Age for first confession- Need answer quick!

[kellicouch77]

My 10 year old daughter has had first communion, however I don’t believe that she has had the sacrament of penance with her CCE class (what kind of mom doesn’t have that answer, I don’t know). She takes communion every Sunday at mass, as do I. I go to confession about every three weeks, and I am wondering if I should be taking her with me, or not. I don’t want to be responsible for her committing a sin by taking communion without going to confession first.

She was baptized and took first communion this past Easter.

Any help on this would be most appreciated.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[lak611]

My 10 year old daughter has had first communion, however I don’t believe that she has had the sacrament of penance with her CCE class (what kind of mom doesn’t have that answer, I don’t know). She takes communion every Sunday at mass, as do I. I go to confession about every three weeks, and I am wondering if I should be taking her with me, or not. I don’t want to be responsible for her committing a sin by taking communion without going to confession first.

She was baptized and took first communion this past Easter.

Any help on this would be most appreciated.

Thanks a bunch.

Was your daughter baptised as an infant or was she baptised at the Easter Vigil Mass? If she was baptised as an infant, she should have gone to confession before her first Communion. If she is a convert to the Catholic Church, she would have been baptised and received Communion and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. She would not have needed confession before Easter Vigil because baptism would have forgiven any sins she comitted up to that point. If she is a convert, she needs to confess now at least once a year; or if she has committed any mortal sins, she must confess before receiving Communion. If you are going to confession, it would be nice to take her too.

 

[kellicouch77]

She was baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Perhaps I had misunderstood the director of education programs… I thought that she had told me the children receive sacrament of reconcilliation with their class, and my daughter would do that next year… Oh well, I guess she will start going to confession.

Your help is appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[lak611]

She was baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Perhaps I had misunderstood the director of education programs… I thought that she had told me the children receive sacrament of reconcilliation with their class, and my daughter would do that next year… Oh well, I guess she will start going to confession.

Your help is appreciated. Thanks again.

You’re welcome. Your daughter’s requirements for confession are the same as yours now that she is a Catholic. She does not have to go every three weeks, but a habit of regular confession is great, even if one has no mortal sins. I love going to confession. It is a great Sacrament that provides wonderful graces.

 

[dylanschrader]

First Confession is before first Holy Communion in the case of those baptized as children.

From Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[87.] The First Communion of children must always be preceded by sacramental confession and absolution. Moreover First Communion should always be administered by a Priest and never outside the celebration of Mass. Apart from exceptional cases, it is not particularly appropriate for First Communion to be administered on Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. Another day should be chosen instead, such as a Sunday between the Second and the Sixth Sunday of Easter, or the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or the Sundays of Ordinary Time, since Sunday is rightly regarded as the day of the Eucharist. “Children who have not attained the age of reason, or those whom” the Parish Priest “has determined to be insufficiently prepared” should not come forward to receive the Holy Eucharist. Where it happens, however, that a child who is exceptionally mature for his age is judged to be ready for receiving the Sacrament, the child must not be denied First Communion provided he has received sufficient instruction.

From The Code of Canon Law:

Can. 914 It is primarily the duty of parents and those who take the place of parents, as well as the duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly and, after they have made sacramental confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as possible. It is for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who have not attained the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed do not approach holy communion.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My 10 year old daughter has had first communion, however I don’t believe that she has had the sacrament of penance with her CCE class (what kind of mom doesn’t have that answer, I don’t know). She takes communion every Sunday at mass, as do I. I go to confession about every three weeks, and I am wondering if I should be taking her with me, or not. I don’t want to be responsible for her committing a sin by taking communion without going to confession first.

She was baptized and took first communion this past Easter.

Any help on this would be most appreciated.

Thanks a bunch.

First Reconciliation MUST be received BEFORE first Holy Communion. for those Baptized as infants. About the age of seven is usual. The RCIA team should have taught her how to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But a little refresher from you won’t hurt. Yes, take her to Confession next time you go.

 

[lak611]

First Reconciliation MUST be received BEFORE first Holy Communion. About the age of seven is usual.

