Son going to orthodox preschool

[xmydreamsfadex]

my son and i are catholic but due to financial reasons instead of going to a catholic preschool, he is going to a greek orthodox preschool this coming up year. on some days they will go to a church service (not sure if they call theirs mass) and the instructor told us that the orthodox kids will recieve communion but the others won’t. instead they will just get a peice a bread, i suppose so they others won’t feel left out. i feel that my son shouldn’t recieve this piece of bread because i don’t want him to be confused. you know, the whole “well, at school they give me something to eat, why not with you here, daddy?” kind of thing. my wife thinks he will feel left out, even though when i take my son to mass, he is used to not receiving anything during communion but a blessing.
so, any thoughts or advice? anyone else go through this? just wondering until i get a chance to talk to my priest.

 

[1ke]

It’s a bad idea to send your child to a non-Catholic religous preschool.

And, no, he absolutely should **not **receive “a piece of bread” at the Divine Liturgy in the Greek Orthodox Church.

 

[xmydreamsfadex]

why is it a bad idea?
at 4, they only thing they learn is “Jesus loves me this i know” type stuff. they are not going to have doctrine studies… plus, isn’t it better than sending him to a non-christian preschool where he doesn’t learn about God, Jesus or anything like that?

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

why is it a bad idea?
at 4, they only thing they learn is “Jesus loves me this i know” type stuff. they are not going to have doctrine studies… plus, isn’t it better than sending him to a non-christian preschool where he doesn’t learn about God, Jesus or anything like that?

**I think a secular preschool (as long as they aren’t teaching things contrary to the faith, like why it’s good to have two mommies etc) would be a better choice. Religious instruction can still be done at home. But to send your child to a school of another faith (especially one so similar to Catholicism…I used to be Orthodox) has the potential to cause much more confusion, as already evidenced by the Communion issues.

It is easier to explain to a preschooler that some people just don’t believe in Jesus or haven’t been exposed to the Truth than to explain why some very faithful people of another religion are wrong while you’re right.**

 

[GladCatholic]

Perhaps the “piece of bread” is the antidoron (which is actually blessed bread that remains after the portion used for consecration).

And I’d take an Orthodox school over a secular school any day of the week, especially because our beliefs are so similar…and Divine Liturgy is a beautiful celebration which absolutely may whet his appetite for God.

Glad

 

[1ke]

why is it a bad idea?
at 4, they only thing they learn is “Jesus loves me this i know” type stuff. they are not going to have doctrine studies…

Oh really? Well, you’ve already disproven your premise and your kid isn’t even there yet.

Of course even at 4 they will be learning things that are *distinctly *Orthodox including their prayers, their method of making the sign of the cross (different from the Catholic sign of the cross), attending a liturgy that will confuse your child when they attend their own Mass, and of course the issue of receiving this “bread” at the Divine Liturgy.

So, yes, it’s a bad idea.

plus, isn’t it better than sending him to a non-christian preschool where he doesn’t learn about God, Jesus or anything like that?

No.

YOU, as the parents are the primary educators of your child in the faith.

It is better that your child learns the correct teachings about the faith from YOU than incorrect ones from others.

 

[Sabda]

I agree with the others. A secular pre-school would be a better choice for him than this Orthodox school. My son is 4.5 and he just finished pre-k at our public school. He thrived at this school. I can handle the religious education. I don’t need someone to teach my child about the faith when I can easily do it at home.

| would also like to say do not under estimate the intelligence of your child. You would be absolutely amazed at what they can learn at this age. For example my son understands in persona Christi. He understands that when he sees a priest, especially one doing his priestly duties, that he is seeing Christ. It does not matter what the priest looks like, in ds’s eyes he is seeing Jesus.

Lastly, I would strongly object to the receiving bread at the time of Holy Communion for the simply fact that is what it smacks of. I would ask your priest whether or not this is acceptable according to Catholic teaching. I’d bet money it’s not.

