Scrap communion day in favour of receiving first communion at any Mass

Interesting idea. Scrap big Communion ceremonies and let kids make their first communion at an ordinary Mass.

Personally I think it’s a great idea.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/we-cant-let-tradition-become-extinct-parents-anger-at-decision-to-scrap-first-holy-communion-date-for-any-mass-day-37352377.html

The Rape of Lucretia

I wouldnt stand for that. Girls getting dressed up as princesses, mothers buying new outfits for the big day, and parents throwing a big party or fancy dinner out. You cant just take that away from people. Who does the church think it is to decide things like that?

BIGT4464

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I wouldnt stand for that. Girls getting dressed up as princesses, mothers buying new outfits for the big day, and parents throwing a big party or fancy dinner out. You cant just take that away from people. Who does the church think it is to decide things like that?

Nothing stopping someone doing all that jazz. It just shouldn't be up to the schools the prep the kids, so it yourselves and enjoy your day.

Gatling

All the mammies upset lol

lawred2

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Interesting idea. Scrap big Communion ceremonies and let kids make their first communion at an ordinary Mass.

Personally I think it’s a great idea.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/we-cant-let-tradition-become-extinct-parents-anger-at-decision-to-scrap-first-holy-communion-date-for-any-mass-day-37352377.html

Brilliant idea. Entirely in keeping with both secular ideals and church teaching I would have thought.

wakka12

Children are free to take first communion at normal mass if they wish. I have fond memories of my first communion, it was a great day

Fr_Dougal

It should be on a school day, and the kids should make it in their school uniform.

lawred2

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

It should be on a school day, and the kids should make it in their school uniform.

Indeed. Save the parents from having to actually do anything.

The Rape of Lucretia

Despite some of the comment during the Pope's visit, it shows how Ireland is still a very strongly devout catholic country, and is committed to maintaining it that way.
Woe any priest trying to 'modernise' from the conservative catholicism tradition.

freshpopcorn

This happened in my town last year well something similar.
It announced that all the schools in the area were going be be given their first communion at a regular Sunday mass in their parish church. The outrage it caused it was mad.
Letters to the bishop, ringing the local radio station, letters to the local paper.
The main reason for the out rage was.
The hair saloons are closed on Sunday.(Local places agreed to open)
Then they were hassle about bouncing castles/etc because some people had them booked without knowing the date.(Funny enough it was sorted).
Then there was oh they'll be tired the next day at school.
She won't have her special day with locals attending.
There was several other reasons and none of them had any foundation really.
The campaign was mainly made by a man who has no time for the Catholic church and people who never go to mass.
In the end it all worked out fine. People attending even told me it was nicer than the regular communion but maybe a little tight for space.
It also means those attending might give something to the collection because they mightn't be seen again until Conformation.

eviltwin

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Despite some of the comment during the Pope's visit, it shows how Ireland is still a very strongly devout catholic country, and is committed to maintaining it that way.
Woe any priest trying to 'modernise' from the conservative catholicism tradition.

Don't think it has much to do with Catholisism, it's still the same sacrament this way after all. People want their day out, new outfit, princess dress etc.

Working class heroes

freshpopcorn wrote: »

This happened in my town last year well something similar.
It announced that all the schools in the area were going be be given their first communion at a regular Sunday mass in their parish church. The outrage it caused it was mad.
Letters to the bishop, ringing the local radio station, letters to the local paper.
The main reason for the out rage was.
The hair saloons are closed on Sunday.(Local places agreed to open)
Then they were hassle about bouncing castles/etc because some people had them booked without knowing the date.(Funny enough it was sorted).
Then there was oh they'll be tired the next day at school.
She won't have her special day with locals attending.
There was several other reasons and none of them had any foundation really.
The campaign was mainly made by a man who has no time for the Catholic church and people who never go to mass.
In the end it all worked out fine. People attending even told me it was nicer than the regular communion but maybe a little tight for space.
It also means those attending might give something to the collection because they mightn't be seen again until Conformation.

Did you make this announcement?

justfillmein

it should be on a sunday. only for those children who attend mass every other sunday.

if parents don't go to mass, then they can have a party on any other day for their little johnny so they don't feel left out.

no need to join the club just to have the big day out, when you can create your own celebration event if that's all your really interested in

freshpopcorn

Working class heroes wrote: »

Did you make this announcement?