Her daughter is a convert. She was baptized at the Easter Vigil earlier this year, so she would not have received confession before Communion.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

She was baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Perhaps I had misunderstood the director of education programs… I thought that she had told me the children receive sacrament of reconcilliation with their class, and my daughter would do that next year… Oh well, I guess she will start going to confession.

Your help is appreciated. Thanks again.

If she is receiving Holy Communion she must have access to Reconciliation if she feels the need.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Her daughter is a convert. She was baptized at the Easter Vigil earlier this year, so she would not have received confession before Communion.

That was not stated in the original first post. See my updated answer.

 

[lak611]

That was not stated in the original first post. See my updated answer.

I did see your updated answer. I was confused by the original post at first, so I asked the original poster for more information.

 

[bknebel]

given this case, make sure she knows how to make a good confession, and maybe arrange to talk to the priest ahead of time so he knows she’s coming and can help her.

Confession is a great cleansing process… I recommend it for all Catholics! (of course i do, but thats my solicitation for the sacrament!)

 

[puzzleannie]

My 10 year old daughter has had first communion, however I don’t believe that she has had the sacrament of penance with her CCE class (what kind of mom doesn’t have that answer, I don’t know). She takes communion every Sunday at mass, as do I. I go to confession about every three weeks, and I am wondering if I should be taking her with me, or not. I don’t want to be responsible for her committing a sin by taking communion without going to confession first.

She was baptized and took first communion this past Easter.

Any help on this would be most appreciated.

Thanks a bunch.

you answered the question in the last two lines of your post. She does not make her first confession before baptism because baptism removes all sin, both original sin and actual sin. She will probably be prepared for first confession a few weeks after Easter, in the period called mystagogy. If you stop taking her to classes because she has already made first communion, you will be depriving her of an essential part of her faith formation. You are expected, as parents of a baptized Catholic child, to see to her formal religious education throughout her school years.

If she was baptized at Easter she also should have been confirmed at the same time. Look at the certificates they gave you to see if this is recorded. If not, call the director and ask. Also ask what kind of preparation for first confession they offer, and when. If she missed it already, you can prepare her yourself at home, and taker her with you the next time you go. You should also probably take parent-candidate classes for Confession the next time they are offered in your parish, since it sounds like they have left some gaps in what they should have presented to your daughter’s class.

as a practical matter, it always happens in this parish that parents pull their children out of class 5 minutes after they receive their sacraments, no matter how strenuously we urge them to continue. We include formal preparation for confession for RCIA candidates during Lent, we do it again after Easter and have a penance service for the newly baptized, and again in the Fall, and hope we have reached everyone. If the parents stop bringing them, we know we probably have a group of children out there who are receiving communion and never making confession.

 

[kellicouch77]

My children continued CCE until the end of that term, which was the first week of May. They start again in the fall. I will keep them in the classes until they finish school, and go off to college.

She was baptized and confirmed on Easter. I talked to her today about confession, and I think we may make an appointment to go over and talk to our parish priest. She might need a refresher course- most of us could always use a little guidance.

Thanks agian,
Kelli

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

My children continued CCE until the end of that term, which was the first week of May. They start again in the fall. I will keep them in the classes until they finish school, and go off to college.

She was baptized and confirmed on Easter. I talked to her today about confession, and I think we may make an appointment to go over and talk to our parish priest. She might need a refresher course- most of us could always use a little guidance.

Thanks agian,
Kelli

The other thing to remember is that, unless you live next door to a church, she’s hardly going to get herself to Confession at ten years of age.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My children continued CCE until the end of that term, which was the first week of May. They start again in the fall. I will keep them in the classes until they finish school, and go off to college.

She was baptized and confirmed on Easter. I talked to her today about confession, and I think we may make an appointment to go over and talk to our parish priest. She might need a refresher course- most of us could always use a little guidance.

Thanks agian,
Kelli

Remember that the first teachers of the Faith are the parents! You can teach her yourself and take her with you next time.