Advice needed for teaching Catechism for First Confession, Communion and Confirmation

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Should I prepare children for Sacraments knowing that their parents do not go to Confession and rarely attend Sunday Mass, receiving the Holy Eucharist when they do.
 
Hm, the children don’t have that offense against them.
I say teach them about the Sacraments.

Maybe if they talk about it with their parents (“I learned you have to go to Mass every week!” “I learned you have to go to Confession for a mortal sin like skipping mass when you take the Eucharist!”), and maybe they might turn around who knows
 
Definitely not - but if the children are ambivalent about receiving Sacraments, not really interested in doing their Catechism homework and hardly ever attend Mass with their parents, perhaps I could arrange for Catechism class to incorporate attending a weekday evening Mass and try to engage the children that way?
 
I think it’s good to be realistic with these youngsters and try to meet them where they’re at. I think taking them to an evening mass would be a good idea.
 
marymoreau said:
Should I prepare children for Sacraments knowing that their parents do not go to Confession and rarely attend Sunday Mass, receiving the Holy Eucharist when they do.
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How do you know so much about the parents? The apparent fact that parents don’t attend mass with their children- well, that almost a throwback situation. I, as well as most of the children in my old neighborhood, were raised “free range”, particularly as we moved through school. I remember the priest ordering the school age children out of the main church during mass and into the basement chapel where another priest was saying mass for the young’uns.
 
Since children don’t drive I would say you as a layperson cannot impose a separate obligation on them, particular with a contingency to the classes. Teach them the very best you can, teach them to love the Lord. As DRE, I would say that most children go home and catechize their parents around the dinner table. IN this way their bring their parents BACK to the church.
Your job is with the kids.
 
I echo Tulitas’ sentiment.

I assist with CCD for second graders, meaning that we instruct them on making their First Reconciliation and First Communion. Not all of these kids’ parents go to church every week; it’s also not uncommon that a majority of them will stop attending CCD after this year (as evidenced by the number of kids we have enrolled in the 6th and 7th grades). But you should definitely catechize them properly, as best you can…And of course pray that they stay close to God always. 🙂
 
That probably isn’t the case for kids these days. I’m almost 30 and my generation wasn’t free range either. It’s far more likely that these families aren’t regular attenders.
 
I would simply teach to the positive of Confession…how God can take care of us, clean us up, strengthen us to do better, to grow stronger.

And then teach them the AWE of the Mass…create a certain attraction to it…it’s bigger than life!

If the children sense your love of the Mass and your love of Confession, you will have done God a great favor!

God bless your work. And thank you for it.
 
Have you read “Forming Intentional Disciples”? It goes along with the Convocation of Catholic Leaders document “Living As Missionary Disciples”. http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/get-involved/meetings-and-events/convocation-2017/index.cfm

As a catechist for the sacraments, you are in a unique position to build bridges of trust with these parents. Instead of making them feel like “bad Catholics”, invite them to drink coffee and watch a FORMED video during class time. Run a session of Catholic Alpha. Be light and welcome them!
 
SHARE GOD’S TRUTHS in its FULLNESS and let the Holy Spirit take it from there.

I taught all of those years ago.

May GOD guide your path

Have a grace filled Christmas

Patrick
 
I am a 4th grade catechist and I just always try to make the class a fun place that the kids want to be, while also teaching the truth in age appropriate ways. If I a child mentions how they don’t go to Sunday Mass much because of this or that, I always use it as an opportunity to tell the class how great it is that our church has a vigil Mass. I’ve also sent home a “The Lord’s Day” worksheet for homework that covers that topic, and I know you can find those for reconciliation as well. My classes respond well to incentives, they get a prize at the end of the year if they turn in all of their homework. There are a few kids that don’t care but most of them do turn it in. I think that in whatever approach you take with regards to the sacraments, it’s important to never make a child or parent feel admonished. We want the kids to be thirsty for knowledge and excited to be there, and the parents to want to bring them 🙂
 
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