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Original poster

I went to a friend's child's First Holy Communion yesterday and I've been an emotional wreck since

73 replies

gypsybabysbreath · 12/05/2019 09:07

I found it so emotional. There was such a lovely atmosphere and it was so old fashioned. All of the children were just so lovely and they sang all the old hymns we sang at school.

I held it together barely for As I Kneel Before You and then they sang Bring Flowers of the Rarest and bloody hell, I was a goner. Proper snottery tears. DP was rather bemused Grin Blush

I can't quite understand how I got so emotional. I'm wondering if I should go back to mass now.

OP posts:
implantsandaDyson · 12/05/2019 12:04

I made my Confirmation 32/33 years ago and we all wore our school uniforms.

roisinagusniamh · 12/05/2019 12:13

I didn't get a Gold book ..... perhaps that's why I'm an ex catholic 😅

ReanimatedSGB · 12/05/2019 12:19

Ugh, don't hold with it at all. It's fucking creepy inducting little kids into a woman-hating cult, after all.

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Philosophy & religion
WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 12/05/2019 12:29

implants confirmation isn’t the same as first communion.

youlladdressmeassir · 12/05/2019 12:52

My nieces and nephew are Catholics and I've been to their's

My nephew and his wee mates wore kilts, the girls were all dolled up.

However, it was the parents that took my breath away. It was like ladies day at aintree

roisinagusniamh · 12/05/2019 12:56

Ha!
A creepy fashion show followed by a party to celebrate indoctrination of young kids 😫

implantsandaDyson · 12/05/2019 13:01

Willow........, sorry I didnt make it clear I was referring to the last paragraph in Vendree 's post. I'm aware that they are different, one of mine made her Confirmation at the beginning of the year and another is making her Communion next Sat.

Pythonesque · 12/05/2019 13:09

Talking with my mother some time recently she mentionted that in Asutralia at any rate they seem to be doing first communion quite a bit older than they used to. Which seems a good idea to me; though in reality I don't hold with the idea at all (we are very much protestant CofE!). I have to admit to being very pleased that my own children have chosen to be confirmed at their earliest opportunity - age 11 and 12 - but this is because it was their own choice. Truly representing them owning their faith as full members of the church. I find the suggestion that children "need" to take communion unnecessary. [nb my children have been choristers - also by their own choice - hence having sufficient background to decide on confirmation early]

dustarr73 · 12/05/2019 13:23

@roisinagusniamh i think @Elspeth was being a bit tongue and cheek about the bouncy castle.
We didnt have a big party just went for something to eat.
Its a huge thing here[im Irish]My kids have made their communion.

roisinagusniamh · 12/05/2019 18:46

Are you a practicing catholic or do you just go along with it @dustarr?

AgentCooper · 12/05/2019 18:50

Oh a lovely wee Communion gets me as well. As I Kneel Before You... that’s just asking for tears.

At my first holy communion (27 years ago, sweet Christ) somebody’s grandad tripped on his way in and bellowed JESUS CHRIST. It was brilliant GrinGrin

blameitonmyjuice · 12/05/2019 19:20

I did my FHC on my own ! Church didn’t have many children at all so I landed up being the only one ... I was the first for a few years I think . Went home saddled with religious presents - rosaries , crucifixes, and I think about £30-40 ... we had a lovely ‘tea party’ in the living room for both sets of grandparents and then went out to the park as far as I remember . Devout family would have been aghast at the thought of a bouncy castle !!

Had not a clue what I was doing though , just that it was a grown up thing that we all had to do and you must not chew .

Reconciliation on the other hand (which I did two years later for some reason) ... I was sent with a sheet of paper of all the ‘bad things’ I had done ! I remember being told to sit and work out exactly what I had done wrong in the previous month and tell the priest all about it ... that I am still less than sure about !

blameitonmyjuice · 12/05/2019 19:21

Agent I did that at my grandpa’s funeral . Dropped my book three times - third time , Christ Almighty !!

Baloonphobia · 12/05/2019 19:28

We're going to let DD have her communion as we'll be in a very small rural school in Ireland and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to mark her out as an outsider by her not making her communion. But I think the whole thing is claptrap.

SauvignonBlanche · 12/05/2019 19:28

OMG @TheWoollybacksWife, that just made me well up!

Baloonphobia · 12/05/2019 19:31

We went to one in Waterford and some of the dresses were so big the teacher had to walk in front of the child to lift the hem up. Some needed help getting out of the pew. Tiaras were very popular.

PuppyMonkey · 12/05/2019 19:36

That’s proper made me Grin Agent Cooper.

Ah, I’m a lapsed catholic and even Im tearing up at “bring flowers of the rarest, bring blossoms the fairest” etc etc - haven’t thought about that song for 40 years.

Seashell80 · 12/05/2019 19:45

I remember my first holy communion very well, although no longer go to church-except for the the usual weddings etc I find hymns incredibly moving and bring flowers of the rarest is one of my very favourite hymns.
I was also the May queen 👸🏻(looks around smugly)

roisinagusniamh · 13/05/2019 09:58

Baloonphobia, a lot of my friends living in Ireland admit to that.
It's different when you live away because catholism is not the main religion . I think that will eventually be the case in Ireland too.....hopefully.

Baloonphobia · 13/05/2019 10:01

I wish I was braver but I'm not.

Bluesheep8 · 13/05/2019 10:55

My first holy communion was when I was 7. It was lovely and I treasure the photo I have of me in my dress and veil with my parents and little sister. It was just a normal part of growing up. We didn't have a party. As for the op getting teary, I get like that EVERY time I go to mass. Admittedly that's not very often, but I just feel humbled and grateful (and rather guilty!) that my faith is still there quietly in the background. It's sort of like seeing a family member or old friend you haven't seen or thought about for years and remembering how much you like them.

roisinagusniamh · 13/05/2019 11:00

Had I raised my children in Ireland I may have felt pressured by them to go along with the communion circus because naturally they would have wanted the clothes, party and money but I think we would have resisted as my partner is atheist...but, we'll never know.

Mummaofmytribe · 13/05/2019 11:02

I'm an atheist and have raised my kids as such. However I was a regular church goer as a child, catholic school etc. The moment I'm in a church+children+singing situation I absolutely go to pieces!! Can't help it. Lip starts quivering at the first note and by the end of the first verse I'm blubbing. So bloody embarrassing. I think it's a real primitive reaction for me. The religious music touches my heart and combined with those sweet kids singing away, well it does for me every time

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