nd grade after simple catechesis. I would prefer not to wait another year for this. How should I go about doing this earlier or would any suggest that I don’t?

I plan on discussing this with our Pastor but wanted to get advice to whether or not I should even pursue it. I can’t think of any logical reason why I should wait, but then again, I have not been known to be the most logical person.

Thank you in advance.
Pax Christi.
Click to expand...
Was your child in religious ed before this year? In our parish, when a child is held back in public school, we don’t automatically hold him back for CCE. We leave it up to the parents. Talk to the DRE to find out what the policy is. There also might be homeschool options for Sacrament prep that might work for your family.

One concern would be reading level, however. Most of the Sacrament prep material assumes a high first or basic second grade reading level.
 
Thank you all for the replies. I will discuss this, first, with our DRE and then with the Pastor if need be. Thanks again. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t being too pushy with wanting this.

Pax Christi.
 
I would definetly recommend talking to your DRE and your pastor as they will definetly have spent more time with your child then any of us - hopefully :p. Also take a look at this examination conscience for children I have posted below - if you honestly think your child can look at it and understand it then chances are your child is ready with some catechesis/faith formation. If not then maybe your child does need that extra year of growth to reach the Age of Reason so that your child will be able to determine on their own if he/she is in a state of sin before receiving the Eucharist.

Examination of Conscience for Children
 
shocktrooper said:
My son is turning 7 this Friday. He is going into 1st grade since we held him back a year due to maturity. Our school provides 1st Confession and reception of the Eucharist in 2nd grade after simple catechesis. I would prefer not to wait another year for this. How should I go about doing this earlier or would any suggest that I don’t?

I plan on discussing this with our Pastor but wanted to get advice to whether or not I should even pursue it. I can’t think of any logical reason why I should wait, but then again, I have not been known to be the most logical person.

Thank you in advance.
Pax Christi.
Click to expand...
first talk to the pastor and find out what “schedule” he would be on for RE. If you have been homeschooling for religion for instance, if he has any formal RE. Here we go by age, not school grade so would have encouraged your son to start RE last year, first confession this year (age 7 or so) and first communion next year (8 or so). This diocese has a 3 year preparation for Eucharist.

when you know what the norm is, you can explain any special needs your child has and why he might be a better candidate for home schooling.
 
I would discuss things with your priest regarding your child’s needs and education. I am sure he can direct you regarding preparation for 1st Confession. I remember years ago that our class was 4th graders but I’ve read that many places are making it happening before 1st Communions.
 
MissRose73 said:
I would discuss things with your priest regarding your child’s needs and education. I am sure he can direct you regarding preparation for 1st Confession. I remember years ago that our class was 4th graders but I’ve read that many places are making it happening before 1st Communions.
Click to expand...
First Confession must always come before First Communion. It’s canon law.
 
MissRose73 said:
Then back when I had it, it must have been different, it was nearly 30 years ago…
Click to expand...
It’s in the 1983 canon law. But not all pastors were diligent about applying it. Redemptionis Sacramentum even mentioned it as an area where some priest had fallen into an abuse of the Eucharist by disregarding the rule.
 
That is the same year I had my First Confession… :eek: (now i am feeling old LOL)
Corki said:
It’s in the 1983 canon law. But not all pastors were diligent about applying it. Redemptionis Sacramentum even mentioned it as an area where some priest had fallen into an abuse of the Eucharist by disregarding the rule.
Click to expand...
 
My youngest daughter made her first confession and first Holy Communion at 6. We sort of cheated, she’s home schooled, and we have a retired priest that administers the sacraments to home-schooled children here.
 
joanofarc2008 said:
I would definetly recommend talking to your DRE and your pastor as they will definetly have spent more time with your child then any of us - hopefully :p. Also take a look at this examination conscience for children I have posted below - if you honestly think your child can look at it and understand it then chances are your child is ready with some catechesis/faith formation. If not then maybe your child does need that extra year of growth to reach the Age of Reason so that your child will be able to determine on their own if he/she is in a state of sin before receiving the Eucharist.

Examination of Conscience for Children
Click to expand...
Thank you for this.
 
MissRose73 said:
I would discuss things with your priest regarding your child’s needs and education. I am sure he can direct you regarding preparation for 1st Confession. I remember years ago that our class was 4th graders but I’ve read that many places are making it happening before 1st Communions.
Click to expand...
because it is absolutely required that children be prepared for and receive first confession before first communion

yes parents can prepare their own children, in fact they should be, the parish is here to help with formal RE but it is the parent’s duty. The parish program helps you do that and gives you the resources.

this is a good place to recommend to OP and other parents the series of pamphlets called Catholic Parent know How from our Sunday Visitor
they cover sacraments and Mass but also many other topics–scripture, Lent and Advent, morality, church history and so forth I think it is osv.com
here is one example
osv.com/OSV4MeNav/TeachingCatholicKids/CatholicParentKnowHowConfession/tabid/7042/Default.aspx
but explore the entire teachingcatholickids section
 
My sister’s 2 kids were received into the church through a youth version of RCIA a few years ago (they are now 12 and nearly 10). I don’t recall them having to make a 1st Confession before receiving all 3 initiation sacraments at Easter Vigil.

My mother did get some books from her church’s religious education director to prepare the children to make First Confessions due to my sister’s kids spending time with divorced parents in 2 different homes, the mother is a lapsed Catholic & the other I am unsure of his religion which makes it hard to go to organized classes. They did their First Confessions some time after being received into the church from what my mother tells me. My mother has received permission from the kids’ parents & the parish religious education director to teach them at her home.
 
MissRose73 said:
My sister’s 2 kids were received into the church through a youth version of RCIA a few years ago (they are now 12 and nearly 10). I don’t recall them having to make a 1st Confession before receiving all 3 initiation sacraments at Easter Vigil.
Click to expand...
They wouldn’t have: no confession is necessary before Baptism since Baptism washes away all sins.
 
MissRose73 said:
My sister’s 2 kids were received into the church through a youth version of RCIA a few years ago (they are now 12 and nearly 10). I don’t recall them having to make a 1st Confession before receiving all 3 initiation sacraments at Easter Vigil.

.
Click to expand...
no they would not need to confess since baptism remits all sins. The newly baptized are expected to continue attending RCIA after EAster for the most important period of mystagogy, during which time they are prepared for confession.

the wonderful news is that members of the family have taken on the responsibility of continuing religious education for these children. congratulations for making sure this happens.

OP’s situation is somewhat different in that she wants to make sure a baptized child is properly prepared for confession and communion.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top