First Communion and Two Families

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mr610137

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Good Afternoon Everyone,

I am in need of direction on how to approach my situation. My two children ages 8 and soon-to-be 11 year old live with their father full-time in Sealy, TX, while I live in San Antonio, TX. My ex-husband is a non-practicing Catholic and hasn’t been supportive with the idea of our children attending workshops for their first communion. I cannot take them since they are only with me 2 weekends out of the month. In addition, my son who will be 11, is Non-Verbal Autistic who doesn’t comprehend much. I have spoken to staff members who work at the office for a church in Sealy, but was told that he needs to be able to understand in order to receive. I don’t want my son to lose the opportunity just because of his condition. How can I approach this situation? Thank you!
 
Is the situation that he has autism and potentially unable to receive communion or that he’s unable to attend the workshops?
 
How much does your 11-year-old comprehend? Is he able to understand that this is something special, and not treat the host disrespectfully? For example, will he be able to receive it without removing it from his mouth?
 
mr610137 said:
but was told that he needs to be able to understand in order to receive.
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This is true on one level, in that Canon Law in the Latin Church does require that children be able to understand in order to receive. However, the threshold for “understanding” is very, very low, since the Church doesn’t want to make it difficult to receive the Sacraments. In this case, as long as the child can demonstrate an awareness that the Eucharist isn’t ordinary food, they may be admitted to the Sacrament. Obviously, understanding isn’t absolutely necessary for the efficacy of the sacrament, or the Eastern Churches wouldn’t commune infants as a common practice. And obviously a high degree of intellectual understanding isn’t necessary, or else virtually no one would be able to receive. I know children below the “age of reason” who have a better understanding that the Eucharist is Jesus than many adults in the pews.

@acanonlawyer can weigh in with more.

-Fr ACEGC
 
Contact your Diocese office of Religious Education.

The National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities has information about your child and reception of the Sacraments. There are ways to prepare a non verbal Autistic person for the Sacraments, your parish volunteers may have not been made aware. The Diocese will assist.

https://ncpd.org/disability-ministry/autism-spectrum-disorder
 
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