No but I had a lot of respect for the local priests who didn't cave into the peoples demands!

facehugger99

As a parent of a child who made a communion last year, the amount of school time given over to 'preparing' for it is scarcely believable - hours of wasted education time.

It's a good idea but will never be implemented.

_Brian

It’s already happening in some places.

Electric Sheep

"
“They can’t get rid of our tradition. They said because of the tradition of people going out in big dresses, they don’t want others to feel bad who can’t afford it, which we totally understand, but it’s only as costly as you make it. "

Funny, in my experience the less they can afford it the bigger and more elaborate the dress.

Working class heroes

freshpopcorn wrote: »

No but I had a lot of respect for the local priests who didn't cave into the peoples demands!

Ah yes, you are of course correct.
Just some cryptic humour....

riffmongous

How many of those planning to protest outside mass would have actually attended the mass I wonder?

hatrickpatrick

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I wouldnt stand for that. Girls getting dressed up as princesses, mothers buying new outfits for the big day, and parents throwing a big party or fancy dinner out. You cant just take that away from people. Who does the church think it is to decide things like that?

This crossed my mind when I read the story earlier, but in all honesty I'd say people would just subsume that into something else - a big celebration for finishing primary school, for example, which we don't really have at the moment.

If there's one thing no one can claim we Irish aren't uniformly f*cking epic at, it's coming up with workable excuses to have mad sessions. :cool:

riffmongous

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

This crossed my mind when I read the story earlier, but in all honesty I'd say people would just subsume that into something else - a big celebration for finishing primary school, for example, which we don't really have at the moment.

If there's one thing no one can claim we Irish aren't uniformly f*cking epic at, it's coming up with workable excuses to have mad sessions. :cool:

That'd be the confirmation though, at the end of primary school

iguana

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

I wouldnt stand for that. Girls getting dressed up as princesses, mothers buying new outfits for the big day, and parents throwing a big party or fancy dinner out. You cant just take that away from people. Who does the church think it is to decide things like that?

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Despite some of the comment during the Pope's visit, it shows how Ireland is still a very strongly devout catholic country, and is committed to maintaining it that way.
Woe any priest trying to 'modernise' from the conservative catholicism tradition.

I can't tell if you are being serious or taking the piss. Those two points are diametrically opposed. The priest wants to make the whole sacrament of communion more devout and bring it back to a focus on the sacrament. The people don't want that. The princess dresses, new outfits, party and fancy dinner have absolutely feck all to do with being devout. This just goes to show how very, very little the actual religion means to these families. It's just all about the party.

hatrickpatrick

riffmongous wrote: »

That'd be the confirmation though, at the end of primary school

Fair point. What age do kids tend to make their communions again? I'm sure I can come up with a similar seshcuse (that's a sesh excuse) if given the correct parameters

Your Face

Ban everything for ever.

freshpopcorn

facehugger99 wrote: »

As a parent of a child who made a communion last year, the amount of school time given over to 'preparing' for it is scarcely believable - hours of wasted education time.

It's a good idea but will never be implemented.

I was surprised at the anger when it happened in our area. I thought lots of people would have wanted a system when they'd be less done in school, etc.
When it happened thought they was a lot of anger because people knew they'd need to go to more masses.

Skyfloater

iguana wrote: »

I can't tell if you are being serious or taking the piss. Those two points are diametrically opposed. The priest wants to make the whole sacrament of communion more devout and bring it back to a focus on the sacrament. The people don't want that. The princess dresses, new outfits, party and fancy dinner have absolutely feck all to do with being devout. This just goes to show how very, very little the actual religion means to these families. It's just all about the party.

You can't tell if TroL is being serious, really??

Grayson

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I was surprised at the anger when it happened in our area. I thought lots of people would have wanted a system when they'd be less done in school, etc.
When it happened thought they was a lot of anger because people knew they'd need to go to more masses.

People are lazy. A lot of people who want Catholic education in schools would hate it if they had to teach it to the kid themselves or bring the kid to Sunday school. So they want the state to pay for it and take care of it. I'd say most wouldn't even bother. And don't ask them to explain transubstantiation.

