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Primary education

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Original poster

How can my children make holy communion if not in catholic school?

32 replies

Starsmum75 · 21/05/2015 06:42

I have a 5 & 4yr old, both who are in a good school which I am happy with. I'm just wondering how I will go about them making their first holy communion when the time comes, can they go along with the local catholic school. They are both christened catholic, but I had problems getting them in the catholic school. Now I am actually happy with the school they are in, except for the religious ceremony side of things. Can anyone offer advice or help please?

OP posts:

01818118181 · 21/05/2015 06:44

Just ask your parish priest. They'll know!

coolaschmoola · 21/05/2015 06:45

Through the church??

Barbeasty · 21/05/2015 06:47

Are you sure they do it through the school and not through the parish church? Most diocese I know have stopped doing the preparation through schools and it's done at church, normally some sort of class after the main family mass on a Sunday.

Have a word with your priest and ask- you can't be the only family in this situation.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 21/05/2015 06:47

My DCs (non Catholic school) have several friends who have made theirs at church, I assumed this was normal, there are no Catholic schools round here.

redgoat · 21/05/2015 06:47

Is rate these days that the prep is done in school. Is done via the parish so just make sure you go to church and read the newsletter as the details will be in there. FWIW, our program starts in November with the children making their FHC in June.

redgoat · 21/05/2015 06:48

Blooming auto correct. It's rare!

Fatstacks · 21/05/2015 06:51

Sunday school.

Original poster

Starsmum75 · 21/05/2015 07:09

Ok thanks everyone, makes things so much easier. I was worried that they would be threw into a different group where they are the only ones that are unknown and feel pushed out. Therefore not enjoying their big day.

OP posts:

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 21/05/2015 07:12

Children in catholic schools here do all the preparation through the school. They only go to the church on the day.

The church asks on the newsletter that anyone wanting to take their communion but not in a catholic school contacts the parish priest. Depending on how many children there are they either hÃ ve a separate communion day or tag along with the school one on the day. Only for those not in catholic schools they run classes on a Saturday morning for 4 weeks.

noramum · 21/05/2015 07:46

DD's best friend is RC but goes to a CoE school. All preparation is done via their church. She even has the Holy Communion itself in a different church in Ireland due to family matters.
No problem at all.

Marcelinewhyareyousomean · 21/05/2015 21:59

DS's communion preparation was in school and parents attended meetings in the evenings. There were a few children not in school that took theirs at the same time.

Your parish priest and liturgy group will help you.

Timings are different depending on your diocese. Ds had his communion in Y3 and will have a confirmation in Y6 , his cousin had a joint communion and confirmation in Y4.

TeddTess · 22/05/2015 14:36

Mine are in catholic school and all classes/preparation was done through the church. The school used to do it, but not any more. Lots of extra things in school (special masses etc..) but the actual preparation is parish based.

dixiechick1975 · 23/05/2015 19:27

It was parish based for Dd - children's classes after mass and some parent and separate child classes after school. Children were from a mix of schools. Your child will know the others from church and maybe brownies etc. Dd is at a catholic school so they had one prep class a week there too. As only 1/4 of class catholic they don't do as a class but do in their own parish instead. Classes started October in yr 3. There was a sign up notice in parish magazine I think.

dixiechick1975 · 23/05/2015 19:28

Salford diocese do both confirmation and communion yr 3.

mugglingalong · 24/05/2015 07:51

If you had difficulty getting in then the chances are that other children did. Our preparation was all done at church out of school hours. If you are concerned about them feeling left out then maybe you could delay the older girl and they could do it together. Ours did it in yr3 but some dc were slightly older.

var123 · 24/05/2015 09:15

Check the parish newsletter as they prob will have first communion classes that you'll have to enrol them in (there may be a deadline).
My dc went to an RC primary but weren't prepared at school. One of the teachers told me in passing that the law doesn't allow schools to do the preparation in place of RE lessons.

Unexpected · 24/05/2015 10:05

Your children will make their First Communion the same way all the children in the RC school do - out of school and in church. Both my DC attended a Catholic primary which, because the school was oversubscribed, was almost 100% Catholic. No Communion preparation was done in school, it was all through an evening and weekend programme via the parish. If you go to church, I am surprised you haven't seen notices in the newsletter about Communion/confirmation sign-up and classes each year.

LynetteScavo · 24/05/2015 10:10

I think we had to sign up in the autumn for May FC. The priest insisted DC attend Mass 20 times (I think the stamp cards were issued something like 21 weeks before May, so I had to take DD some weeks when she wasn't well )

There were classes for DC not at a catholic school - DS did his first communion in Y5 so went on a Saturday evening for an hour before mass for a few weeks.

Buttwing · 25/05/2015 21:34

It sounds like it varies a lot between schools as to where the preparation is done. My dd did all of the prep at school. There were a few masses they were asked to attend and they had their own separate childrens liturgy class. RC children at non catholic schools have there own lessons through the church there is usually something in parish newsletter asking parents to let them know if they wish their child to make their communion through the church.

Pandsala · 27/05/2015 11:39

My parish have stopped it being done in schools now too, but that only changed this year, apparently it was to make children take it seriously rather than viewing it as a school thing, so although there will be children from the school at the meetings there will be children from other schools too and preparation is done over lots of meetings (i think 6 evenings and a day retreat) so by the day the children will all know each other fairly well.

var123 · 27/05/2015 12:32

Did anyone else have to do parent preparation evenings too? I had to attend about 8 in the year before my DC made their first communion. The routine was a prayer to open, a longish lecture about some aspect of faith from someone e.g. an RE teacher or the priest. Then a round table discussion with half a dozen other prospective parents about our thoughts on the talk.

I liked the other parents, but I didn't enjoy those preparation evenings. For me, they were boring and uncomfortable. Plus I don't want to discuss my faith with others (or talk about theirs) and I know what first communion is thanks to having been brought up a catholic.

Micah · 27/05/2015 12:37

In England it's done through the parish now, not school. To stop non-committed parents leaving everything to the school apparently.

Ask your priest. There's usually a form to pick up at mass sept-nov time. Classes are done by the church. We had lots of children from different schools.

GratefulHead · 27/05/2015 12:42

My son was in a Catholic school but did his through the parish and not through the school at all. All the classes were held on a Saturday and DS loved it. The ship has well and truly sailed now though but sadlY for him Mummy is in the choir and so at least twice a month he has to attend Mass.....with a face like thunder.

OP. Just contact your local Catholic Priest.

SoupDragon · 27/05/2015 12:43

I would have thought a regular and committed church goer would know the answer to this

GratefulHead · 27/05/2015 13:43

Our priest announces it over a few weeks once a year and reminds people that there are forms at the back of the church to register.

I am a church goer ...being part of the choir tends to make you one. I do know though that many people will attend during the year their children do HC classes and for the Communion, many will also not bother again until they do Conformation in their teenage years. Our priest knows and expects this in a way...he says "it's lsomething that some families feel they HAVE to do and tick off..baptism (tick), Holy Communion (tick), Confirmation etc.....

A surprising number of children do continue to attend though and there's always a big cohort of teenagers for confirmation.

I am guessing if your children are not old enough to do HC then you might not pick up on the HC and registration announcements in church.

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