St. Richard’s Catholic Community
RCIA and incompetence.
The woman who cuts my hair sends her children to school at St. Richard’s, a Catholic church/community and school in Richfield, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. Her husband is ‘undergoing‘ RCIA at the ‘community center’. Typically, the parish priest or pastor has little to nothing to do with the formation of RCIA candidates - at St. Richards any way. In fact, the pastor is on sabbatical - so he definitely is not involved. He is traveling the Middle East. The parissh website explains:
“Our pastor, will be gone on sabbatical January through April in 2008. The focus of his sabbatical is the meeting of East and West in Christian spirituality. He received a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment that will allow him to travel to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy.” - St. Richard’s
[Strange to be away on sabbatical over the most important feast in the Christian calendar.]
First Communion - then First Penance.
My friend’s husband is Lutheran, but attended Mass with his wife and children and wanted to receive the Eucharist - so he decided to enroll in RCIA. My friend is young, still in her 20’s, but was raised in a conventional Catholic parish. She made her first confession, and then made her first communion. Her child’s religious education person told her she had to adapt to change when she asked why her children couldn’t make their first confession before communion. The teacher explained that first penance is reserved for the 5th graders - “because children younger than that just couldn’t sin.” (And people wonder why there is a loss of a sense of sin in our society.)
My friend’s husband will be confirmed at the Easter Vigil, although he has never been prepared for the sacrament of penance. In fact, he has been told nothing about the sacrament, and it appears he is not required to make a confession before his profession of faith and confirmation.
Once my friend asked the woman in charge of RCIA about aspects of the faith she felt were important for her husband to learn about, the instructor pretty much blew her off. My friend told me that every parish she checked out in south Minneapolis and the southern suburbs seemed like entirely different denominations of Catholic, each appeared to have their own rules and way of celebrating Mass.
So - What’s in your parish?
February 28th, 2008 at 5:18 am
When he arrives at the age of discretion, the child has the right in the church to receive both sacraments. It would be an absurd and unjust discrimination and a violation of his conscience if he were prepared for and admitted only to holy communion. It is not enough to say that children have the right to go to confession if this right remains practically ignored.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/docu ments/rc_con_cclergy_doc_19770331_penance-communion_en.html
It’s a RIGHT, not an option.
and
Redemptionis Sacramentum states;
The First Communion of children must always be preceded by sacramental confession and absolution.169 Moreover First Communion should always be administered by a Priest and never outside the celebration of Mass. Apart from exceptional cases, it is not particularly appropriate for First Communion to be administered on Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. Another day should be chosen instead, such as a Sunday between the Second and the Sixth Sunday of Easter, or the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or the Sundays of Ordinary Time, since Sunday is rightly regarded as the day of the Eucharist.170 “Children who have not attained the age of reason, or those whom” the Parish Priest “has determined to be insufficiently prepared” should not come forward to receive the Holy Eucharist.171 Where it happens, however, that a child who is exceptionally mature for his age is judged to be ready for receiving the Sacrament, the child must not be denied First Communion provided he has received sufficient instruction.
The ‘age of reason’ and of understanding refers to children specifically in these quotes, but certainly pertains to adults converting to Catholicism or becoming Catholic and therefore is is essential that the Sacraments follow the proper order.
In our parish, Confession is something that the adults are not especially well prepared for. This is due to the priest generally ‘fitting’ it in ( a short does of insturction and also an impromptu hearing of Confessions)on either Easter Vigil itself or a day or two before. I’m not happy about that. This year my Dad is making his First Holy Communion and the parish priest hasn’t even spoken to him about it or arranged a time for Dad to make his Confession etc. Our parish is so laid back its horizontal.
The children in the parish, well, up till this year I’ve been involved in preparing them for First Holy Communion and First Confession, and the teaching in general has not been as thorough as it should have ben due to the other Catechist getting distracted - who FR is married to, which makes things MEGA awkward in every way - and also the disorganisation in carrying out the scheduled lessons on each topic. I made a perfect study plan but half the time Fr. or the other Catechist changed lessons around, cut them short, started rambling about unconnected chit chat during lessons, so nope, twas not good. The last 3 years that Fr has been with the parish I believe that we’ve really let our parishioners down in this regard.
Sigh.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Thanks Deb. I was surprised when my friend told me this. I can’t imagine neglecting the sacrament of penance - for children or adults. Children actually learn what is sin and what is not as they are prepared for the sacrament of penance at an early age, and they grow in grace by frequenting the sacrament.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
When I missed the sign-up for First Confession prep because of a confusing announcement, the DRE wouldn’t allow my son into the program because he’d already missed 2 weeks of it. She said, “It’s no big deal if he does the sacrament of penance in third grade after Holy Communion.” Well, it was a BIG deal to us. I made arrangements with the pastor to educate our son on our own, and Monsignor would personally hear his First Confession and quiz him on his knowledge prior to that. He passed with flying colors. I agree, children know what sin is by that age-let’s not diminish the sacrament of First Confession by putting it on the back burner.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I could tell horror stories about RCIA in south Minneapolis but I’ll refrain.
At my parish in St. Paul-only Father gives the religious instruction for the adults. You better believe he emphasizes and gets them ready for Confession before they enter fully into the Faith. The kids usually have their instruction thru our school. Father says its solid and I believe him. He keeps a close eye on it.