My niece started school in a national school last week and on the very first day she was taught how to bless herself.

lawred2

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I was surprised at the anger when it happened in our area. I thought lots of people would have wanted a system when they'd be less done in school, etc.
When it happened thought they was a lot of anger because people knew they'd need to go to more masses.

Most people want to have the party but do nothing else

riffmongous

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Fair point. What age do kids tend to make their communions again? I'm sure I can come up with a similar seshcuse (that's a sesh excuse) if given the correct parameters

First class I think? It's close to start of school I suppose

freshpopcorn

Grayson wrote: »

People are lazy. A lot of people who want Catholic education in schools would hate it if they had to teach it to the kid themselves or bring the kid to Sunday school. So they want the state to pay for it and take care of it. I'd say most wouldn't even bother. And don't ask them to explain transubstantiation.

My niece started school in a national school last week and on the very first day she was taught how to bless herself.

The impression I got from the priest in the area at time was they are kind of sick of this sort of a la carte attitude.
They do get things have changened and families, etc and they aren't expecting them to to be devout.
But it does annoy them when kids have no concept of how a mass works or basic prayers.
They'd also have no issue with kids who'd have needs/difficulty.)

Springfields

riffmongous wrote: »

First class I think? It's close to start of school I suppose

Usually 2ND class as far as I know so they would be 8/9 years old...mine won't be making it (although I did baptise them as I didn't know what schools they would be attending) and when I told the headmistress she didn't bat an eyelid ( it is a Catholic school but takes kids "of all religions and none) she told me the number of kids not making it is increasing each year and by the time it's my daughters classes turn she would expect at least half not to take part. And it's not a problem. There is hope for us yet...

Grayson

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Fair point. What age do kids tend to make their communions again? I'm sure I can come up with a similar seshcuse (that's a sesh excuse) if given the correct parameters

near the end of first class, so at 7 years old. Unless it's been changed from when I was a kid.

Grayson

Grayson wrote: »

near the end of first class, so at 7 years old. Unless it's been changed from when I was a kid.

It’s second class now, so 8 years old.

TheRiverman

Has been second class for many years.

The Rape of Lucretia

lawred2 wrote: »

Most people want to have the party but do nothing else

Thats a result of many centuries of church influence. Chritianity determined all feast days, holidays, and celebrations. Adapti g or transforming earlier ones if it suited, and erasing ones it wasnt interested in.

So they started it.

They cant complain now if people dont want to lose what they have been brought up to enjoy.

RayCun

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

It should be on a school day, and the kids should make it in their school uniform.

You know what should happen on school days?

School.

murpho999

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Despite some of the comment during the Pope's visit, it shows how Ireland is still a very strongly devout catholic country, and is committed to maintaining it that way.
Woe any priest trying to 'modernise' from the conservative catholicism tradition.

I actually think the opposite.

The Pope's visit and its attendance numbers shows that Ireland is less catholic than it was. This is also evidenced in recent referendums on same sex marriage and abortion.

The call by people to maintain the old fashioned way of doing communion shows that people are less catholic. I think very few kids make communion for actual religious reasons.

It’s due to the grip that the church still has on schools and also how Ireland is still culturally conditioned to use the church for occasions.

I’d guess that those calling for the traditional communion don’t want to lose the “big day out” idea, daughter in mini wedding dress, new guna for Mammy and all paid for by the kids collecting €50 off relatives.

It’s nothing to do with being catholic at all.

Grab All Association

Who shrunk Stephen Donnelly?

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/god-hates-me-childs-distress-over-heartbreaking-ridiculous-church-idea-37355461.html

ifElseThen

Grab All Association wrote: »

Who shrunk Stephen Donnelly

Dark!

A-la carte whinging about missing the fun secular part of a sacramental day.
Remove all prep for that **** from school-time when they could be learning science, maths, english etc.
****ty parents pushing princess values onto their children.

Hector Bellend

BIGT4464 wrote: »

Nothing stopping someone doing all that jazz. It just shouldn't be up to the schools the prep the kids, so it yourselves and enjoy your day.

Religion of any description should have no place in a childrens school.

Just so long as we treat Jewish, Muslim and all other religions in the same fashion.

Good luck with that.

Hector Bellend

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Religion of any description should have no place in a childrens school.

Just so long as we treat Jewish, Muslim and all other religions in the same fashion.

