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YOUTHS
WAIT IN LINE — Youths from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
wait in line to participate in the sacrament
of penance during the fourth annual St. John
Bosco Youth Rally at Holy Hill in Hubertus, Oct.
2. In Catholic theology, confession refers to
the act of admitting personal sin to a priest
and receiving sacramental pardon upon expressing
contrition for it. (Catholic Herald photo by
Sam Lucero)
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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.
And so, many parishes worldwide developed programs changing
the sacramental timeline. Communion was studied and received
in second grade and the more complicated issue of first
penance was delayed a couple of years, usually to fourth
or fifth grade, when studies at the time showed children
better assimilated the concept of moral values and right
and wrong behavior.
Archbishop stresses compliance with canon law,
church guidelines |
In informing priests of the archdiocese of the
emphasis placed on the order of the sacraments
of Penance and Eucharist, Archbishop Timothy M.
Dolan cited canon law, the catechism, and the liturgical
guidelines of the church universal.
To explain these briefly, #914 of canon law states
that “it is primarily the duty of parents
and those who take the place of parents, as well
as the duty of pastors, to take care that children
who have reached the age of reason are prepared
properly, and after they have made sacramental
confession, are refreshed with this divine food
as soon as possible.”
Paragraph 1457 in the Catechism directs “after
having attained the age of discretion, each of
the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully
to confess serious sins at least once a year.”
Liturgical guidelines state “As children
reach the age of reason, generally around the age
of 7, the church extends to them an invitation
to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Initiated
into the Christian community at baptism, the children
are now called to prepare for the sacrament of
God’s loving mercy.” |
But times are changing. Daniels noted over the last few
years, the Vatican has directed that everyone who comes
to church should have the sacrament of penance available,
to be able to approach the table ready to celebrate the
Eucharist.
In his newsletter to priests at the end of June, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
cited the clear precept of the church that catechesis for and celebration of
the sacrament of reconciliation precede the reception of first holy Communion … and
that “every parish now be obedient to the universal norm of the church.” (See
related sidebar.)
Parishes scramble to comply
Coming after many religious education directors had made preparations for this
fall’s programs, the directive caused a scramble to provide transition
programs in both large and small parishes. Daniels and Kathie Amidei, director
of the archdiocese’s Lifelong Faith Formation Office estimated about 20
percent of parishes were in conformity prior to this summer.
In addressing the directive, larger parishes dealt with a numbers crunch, but
many of these parishes had full time paid staff to work on changes. In smaller
parishes with volunteer staff, the strain involved many extra hours to adjust
their programs, even with guidelines from the Office of Prayer and Worship offering
a couple of years to phase in the plan.
Mike Crain, adult and family director at Holy Apostles Parish, New Berlin, wrote
in a September parish bulletin, “Over this year and the next, we will be
transitioning to preparing for reconciliation in second grade. To make that transition,
we will be preparing (200) children in grades three and four this year. The children
who are registered for first and second grades this school year will prepare
for the sacrament next year in the fall. This year’s second grade class
will be the last to receive their first reconciliation after their first Communion.”
In a follow up e-mail, Crain noted preparation and adjustments required a complete
reworking of what they were doing. While the basic information is taught in regular
religious education and day-school catechetical programs, the parish uses a supplemental
program in anticipation of the sacramental celebrations.
“Due to the difference in the developmental levels of fourth and second
graders we needed to make changes that will better fit the comprehension level
of the
younger students,” wrote Crain. Each family received a book for the student
to complete with the parents’ supervision and one for the parents to follow
as they assist their child. The children will be gathered for large group retreat
days prior to their first celebration of the sacrament. Crain noted the program
seeks to assist, but not replace, parents as the primary religious educators
of their children. Because it is primarily done at home, outside the regular
catechetical programs, it has not had a direct impact on the classroom teachers.
In Greendale, program
taught as a community
The past program at St. Alphonsus, Greendale, prepared children for first confession
in the fourth grade through most of the ’80s. In the last 15 years, confession
has been studied in fifth grade. It’s always been a parish program, taught
as a community.
What is the
sacrament of penance?
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It’s also called confession or more recently the Rite of Reconciliation.
In Catholic theology, confession refers to the act of admitting personal
sin to a priest and receiving sacramental absolution upon expressing contrition
for it.
By church law (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215), Catholics are required to
go to confession annually, so that they might fulfill their Easter duty.