There are some really awesome secular preschools out. At least give those a look before letting him go to the Orthodox school. You just might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Perhaps the “piece of bread” is the antidoron (which is actually blessed bread that remains after the portion used for consecration).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidoron

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Antidoron

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/antidoron.aspx

From what I gather, antidoron is an extension of the old agape meal that was consumed around the Liturgy. It’s blessed, and treated as a sort of sacramental of pious reverence, but not the Eucharist. It’s not quite but almost on the level of our holy water. Whether one is a communicant or not, antidoron is there for the taking.

That might be confusing to a preschooler who was hopping from the Latin to Byzantine Rite. After all, Byzantine Catholic preschoolers are certainly allowed to receive the Eucharist in a Latin Liturgy. Can your son tell the difference between the bread of the antidoron and the Real Deal of the Eucharist?

For a kid who is spending time in what amounts to another ecclesial community, however much they have validly ordained and have a validly confected Eucharist, maybe OP, you could just say, “Gee, that’s nice, and I understand about antidoron being for everybody, but no thank you, just the same.” Would that make you feel better?

 

[catherineajt]

**I think a secular preschool (as long as they aren’t teaching things contrary to the faith, like why it’s good to have two mommies etc) would be a better choice. Religious instruction can still be done at home. But to send your child to a school of another faith (especially one so similar to Catholicism…I used to be Orthodox) has the potential to cause much more confusion, as already evidenced by the Communion issues.

It is easier to explain to a preschooler that some people just don’t believe in Jesus or haven’t been exposed to the Truth than to explain why some very faithful people of another religion are wrong while you’re right.**

I would agree with this. We homeschool but often discuss "what if’ our kids wanted to go to school outside the home. Send them to a Catholic school, or a public school (the only options here)? When we were still Orthodox, we decided that a public school would be preferable, to avoid confusion.

 

[GladCatholic]

“Gee, that’s nice, and I understand about antidoron being for everybody, but no thank you, just the same.” Would that make you feel better?

That’s quite possible from a practical standpoint also. I know when I go to the Greek Orthodox church, I seldom go up for the antidoron, although I have a few times. It just seems to me that it’s easier to instruct the child on how we bless ourselves (which will be the main difference at that young age) than to explain away the religion of relativism and the possible total anti-Christian sentiments and moral beliefs that although maybe not intentionally espoused by a teacher, nonetheless creep through simply because it’s ingrained in our culture.

Glad

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

We had contemplated sending DS to a Greek Orthodox school, because it had high economic standards(we were contemplating kindergarten only, we were moving.) We visited, we liked that in every classroom was an image of the Madonna and Child. Religious instruction would have been once a week.

We spoke to a priest, who told us that there would be nothing “anathema” with what he would learn.

We voted against it, because he would have been required to attend religious services too, and we were concerned about possible confusion.

In my area, although there are various Greek Orthodox grammar schools, I don’t think there are any Orthodox high schools. Many of these students end up going to Catholic high school.

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

It just seems to me that it’s easier to instruct the child on how we bless ourselves (which will be the main difference at that young age) than to explain away the religion of relativism and the possible total anti-Christian sentiments and moral beliefs that although maybe not intentionally espoused by a teacher, nonetheless creep through simply because it’s ingrained in our culture.

Glad

**Good point… I am a few years away from needing to make these kinds of decisions but here is some more of my thought process…

A) kid goes to religious school. Kid gets taught school subjects in an atmosphere that supports their religion. Kid doesn’t bring questions to mom/dad because they get the answers at school.

I went to Catholic schools growing up and of all of my classmates I have discovered on Facebook to date, NONE of them are practicing Catholics anymore. And most of them are either a completely different religion or have nothing at all except a lot of hate.

B) Kid goes to secular school while being taught about the faith at home by family and through programs at Church. Kid sees lots of other kids who are “lost” without a faith and is taught to pray for them on their spiritual journey.