Good luck with that.

I don't think half the school year is taken up for prepping for either of those

Hotblack Desiato

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

It should be on a school day, and the kids should make it in their school uniform.

The preparation and the ceremony should have nothing to do with the school at all. Let the lazy parents drag their kids up to Sunday school for months on end if they want their "religious" big day out.

RayCun

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Religion of any description should have no place in a childrens school.

Just so long as we treat Jewish, Muslim and all other religions in the same fashion.

Good luck with that.

Jewish, Muslim, and other religions aren't the stumbling block in Ireland, are they?

If people want to send their kids to a private school where their kids will spend x hours a week preparing for Communion, Confirmation, Bar Mitzvah, their first audit... whatever. Fine with me, as long as the kids also cover the basic curriculum, and I'm not paying for it.

If people want to use the school building for communion preparation (or Bar Mitzvah preparation) outside school hours - also fine with me. They should have the same access as drama classes or sports clubs or dance classes etc.

State schools shouldn't be spending school hours preparing kids for a religious ceremony, whatever the religion.

ifElseThen

RayCun wrote: »

Jewish, Muslim, and other religions aren't the stumbling block in Ireland, are they?

and I'm not paying for it.

State schools shouldn't be spending school hours preparing kids for a religious ceremony, whatever the religion.

http://islamicfoundation.ie/education/

2 muslim national schools are state-funded so you are paying for it for other religions too.

These should be abolished or funded privately. No way should the state be paying for the teaching of religious classes of any religion. All children should have access to a school regardless or their personal religion. Removing religious teaching from school equalises every child's access to education from that perspective.

LirW

Ah communion time is great, my son (no faith) is in 2nd class now and communion is on the horizon and he is absolutely delighted. He gets to take his own books to read to school while the others prepare for communion, he always mentions on the way home how he doesn't have to go to mass and in general he's happy that he's spending quite a bit of time this year doing sweet f all while his class is busy with communion things.
Now of course I'd like if it wouldn't happen in school time and he'd be doing something useful. But I can't change it.
He gets a trip to the zoo though from me and also gets to use the neighbours bouncy castle.

Sleepy

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't think half the school year is taken up for prepping for either of those

It's not quite half the school year, but it is a ridiculous amount. My daughter opted out of religion and spent a few hours a week last year drawing pictures to amuse herself while her classmates were being indoctrinated by a teacher on the payroll of the Dept of Education and the "special guest" local representative of an organisation with a disgusting history of child abuse and total disregard for child protection.

Those hours add up to days, if not weeks of her education that she'll never get back. And it's not like her classmates are all going to go on to become devout Catholics. The vast majority won't darken the doors of the local church again until their Confirmation unless there happens to be a Christening or a Wedding in the family.

Faith-based doctrine is the polar anti-thesis of the education we're paying our taxes to provide for our children.

whisky_galore

Decision reversed after a la Carte Catholic fummin.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/update-carlow-priest-reverses-decision-to-scrap-communion-day-after-parents-anger-871548.html

freshpopcorn

whisky_galore wrote: »

Decision reversed after a la Carte Catholic fummin.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/update-carlow-priest-reverses-decision-to-scrap-communion-day-after-parents-anger-871548.html

Hope he has a four long ceremony and ask the parents and children questions and if they get them wrong no communion.
We'll give the kids a bit of lee way with their answer just to be fair.

Hector Bellend

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't think half the school year is taken up for prepping for either of those

Do they have certain religious rituals that the kids have to prepare for?

Hector Bellend

Deleted User wrote: »

Interesting idea. Scrap big Communion ceremonies and let kids make their first communion at an ordinary Mass.

Personally I think it’s a great idea.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/we-cant-let-tradition-become-extinct-parents-anger-at-decision-to-scrap-first-holy-communion-date-for-any-mass-day-37352377.html

Its like having a big wedding.

It's neither the fault of the church or the kids. Its the parents trying to outdo each other. It ends up being about them a lot of the time.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I think it's a great idea. The parents who just see the event as a social one and an excuse for a party will lose interest and stop making a farce of it. Those who are genuinely religious will prefer to see the occasion go back to being a simple religious one rather than the ostentatious, keeping up with the Joneses charade that goes on nowadays.