Dear Parishioners,
This is a time of
great grace for our parish family. Bishop Dennis Sullivan will be here on
Saturday, May 7th to confirm ninety-four candidates who have been
preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation during two
Masses (10 AM & 1 PM). Please note:
there will be no 8:30 AM Mass
that morning.
Additionally, during
the next two weekends (4-23/24 & 4-30/5-1) we have the privilege of
gathering as a parish family at Mass as our children receive their First
Holy Communion. There are eight-nine children scheduled this year
over six Masses (5:30 PM Saturday and 10 AM & 11 AM Sunday).
Why is First
Holy Communion celebrated in this manner here instead of in large
groups as in other parishes? There are a
number of reasons for our current practice (which, incidentally, has been in
place prior to my arrival as pastor over five
years ago). Let’s first look at our diocesan
guidelines for sacramental
preparation:
The preferred option for the celebration of First
Eucharist is within the Sunday Liturgy. It is the whole community, the
Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates [the liturgy.]
Liturgical services are not private functions but are celebrations of the
Church which is the ‘sacrament of unity’ (SC 26*). Liturgical services
pertain to the whole Church. Rites are meant to be celebrated in common,
with the faithful present and actively participating, and should as far as
possible be celebrated in this way rather than by an individual or
quasi-privately. (SC 27*) Eucharist is the crowning jewel in the
sacraments of initiation and should be celebrated within the parish worshipping
community. It is recommended that the celebration take place during the
Easter Season when the Church traditionally welcomes her new members. (Sacramental Guidelines when Sacraments of
Initiation are not Celebrated Together, Diocese of Camden, 2005)
It is critical to
remember that the two families that should be most important in the
children’s lives are their domestic
family and their Church family. The parents are the first (and need to be the best) teachers of their
children in the ways of faith.
It is also necessary to consider that we are preparing the children to be a
part of the regular
worshipping community that we
call the Church.
While it may look “nice” or “cute” to have all of the children together in one
(or two) ceremonies with their classmates and friends, it is much more essential to emphasize for them the bonds of family and Church.
Essentially, we are not preparing them to be with their current friends (who may not be their friends past next week), but to be regular,
practicing members of the Catholic
Church as experienced through
their local parish family.
Let me again quote
our diocesan guidelines:
Children should be made aware that Eucharist is not a
“once and done” sacrament. Therefore, there should be encouragement to the
children (and their parents) to form good habits of weekly celebration of the
Eucharist.
We all have much to learn from each other and to
teach one another. We should rejoice to see our children share in the
sacramental life of the Catholic
Church, as lived and experienced in our parish family.
If the faith is not handed on
to, experienced and practiced by our young, then eventually our
Church will be nothing but a bunch of empty, lifeless buildings.
Congratulations to
both our Confirmandi and our First Communicants! My prayer is that your faith in Jesus Christ
will grow ever stronger as you receive another important sacrament in your
spirtual journey.
Fr. Ed
Namiotka
Pastor
(*SC Sacrosanctum Concillium 12/4/63, a document of Vatican II)
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