Holy Communion Procession

[McGilvra]

I received communion on the altar this weekend because it was my first. Before everyone else started processing forward for communion, we were told to go back to our pews. When my pew started to process, I was following along and planned (like I do at other masses when I am not going up to receive communion) to step out of the pew to allow those behind me to go forward, and then slip back into the pew.

One of the RCIA leaders castigated me, telling me several times to sit down, because it wasn’t my turn to go. I tried to tell her what I was going to do, and she said that I would be blocking people and that I wasn’t following “the rules.”

Naturally, this was REALLY upsetting because she was very abrupt about it and I had just taken my first communion and was in the middle of a spiritual experience. But besides that, I don’t understand what I was supposed to do? Any ideas?

 

[jmcrae]

I received communion on the altar this weekend because it was my first. Before everyone else started processing forward for communion, we were told to go back to our pews. When my pew started to process, I was following along and planned (like I do at other masses when I am not going up to receive communion) to step out of the pew to allow those behind me to go forward, and then slip back into the pew.

Why were there people in your pew who were not First Communicants?

One of the RCIA leaders castigated me, telling me several times to sit down, because it wasn’t my turn to go. I tried to tell her what I was going to do, and she said that I would be blocking people and that I wasn’t following “the rules.”

Maybe she assumed you were going to go forward for Holy Communion again.

Naturally, this was REALLY upsetting because she was very abrupt about it and I had just taken my first communion and was in the middle of a spiritual experience. But besides that, I don’t understand what I was supposed to do? Any ideas?

She probably wanted you to stay sat down and just move your knees to let them past, so that you could say your post-Communion prayers.

Just let it roll off. She misunderstood, and you misunderstood, and for some unknown reason there were extra people in your pew who were not part of the RCIA group, who were trying to get past you.

Don’t let it continue to upset you; no harm was meant.

 

[McGilvra]

She is an RCIA leader, who was interspersed with us.
It’s terrible to assume that I’m so ignorant that I would go up again, especially since I told her.

 

[jmcrae]

She is an RCIA leader, who was interspersed with us.

Well, it’s over now - don’t let it bother you any more. It’s probably her first year as RCIA leader, and she didn’t know not to sit in the same pew with the First Communicants, or at least, not in such a way as to have to climb over people.

Next year, that’s going to be you, so do try to forgive and be kind, just as you will want your own students to do for you, when it’s your turn to lead the RCIA.

 

[DJgang]

Yeah, I can see where that might upset you.

Did you all not sit together? We sat just us and our sponsors, so come time for our communion, we all went together, therefore we didn’t have to get up again, we just kneeled the whole time that the rest of the parish received.

Anyway, don’t let it bother you. If you are like me, I can’t stand for someone to assume that I’m stupid or ignorant of what’s going on.

When we were being confirmed, I got confused at one point because no one was stepping forward, so I went. Then my RCIA instructor, goes, no, no, her turn…well it really wasn’t that big of a deal because we all just circled back around … well, you would have just had to have been there…either way, it was no big deal, and my instructor jumped up and pulled me back…kind of irked me and later I asked my sponsor what difference it would have made? It’s not like the Priest was reading something in order, he was reading our name tags… oh well…

Maybe next year, your instructor will put all the candiates together, so there is no getting up and down, so that the group can actually kneel and thank to Lord.

 

[Kayleigh]

At our Easter Vigil, there were 3 of us from RCIA who were celebrating sacraments.
The two other gals were receiving holy communion for the first time, though I have been receiving holy communion for the past 18 years and was just being confirmed on Saturday.

The 3 of us were to go up before anyone else.

This is how we were set up.

Amber (and sponsor) and family were in row 1.
My sponsor and I, along with my family were in row 2.
Marie (and sponsor) and family were in row 3.

Father requested that Amber, Marie, and myself receive communion prior to the remainder of the parish because it would be Amber and Marie’s first time.

So the three of us went up together, and when we returned to our pews, the three of us waited at the end until our rows had come behind us… 1st row, and then I would fall in followed by my family, and then Marie entered her row followed by her family… And then the remainder of the parish continued on as the norm…