I have an urgent CCD question

[lizferg]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this thread. I just put in a message for my parish to call me back, but wanted to ask here. My family is fairly new to the Church, husband and I are in RCIA and my kids are in CCD. My 8 year old/3rd grader is in the 2nd grade class this year because he has not been baptised yet and taken communion. Tonight is first reconciliation for his class. I don’t know if I should take him since he has not been baptised and our family are not members of the Church yet. I feel as if I’m throwing him in headfirst and we are staying behind. We have a lot to learn about the faith still. I still have fears and doubts. We were raised protestant so there is a lot to process.
If I don’t take him, I don’t know if they’ll let him finish the year of CCD/first communion. We plan on having him baptised soon, he wants to be.
Any advice?
Liz

 

[Corki]

Sounds like a misunderstanding with the 2nd grade teacher or the DRE. If you son has not been baptized at all (not even in a Protestant church) he cannot receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In fact, when he IS baptized, he won’t need first Reconciliation before first Communion either since he will have all sin washed away with his baptism (asssuming there is not a time delay between the two).

Many parishes have RCIC for kids but smaller parishes, like my own, don’t have the resources for a separate program and try to do double-duty with the regular CCE classes.

Just give the DRE a call, or even better, the pastor. That should clear things up.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this thread. I just put in a message for my parish to call me back, but wanted to ask here. My family is fairly new to the Church, husband and I are in RCIA and my kids are in CCD. My 8 year old/3rd grader is in the 2nd grade class this year because he has not been baptised yet and taken communion. Tonight is first reconciliation for his class. I don’t know if I should take him since he has not been baptised

I would take him and simply inform the Priest he has not “made communion”. often the Priest will run him through the process but no absolution. This why he learns the process

and our family are not members of the Church yet. I feel as if I’m throwing him in headfirst and we are staying behind. We have a lot to learn about the faith still. I still have fears and doubts. We were raised protestant so there is a lot to process.
If I don’t take him, I don’t know if they’ll let him finish the year of CCD/first communion. We plan on having him baptised soon, he wants to be.
Any advice?
Liz

Well you have couple of issues:

1. I think he is too old to make communion without confirmation, though the Priest may go the opposite direction.
2. The requirement for communion/confirmation is he was taught. So he needs to be in classes until the Priest decides he has had enough
3. Reconcilation like other things needs to taught to him

 

[JulianN]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this thread. I just put in a message for my parish to call me back, but wanted to ask here. My family is fairly new to the Church, husband and I are in RCIA and my kids are in CCD. My 8 year old/3rd grader is in the 2nd grade class this year because he has not been baptised yet and taken communion. Tonight is first reconciliation for his class. I don’t know if I should take him since he has not been baptised and our family are not members of the Church yet. I feel as if I’m throwing him in headfirst and we are staying behind. We have a lot to learn about the faith still. I still have fears and doubts. We were raised protestant so there is a lot to process.
If I don’t take him, I don’t know if they’ll let him finish the year of CCD/first communion. We plan on having him baptised soon, he wants to be.
Any advice?
Liz

I would make sure the DRE knows that your son is unbaptized; since he is past the age of 7, he should be in a catechumenate program. Usually, a parish will have a version of RCIA that is age-appropriate. Your son should not be participating in Reconciliation – his sins will be forgiven when he is baptized.

At that time, he should also be confirmed and receive first Communion. It is particularly meaningful when the entire family can do this during the Easter Vigil.

When I was a DRE, I also encouraged children in the catechumenate to continue with their religious educaiton classes – it gave them a sense of belonging to the community and added to the formation experience.

God bless you on your faith journey!

 

[Lee_M]

I would make sure the DRE knows that your son is unbaptized; since he is past the age of 7, he should be in a catechumenate program. Usually, a parish will have a version of RCIA that is age-appropriate. Your son should not be participating in Reconciliation – his sins will be forgiven when he is baptized.

At that time, he should also be confirmed and receive first Communion. It is particularly meaningful when the entire family can do this during the Easter Vigil.

When I was a DRE, I also encouraged children in the catechumenate to continue with their religious educaiton classes – it gave them a sense of belonging to the community and added to the formation experience.

God bless you on your faith journey!

I believe the age is 9 years old to be in the catechumenate program. I believe he can be baptized and then have first communion with the other children.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this thread. I just put in a message for my parish to call me back, but wanted to ask here. My family is fairly new to the Church, husband and I are in RCIA and my kids are in CCD. My 8 year old/3rd grader is in the 2nd grade class this year because he has not been baptised yet and taken communion. Tonight is first reconciliation for his class. I don’t know if I should take him since he has not been baptised and our family are not members of the Church yet. I feel as if I’m throwing him in headfirst and we are staying behind. We have a lot to learn about the faith still. I still have fears and doubts. We were raised protestant so there is a lot to process.
If I don’t take him, I don’t know if they’ll let him finish the year of CCD/first communion. We plan on having him baptised soon, he wants to be.
Any advice?
Liz

He should be in RCIA for children, and would be Baptized at the Easter vigil. No need for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Sounds like a misunderstanding with the 2nd grade teacher or the DRE. If you son has not been baptized at all (not even in a Protestant church) he cannot receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In fact, when he IS baptized, he won’t need first Reconciliation before first Communion either since he will have all sin washed away with his baptism (asssuming there is not a time delay between the two).

Many parishes have RCIC for kids but smaller parishes, like my own, don’t have the resources for a separate program and try to do double-duty with the regular CCE classes.

Just give the DRE a call, or even better, the pastor. That should clear things up.

Using the CCE classes for the Catechesis is OK if not enough resources are available. However he must participate in the appropriate Rites of RCIA, Acceptance, Sending, Election, Initiarion.

 

[lizferg]

Thanks for all of your replies. My parish called me back and said he could come to feel a part of his class and just receive a blessing, so we went, but my son was so scared and shy, we ended up just sitting and watching everyone. I was afraid of forcing him into anything. He cried a little afterwards because he felt bad that he wouldn’t participate. He’s anxious to be baptised soon though. Pray for us! It’s a big change from the
type of church we came from.
Of the 3 parishes that we had to choose from, none of them offered a seperate RCIA for children. Only CCD.
Liz

 

[IrishAm]

I would take him and simply inform the Priest he has not “made communion”.

I just wanted to clarify, in case there was some confusion from this post, that **none **of these children would typically have “made communion” – Reconciliation should take place before First Communion. (And, yes, I realize there are parishes out there that still are not obedient to this . . . and I apologize for opening this can of worms AGAIN )

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Originally Posted by **Texas Roofer **
I would take him and simply inform the Priest he is -]has/-] not “-]made/-] making communion”.

I just wanted to clarify, in case there was some confusion from this post, that **none **of these children would typically have “made communion” – Reconciliation should take place before First Communion. (And, yes, I realize there are parishes out there that still are not obedient to this . . . and I apologize for opening this can of worms AGAIN )

Sorry to have left confusion, however I still highly recommend he attend. And to explain a little deeper this occurs every year in RCIA. Some adults will be baptized and can skip reconciliation which is a big mistake because they fear “confession” later. It is better to run them through the process and have the priest know this one does not get absolved during this visit.