PRIEST OFFERS ABSOLUTION — A priest offers
absolution to a young man receiving the sacrament
of reconciliation during a vocations rally for youths
at St. Mary Church in Menomonee Falls last January.
Earlier this year, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan directed
that parishes in the Milwaukee Archdiocese return
to “the clear precept of the church that catechesis
for and celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation
precede the reception of first holy Communion....” (Catholic
Herald photo by Sam Lucero)
Which comes first? First reconciliation or first Communion?
In many parishes of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the
sacramental emphasis for the past 30 years or so was
placed on the Eucharist being taught and celebrated before
the sacrament of penance.
After Vatican II, experiments to determine the place of reconciliation were encouraged.
Various legitimate adaptations of the liturgy were outlined in the document “Veritatis
Legitimae,” according to Dean Daniels, director of the Office for Prayer
and Worship for the Milwaukee Archdiocese.
Catholic
Herald Parenting is a supplement of the Catholic Herald
published eight times annually, September to May. It is
intended to help parents pass on the Catholic faith to
their children.