For now I feel it would be easier to say that little susie or joey does this or that because they don’t know any better and we need to pray for them to open their hearts to Jesus than to say that little susie or joey does this or that and IS Catholic…

I know that either scenario could go in many more different directions but that is just my initial broad thought on the subject. I do plan on homeschooling but haven’t decided if religious or secular schools would be our second choice…
**

 

[mercygate]

my son and i are catholic but due to financial reasons instead of going to a catholic preschool, he is going to a greek orthodox preschool this coming up year. on some days they will go to a church service (not sure if they call theirs mass) and the instructor told us that the orthodox kids will recieve communion but the others won’t. instead they will just get a peice a bread, i suppose so they others won’t feel left out. i feel that my son shouldn’t recieve this piece of bread because i don’t want him to be confused. you know, the whole “well, at school they give me something to eat, why not with you here, daddy?” kind of thing. my wife thinks he will feel left out, even though when i take my son to mass, he is used to not receiving anything during communion but a blessing.
so, any thoughts or advice? anyone else go through this? just wondering until i get a chance to talk to my priest.

The “piece of bread” is NOT the eucharist, and it is not distributed during the Eucharist. You son can very well receive it in good conscience as anybody can, even non-Orthodox. It’s up to you to deal with the questions he may have.

 

[Contarini]

It’s a bad idea to send your child to a non-Catholic religous preschool.

And, no, he absolutely should **not **receive “a piece of bread” at the Divine Liturgy in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Why on earth not? That seems an astounding thing for a Catholic to say.

I’m also flabbergasted by the utilitarian argument of another poster that a secular preschool is better than one so close to Catholicism, because the latter may cause “confusion.”

Beauty and truth are beauty and truth, period.

Edwin

 

[Contarini]

Lastly, I would strongly object to the receiving bread at the time of Holy Communion for the simply fact that is what it smacks of. I would ask your priest whether or not this is acceptable according to Catholic teaching. I’d bet money it’s not.

I would bet all my worldly possession that it is. Shucks, your Church doesn’t even have a problem with Catholics receiving communion in the Orthodox Church!

Edwin

 

[GladCatholic]

I’m also flabbergasted by the utilitarian argument of another poster that a secular preschool is better than one so close to Catholicism, because the latter may cause “confusion.”
Edwin

The indocrination of children into the secular way of life and all its encompassing immoralities starts at the earliest age you enroll your kid in school. There’s just no way on this planet I’d send my kid to a secular school if I could in any way afford a religious one, especially one as close to the Catholic faith as the Orthodox. I’m not saying that applies to all public school teachers, but the books themselves are a problem and all the programs designed to teach “I’m okay you’re okay”–no matter what.

Glad

 

[GladCatholic]

I would bet all my worldly possession that it is. Shucks, your Church doesn’t even have a problem with Catholics receiving communion in the Orthodox Church!

Edwin

Antidoron may be distributed after the liturgy, or handed out after the Eucharist (I’ve seen it both ways)…it is perfectly acceptable to receive antidoron at an Orthodox church. As a matter of fact, it’s perfectly acceptable for a Catholic to receive COMMUNION in an Orthodox church except the Orthodox do not wish us to, so we don’t.

Glad

 

[kage_ar]

I’d have sent my child to an Orthodox school in a heartbeat. Kids are smart, and can understand the difference between what we do here and what they do there. The Divine Liturgy and Mass are different, I cannot see an average child confusing the two.

It is not like they are sending him to a Baptist school where he will be treated as a heathen for being Catholic.

 

[DL82]

From what I understand, the Antidoron is given after the service, not at the same time as the distribution of the Eucharist.

The Orthodox have valid sacraments, so there would be nothing wrong with your son adoring the Orthodox Eucharist, but of course, not receiving.

Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic children are confirmed (Chrismated) at baptism, so receive communion even as babies. Perhaps this would be a chance to explain to your son about the Sacrament of Confirmation, it gives him something to look forward to

I don’t see anything wrong with this, as long as you keep asking your child what they learned at school, and know enough about your own faith to be able to explain it at a level they understand where there are differences. Get involved in the school community too, it’s a good chance to witness to your faith and learn about the faith of others. There is much that is good and holy in the Eastern Churches, which most Latin Rite Catholics are ignorant of.

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

I’d have sent my child to an Orthodox school in a heartbeat. Kids are smart, and can understand the difference between what we do here and what they do there. The Divine Liturgy and Mass are different, I cannot see an average child confusing the two.

.

I agree, we probably would have chosen the Greek Orthodox if a Catholic school wasn’t available, but we ended up choosing a Catholic school, our Parish school.