Receiving first eucharist before first penance

[Mrs_Sally]

Unfortunetly this was how it was done when I was a kid…so I had my first communion when I was 7 or so…but then left the church when my mom did…so my first confession was when I was 40…

THAT’s the problem with the order being messed up!

But truly, if you left the church as a young child, how many times would you have been to confession since that first one at 7? So your second confession would have been after 30+ years and would still have had to cover all those adult-level sins.

It is incorrect of this diocese to officially reverse the order, but each informed parent can ensure that their child gets to confession. Since first reconcilliation is not recorded anywhere, the parish can certainly not object. And depending on the age of the children receiving First Holy Communion, some of them may just barely have reached the official age of reason.

I don’t at all agree with a parish or diocese taking it upon themselves to make their own rules. But I do agree with the traditional order of the sacraments with all of the sacraments of initiation given together.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

But truly, if you left the church as a young child, how many times would you have been to confession since that first one at 7? So your second confession would have been after 30+ years and would still have had to cover all those adult-level sins.

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Well–actually I officially left the church when I was 18. My mom left the church when I was in the 5th grade. I was then in a foster home in protective custody from her. When I was a sophmore I went to live with my dad and went to church with him. No one told me anything about reconciliation OR confirmation.

So my first confession had A LOT to cover. And now I have to get confirmed as well.

I just think that they should not be in the order I had them.

 

[cctabb]

Well–actually I officially left the church when I was 18. My mom left the church when I was in the 5th grade. I was then in a foster home in protective custody from her. When I was a sophmore I went to live with my dad and went to church with him. No one told me anything about reconciliation OR confirmation.

So my first confession had A LOT to cover. And now I have to get confirmed as well.

I just think that they should not be in the order I had them.

For this reason I like the way our diocese does things. We follow the restored order. At 7 my daughter was given the sacraments of first reconciliation, confirmation and then first communion.
First reconciliation was a week before confirmation and Eucharist. Now, no matter what happens to her later in life she will always have those sacraments.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

For this reason I like the way our diocese does things. We follow the restored order. At 7 my daughter was given the sacraments of first reconciliation, confirmation and then first communion.
First reconciliation was a week before confirmation and Eucharist. Now, no matter what happens to her later in life she will always have those sacraments.

Yes, I agree. I was not confirmed until I was 21 simply because it fell through the cracks as we moved several times (Dad was military). If it had been done with First Holy Communion (or even baptism), that wouldn’t have happened.

I also think that the graces bestowed during confirmation should be available to children as they enter their pre-teen and teen years and not after half or more of those tumultuous years have past.

Interesting question is why the cultural pull has built up around baptism and first communion and not around Confirmation? Maybe because the “sign” of confirmation is not as obvious, but you don’t hear so much about the special clothes, announcements, parties, etc. for confirmation.