All mortal sins that Catholics are aware of must be confessed. The Council
of Trent (1545-63) decreed that Catholics must confess their sins according
to the kind and number. Regarding the confession of children, Pope St.
Pius X (1903-14) declared that the young may be admitted to the sacrament
when they have reached the age of reason, determined to be at or about
the seventh year. Furthermore, it is normative that children celebrate
their first Confession before receiving their first holy Communion (Quam
Singulari, 1910).
—
from “Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Enyclopedia,” 1991,
edited by Fr. Peter M.J. Stravinskas, published by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing
Division, Huntington, Ind. |
“We started talking to parents (about a transition),” commented Kathleen
Monacelli, child minister. Parish officials decided to transition all students
this fall, encompassing almost 500 children in second through fifth grades, in
order for families with more than one child in those grades to attend only one
time. Each session of four classes has been limited to 100 families, according
to Monacelli, which has meant about 130 to 140 kids at a time, and with the parents,
a total near 300 per session. All should be ready by Christmas.
“With four grades, we couldn’t use a textbook. We gave a keepsake
sacrament book they could go through together. The people are open to the fact
that this
is a transition year. It has been a positive challenge,” said Monacelli. “I
really did love the fifth grade level, absolutely loved teaching older kids.
They are at a point where they are ready for understanding peer pressure and
can see how everything is interconnected. The future challenge is to keep on
teaching kids with the focus on reconciliation and keeping them coming to the
sacrament.”
Programs being adapted for younger students
Fr. Phil Reifenberg, pastor of Nativity of the Lord Parish, Cudahy, wrote in
a recent parish bulletin, “Since like many parishes, we had for several
years observed a discipline of celebrating first Communion in the second grade
while delaying reception of first reconciliation until the fourth grade (except
in the day school which had continued to celebrate both sacraments in second
grade) this means that we will be taking three grade levels in our religious
education program — second, third and fourth — through first reconciliation
next spring.”
Nativity of the Lord is one of six churches in a cluster who have one day school,
St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. The sacraments are taught as part of the curriculum
in the day school but preparation for first Communion and first penance is done
in family-based programs in each parish.
St. Veronica, the largest of the cluster’s parishes will prepare the third
and fourth grades this year and next year will prepare the second and third grades
for the sacrament, according to director of religious education Karen Bushman.
The present program has four group sessions with basic materials by archdiocesan
speaker Jennifer Christ and a focus on moral decision making. The program will
be adapted for the younger students next year.
Also in this cluster, Immaculate Conception and Sacred Heart of Jesus parishes
will make a similar transition for all students second grade and up. St. Paul
has always had both sacraments in second grade.
Maureen Mitchell, director of religious education at St. Gabriel Parish, Hubertus,
said the parish started several years ago by teaching penance to second and fourth
and then second and third grades. “Last year and this year it is only second
grade with 38 children. We decided it’s going to happen, so let’s
get on board. It’s a big load for the second grade teachers to do this,
but they’re doing it. We want to do it well,” said Mitchell.
St. Peter Parish, Slinger, returned to first confession before first Communion
four years ago. Currently, there are 14 second graders in their religious education
program and 35 in the school.
“The first year, it was a little difficult doing both sacraments in one
year but
we managed,” according to St. Peter youth minister and director of religious
education Jennifer Funk. “That first year we prepared 130 children in second,
third and fourth grade. The parents presented no difficulty. The parish has more
traditional Catholics and there was probably more opposition going to fourth
grade some years ago.
“The sad part about it is, because they have both sacraments in second
grade, some parents will choose to stop sending their children but that is a
small percentage.”
Parents need continuing
catechesis, too
Karin Frederickson, religious education coordinator for St. Clare Parish, North
Lake and St. John Parish, Monches commented, “This is our fourth year of
celebrating (first confession) in second grade as the Holy Father has requested.
The issue we have when other parishes don’t follow directives is then,
when people move out of the parish to another parish like ours, they are missing
the sacrament.”
Along with this new plan for the sacraments, guidelines for Catholic schools
and parish religious education programs aim to ensure that children in the archdiocese
are learning the same content at every level. Those forming the curriculum are
looking at the structure of the catechism to involve all different aspects that
are covered in that document.
In Lifelong Faith Formation, the program and catechesis is family centered, attempting
to assist in the parent’s responsibility to be the prime source for their
children’s religious education. It’s not enough to just drop the
kids off for an hour after school; the focus now is on parent involvement and,
through that, continuing catechesis for parents as well. |