I’ve had dissidents snort that kids can’t sin either. All I have to go on is my own life but I can tell you I was not free from sin as a child. I see to recall Jesus and the Virgin Mary are the only 2 kids who can ever say that.
My response is: Aren’t we supposed to instill kids with habits and behaviors that they will keep their entire life? If not, why bother to teach them manners at the dinner table, or why swearing is unacceptable? We hope they will retain these ideas and, what’s more, practice them as they grow up. Same with Confession. I’m thrilled when I see kids in line at Confession. I think there is hope for our future Church.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Confession scheduled approximately 350 days out of the year, including in between the two main Sunday Masses, usually lasting until the homily of the second Mass or so. First Penance this Saturday, First Communion next month.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
One of the priests teaches RCIA, period.
The textbook used is the Catechism.
The Apostles and the Nicene Creeds are the first things memorized.
(Funniest story ever: The Archdiocese decided that each parish had to write a “mission statement” and send it in. The pastor at my parish got his form and wrote down the Apostles’ Creed and mailed it back to the A of C.
Never heard another word about it.)
February 28th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I went to Mass once at St Richard’s “Catholic Community” and I would never go back. They are in my prayers along with some of the most unorthodox parishes in the archdiocese.
I didn’t figure out where the Tabernacle was until after Communion. The purification of the sacred vessels by the ragtag bunch of ministers of some sort looked like cleanup at a potluck picnic.
The architecture looked like something Vosko would fantasize about. In short, it doesn’t look like a church.
The pastor who is on sabbatical has been criticized roundly in print for earlier job performance.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
When my older son was making his First Communion (25 years ago) it was the practice in the parish where we were to have the kids make first Confession 2 years later, in 4th grade. It seemed to me that instead of making it easier for them, it was harder. He had a lot of anxiety about Confession that I feel he wouldn’t have had, if they had just done it before 1st Communion. There is something to be said about getting used to it before you have serious issues (maybe some serious issues are prevented?)
In the diocese where we are now, the rule is 1st Confession before 1st Communion.
February 28th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Melody,
Technically, as UKOK pointed out, that’s the rule in the entire Church.
Some dioceses just choose to break it, whether by stupidity, obstinence, or dfisobedience.
(I know what ya meant.)
I think we can all agree that a 7-year old “good Catholic kid” knows that if he steals a candy bar or lies to Mom, it’s a sin.
Therefore, he’s got full consent of the will.
Therefore he is at the age of reason.
Therefore it is essential for him to go to Confession BEFORE receiving the Blessed Sacrament.
What kind of message are we sending kids who go to Communion with no Confession?
Confession isn’t important.
ALL are WELCOME at Communion.
YOUR sins aren’t important or offensive to God.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Our bishop says the kids can wait until the year following Confirmation and FHC. Our parish kids get Confirmed and FHC the same time. I think Confirmation should be deferred however the bishop didn’t ask my opinion.
Father wants to have Confession BEFORE FHC. He is not disobeying the Bishop because it is only the Bishop’s preference that the kids wait. He pretty much lets each priest decide how they will carry it out. Our bishop doesn’t like conflict…can you tell?!
RCIA in my parish is taught by Father, myself and another lady. Father is a cradle Catholic, I am a revert and the other lady was a convert. We use the Catechism extensively and our main focus is always Jesus and the Real Presence.
Our RCIA manual does not demand that candidates go to confession before FHC. It reads thus: “Candidates are encouraged, according to their individual consciences, to make a confession of sins before being rec’d into full communion…”
Last year we had a lady who asked me if she needed to go before Easter. I said YES! Her sponsor had never mentioned it to her but then I’ve never seen her sponsor in the confession line either….hmph.
I remember the first time I told a lie. I had just turned 7. I KNEW what I had done. I KNEW it was wrong. Kids are not stupid.
I remember when I was about 11 I tried smoking. I was so burdened by guilt that I made myself sick. Finally I confessed to my mother, who of course forgave me. What a relief! And how much more will our Heavenly Father forgive?!
February 29th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I’ve been struggling with some of the changes going on at my parish. My dd is about to make her “1st Eucharist”. We had to watch Part 1 at the parents mandatory meeting: A history of the mass. (find out more about this video: see Catholic Wife and Mom of Two’s http://wifeandmomoftwo.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/questionable -material/ )
We were spared part 2 at this weeks meeting.
I will say that our children had a beautiful “1st Penance” (I called it 1st Confession). It was a true blessing in that it was a happy event. And, it was a correct Confession. None of the “General” stuff. Almost all the parents went also.
For the most part I am not afraid of “change” but I want to know the reasons for introducing change. i.e. More than once, at the parents meetings, I’ve heard we maybe should use “everyday” bread at mass over the little wafers we normally use for hosts. Why?
I’ve been praying for the clergy now more than ever, and am praying for all those in charge of RCIA and the Religious Education Department. I am hoping that the Holy Spirit is in the direction, and if any wacky stuff trickles through it won’t be damaging.
Thank you so much for this posting. God Bless!
PS My 7 year old also is quite aware when she’s done something wrong. Thank goodness.