Raising a child in the Catholic Faith

[Thomas31]

I am married and have a 3 year old son. My son and I attend Mass every Sunday but my wife does not come because she considers herself protestant. I was baptized Catholic and attended the protestant church for many years but for the last couple years now I have been attending the catholic church and wish to raise my son in this faith. My question is, since I am sort of in the dark about some things, how does my son go about confirmation and first communion and what age does all that start at? He isnt baptized yet either. when he was born we were still at the protestant church, where they didnt baptize babies. Thanks for your help.

 

[FCEGM]

I am married and have a 3 year old son. My son and I attend Mass every Sunday but my wife does not come because she considers herself protestant. I was baptized Catholic and attended the protestant church for many years but for the last couple years now I have been attending the catholic church and wish to raise my son in this faith. My question is, since I am sort of in the dark about some things, how does my son go about confirmation and first communion and what age does all that start at? He isnt baptized yet either. when he was born we were still at the protestant church, where they didnt baptize babies. Thanks for your help.

Welcome to CAF, Thomas.

First grade is when children usually begin their preparation for First Holy Communion in the second grade. Of course he will have to be baptized; I hope you will find your wife agreeable to this and that your son’s formation as a Catholic will give her a good reason to look seriously at Catholicism for herself. Once he has made his First Holy Communion, please do not stop his attendance at faith formation classes (as too many parents do!).

Confirmation also usually takes two years of preparation and is conferred in the early teen years.

 

[Thomas31]

thanks! how old does he need to be to start faith formation classes?

 

[FCEGM]

thanks! how old does he need to be to start faith formation classes?

Thomas, children who begin in the first grade with catechetical instruction are usually 6 or 7 years old.

 

[1ke]

Make an appointment to talk to your priest. He will guide you regarding confession (if you haven’t been to confession since your return to the church), your marriage (if you did not marry according to Catholic requirements), your child’s baptism and religious education. He can also recommend reading materials to help you in catechesis.

 

[Sherry_G]

Bravo! Thomas for the awakening you’ve had concerning your child’s spiritual welfare. Please do make an appt. with your parish priest and set the wheels in motion for a full communion with the Church for yourself, your marriage and your son, including Baptism. You did not say that you had been married in the Catholic Church, so I assume you were not. If you had been your wife would be aware of the need to raise your child as a Catholic.

Don’t give up on your faith, especially now that your child’s spiritual direction is in your hands. Reconciliation with God and with Holy Mother Church will be a huge blessing to your marriage and your family.

 

[St_Francis]

Here are some books which helped me when I returned to the Church:

Home Sweet Rome by Scott And Kimberly Hahn (which I think will be very helpful esp to as it describes the theological differences between Protestantism and Catholicism as he discovers them which led to his conversion. It was an easy enjoyable reas from which I learned a great deal; I returned to the Church upon reading it.)

The Baltimore Catechisms-- the First Communion level for my young children, the higher level for me. I didn’t like the New American one much, altho I have liked others of lovasik’s books.

I eventually also got Radio Replies, which can now be found online.

And of course, writings of the saints, St Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life, St Alphonsus di Ligouri.

I am now reading Fr Jacques Phillipe, something like Searching for and Maintaining Inner Peace, which is a very small book which is extremely helpful.

And of course the Bible–if you don’t have a Catholic version, you should get one because the Protestant ones often leave out what they call the Apocrypha and we call the Deuterocanonicals… but there are differences in translation, just by shades of meaning, which are not good.

Welcome back!