First communion attire protocol

[catholicmamajoy]

Its local custom, thank goodness. We live in a very poor area, and if we required the little boys to wear suits, there would be no First Communion! We don’t even have anyplace within the county that sells suits and the nearest place is 1-1/2 hours drive away over a mountain. Many of our families don’t even have cars!

Generally, the girls wear white if they have a white dress. If not, the First Communion teacher tries to scrounge one up and keeps a lending library of dresses. Veils are optional - again, depends on the family’s being able to find/afford one.

The boys are asked to wear dark pants and a white shirt. Generally, they wear their one pair of shoes (tennis/running sports shoes are most common), a white shirt and a tie (back to the lending library if necessary).

That’s it. I’ve seen boys in hand-me-down, ill fitting suits from many generations ago as well as boys in dark jeans. I’ve seen girls in light pastels that were merely sundresses.

How wonderful your parish community comes together to have things available for those who cannot afford them!

I recall reading a couple accounts regarding St Maria Goretti making her First Communion in a burgundy dress with shoes, veil, and other accessories donated from kind neighbors because of her family’s lack of financial resources to get her a new outfit.

 

[crazzeto]

There is no direction from church law, but I guess what it comes down to is how would you like to present your child for their first reception of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords.

 

[babochka]

Does the priest have the proper authority to define those rules? The OP was simply curious about whether this was his personal idea (we’ve unfortunately seen plenty of our shepherds introducing their own novelties when they shouldn’t…) or whether this is an affirmed Catholic (read universal) practice of the Church Obviously if the priest asked all kids to wear a black suit, yours can’t show up in a white suit I guess he is simply trying to understand. And this is to some degree the benefit that Christ gives us:

My guess is that it isn’t the priest at all, but a well meaning DRE who has come up with the dress code, and the priest has assented. I would imagine the goal is to make sure that everyone looks “nice”. I don’t think it is enforceable, at any rate. But, if the pastor has asked it and it is within one’s means, it is a small thing.

 

[babochka]

Its local custom, thank goodness. We live in a very poor area, and if we required the little boys to wear suits, there would be no First Communion! We don’t even have anyplace within the county that sells suits and the nearest place is 1-1/2 hours drive away over a mountain. Many of our families don’t even have cars!

Generally, the girls wear white if they have a white dress. If not, the First Communion teacher tries to scrounge one up and keeps a lending library of dresses. Veils are optional - again, depends on the family’s being able to find/afford one.

The boys are asked to wear dark pants and a white shirt. Generally, they wear their one pair of shoes (tennis/running sports shoes are most common), a white shirt and a tie (back to the lending library if necessary).

That’s it. I’ve seen boys in hand-me-down, ill fitting suits from many generations ago as well as boys in dark jeans. I’ve seen girls in light pastels that were merely sundresses.

Modoc county?

 

[Jessie5000]

I do not remember St John The Baptist requiring a special attire. The whole topic is sort of silly as first communion is a spiritual sacramental event. God cares more about the child’s heart than he cares about what they wear.

On judgement day the Lord shall not ask what we wore but will ask questions such as, "When I was in prison, did you visit me?

It is not the outside that matters, it is the inner life that matters…Let the kids wear what they wish.

 

[SMHW]

I just happened to have borrowed a photo album from my father to scan some old photos and saw the First Communion photos for my brothers. The boys had to wear white shirts and white ties but the suits (and the boys were wearing suits) didn’t seem to be a standard color.

In my parish today the boys wear dark colored pants and white shirt with no jacket. I don’t remember what (if any) tie color is required.

My brothers and I grew up in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (in the 1960s back when it was probably the most conservative diocese in the United States) and I still live in the Archdiocese. Dress codes are usual but suits for boys are not usual anymore.

.

 

[lizaanne]

I agree with the need to set guidelines. Some folks don’t understand what is appropriate and not appropriate and need to be told. I do not think the request is outlandish, but it would have been nice if they had included white suits for boys for those families that might have a family tradition of boys dressing that way for the sacrament.

It’s worth a brief discussion with whoever decided this is the dress code - you never know, they may be perfectly ok with white suits, but never even thought to include them because it was not on their personal radar. Don’t assume the worst of someone – it may very well have been way of controling the jeans and old polo shirts from showing up, and not an intent to avoid white suits.

~Liza

 

[Martin15]

The tradition in the UK is dark trousers, white shirt (basically school uniform) but with a red tie and/or sash (note a lack of jacket - so not a suit). For the girls it is a white dress and again they can wear a red sash if they wish.

No idea where the colour red came from as a tradition.

All the best

Martin

 

[Julianna]

There are no rules. It’s all up to local custom. Girls traditionally wear white for every church occasion until marriage after which they wear black. I don’t even see the symbolism of boys wearing white only for first communion. It’s certainly not a universal custom.

I have never heard of that…interesting.

 

[Philomeena]

When I made my First Holy Communion, all of the children had to wear white robes over their clothes. The same when we made our confirmation.
The priest was concerned about economic disparity in the parish, and didn’t want the poorer students to stand out.

Now this makes sense…beautiful. When I read the original post I was less concerned over black versus white suits (I cannot even relate) and more concerned that the church was asking parents to buy certain clothing in order for their child to receive a sacrament. Bravo to this priest.

 

[Philomeena]

Dress code should be Sunday best…end of story

 

[3DOCTORS]

Not to derail the thread, but the times I’ve gone to Latin Mass I have worn a mantilla - I have one black one and I thought I also had a white one but I was mistaken. I do have a white shawl though that would suffice.

Anyway, what I did in my ignorance was match my headcovering to my attire. Sort of the “no white purse or white shoes after Labor Day” idea. Plus just being “matchy-matchy.”

So in winter, wearing a dark dress and black stockings and shoes, I went with the black mantilla, only to find out that an unmarried gal was expected to wear white! I can only hope that a nice single Catholic man my age didn’t see me and go “Oh, darn! She’s taken already!” LOL

 

[babochka]

more concerned that the church was asking parents to buy certain clothing in order for their child to receive a sacrament. Bravo to this priest.

Agreed. It is easy to forget when we have the means to purchase new clothing for our children that many families do not.

 

[MissRose73]

My sister and I each wore the same short sleeved white dress for our First Communion and I am the older sister. We also wore white shoes and white tights. Also, we wore a white veil that our mother wore for her First Communion also.

I think it is a good idea to have kids wear white robes over their clothes especially in areas where people may not be able to afford a new outfit for their child’s special day. That way no child stands out compared to others.

When my sister’s kids received all 3 sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil, they had tan robes with a bathing suit, tee shirt and shorts underneath it as baptism was by immersion. The kids changed to into their dress clothes for Confirmation then later their First Eucharist: my nephew was in a blue dress shirt and black dress pants, my niece in a white short sleeved dress with flower decorations with a flower wreath with a few ribbons flowing from it.

As long as the clothes are modest and appropriate, and parents are not trying to have their kids looking like a fashion show, I would say boys in some type of dress shirt and pants (or khaki pants) and girls in a short or long sleeved white dress that reaches the knees or below with some type of veil or flower wreath in their hair should be good enough.

 

[Phemie]

Dress code should be Sunday best…end of story

AMEN!

That’s all that we were asked 25 years ago when my children were making their First Communion. That’s all we asked our first communicants over the last 15 years: clean & modest. If a family went for a suit or a white dress and veil, all well and good. If they went for the best clean jeans and clean shirt and tie, good. We always felt it was more important that the children be focused on the sacrament and not on the new clothes.