First Communion
A Parish Celebration of Family
In trying to live out the challenge of the bishops, St. Stephen’s Parish in Croghan, New York, has worked to assist families preparing for first communion to realize this very simple yet profound message. Our community sees this assistance as the “work” of catechetical leaders—to recognize and name for families the “holy ground” they are surrounded by, the discipleship they witness, the nurturing environment they provide in the “church of the home.” The bishops’ pastoral letter to families inspires our catechetical preparation for candidates seeking to join us fully at the table of the Eucharist. As an initiation sacrament, Eucharist offers many opportunities to call forth the baptismal gifts and promises of the whole parish—including candidates and their parents who are the primary catechists in the first school of faith.
Our monthly sacramental preparation gatherings always include both a faith-sharing experience for the parents and a ritual element in the Sunday liturgy.
One example of a faith-sharing experience is a “church search.” We send each family into the church with a list of twenty-plus items to find—vessels, paintings, statues, vestments, etc. It provides for great sharing and discussion after all have completed the activity, and it is fun to watch parents do what they are called to do as primary catechists. During the Sunday liturgy, families are invited to proclaim the readings, present the gifts, and witness to their faith in ritual action and prayer. The parish community welcomes the families and the opportunity to invite this monthly participation, and the families are eager to participate.
As the day for first communion approaches, we gather the candidates and their families together for a potluck in our parish hall. We cover last minute details and do a walk through that same evening. By this time, every family has created its own banner, and we discuss those with one another.
Creating the family banner is a rich opportunity for the candidates to reflect on their faith journey together with their parents and siblings. At the last sacramental preparation gathering, parents are given simple instructions and materials to create a symbolic image which reflects the uniqueness of their family in the context of preparing for first communion. The liturgy itself is an active celebration for the candidates and their families. We begin the gathering surrounding the baptismal font with a song.
Family members proclaim the scriptures, and the responsorial psalm is led by the candidates. The homily is engaging, delivered in a conversational style that teaches that teachers, forms, and challenges the gathered community. The intercessions are led by family members. The preparation for these petitions could ideally be inspired (and crafted) by the needs of the candidates and families surfaced at the preparation gatherings.
For the preparation of gifts, another family readies the Eucharistic table. The lighting of candles is typically done by the mother, which is something the mother in the Jewish home does prior to the Passover meal. This is a wonderful way to remember our Jewish sisters and brothers as our ancestors in faith.
At the conclusion of the communion rite, the candidates return to the sanctuary to lead a song of gratitude and mission. This celebration, we pray, will be the first of many Eucharists that nourish and challenge our action in the world to become the “Body of Christ” in our families, schools, and communities.
The following Sundays they gather for reflection. They are invited to share their favorite memories from first communion. There is always plenty to share and the enthusiasm is contagious.
By focusing on the initiative quality of Eucharist, we hope to instill in the candidates, their families, and the whole community a sense that we are engaged in an ongoing process of growing more deeply in our faith and living out our call to discipleship. RTJ
Thomas M. Schneeberger has been the director of religious education at St. Stephen’s Church, Croghan, New York, for twenty-five years. He is the 1998 recipient of the Diocese of Ogdensburg’s “Sharing the Light of Faith Award.”
