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JSchaaf
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| Posted: May 10 2007 at 10:06pm | IP Logged
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Anne-Catherine receives her FHC Saturday at 1000. The rehearsal was tonight. I learned that the 100 children receiving at the mass will sit near the front of the church, with their RE class and teachers. Parents, godparents, families, etc. will be in the back. Not only will I not be able to sit with my daughter I can't go up and receive with her as well. "If there is time" family members, etc. can receive communion after all the children. I was told that I can "get in line on the side to try and take a picture". I didn't plan on taking pictures during Mass. I wanted to be there with her.
I do understand that they have over 300 children to "process" through, and only 3 Masses in which to do it. But I'm still upset. Am I over reacting?
Thanks
Jennifer
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alicegunther
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| Posted: May 10 2007 at 10:19pm | IP Logged
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No, you are not overreacting! That is really too bad.
I will pray that the Communion is beautiful in every way and that this arrangement does not detract from your joy at all.
May God bless your dear little Anne-Catherine! Is she named after Anne Catherine Emmerich?
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Chari
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| Posted: May 10 2007 at 10:36pm | IP Logged
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What a sad surprise at the last minute, Jennifer! I am so sorry!
MY Anne Catherine is named after Anne Catherine Emmerich I LOVED your dd's name as soon as I saw it! 
Hey, Jennifer......YOUR Anne Catherine wasn't born on October 6th was she????
Beautiful FHC blessings tomorrow!
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Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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JSchaaf
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| Posted: May 10 2007 at 10:42pm | IP Logged
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alicegunther wrote:
Is she named after Anne Catherine Emmerich? |
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Sort of. My MIL's name is Anne, and my maternal great-great grandmother is Catherine, so that is who we told our families she is named after. But her due date was September 8, 1999. When I was researching saints born/died on that day Anne Catherine Emmerich's name came up. I don't think she had even been beatified at that point. I read some of The Dolorous Passion while in RCIA that year. It all seemed to fit together!
Jennifer
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JSchaaf
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| Posted: May 10 2007 at 10:46pm | IP Logged
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Chari wrote:
Hey, Jennifer......YOUR Anne Catherine wasn't born on October 6th was she????
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Nope,my A-C was born on September 11th.
Jennifer
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Chari
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| Posted: May 10 2007 at 11:59pm | IP Logged
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I was just wondering....because someone on the CCM list had an Anne Catherine born on that day.....the same day as MY Anne Catherine.
Blessings on your day!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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Bridget
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| Posted: May 11 2007 at 8:06am | IP Logged
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Jennifer, this was how they did it at our old parish for a while. We were bad. We sat directly behind the first communicants, and instructed our son to slip in next to us at the end of the pew as the children processed in. So he was SORT OF with the other kids and we were discreet about it. By then Mass had started so no one said anything.
The years after that they had the children sit with their families. But it was a smaller parish with maybe 40 children receiving.
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EmilyC
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| Posted: May 11 2007 at 9:30am | IP Logged
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That stinks.
The way our parish does it, is to split the children into two groups, so there are about 40 or so children in each group I think. We receive together as a family. I really like the way our parish does FHC--it's very family centered.
Emily
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isjalu0826
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Our parish does it differently than I've ever seen. There are about 4 children that receive at each Mass from the first Sunday after Easter until they finish up.
Each child gets to receive with their parents and I just love how it is so peaceful and it's not like other FHC's I've seen where it's a veritable photo op moment, with so many children and lightbulbs flashing.
Even with the 3-4 children, our pastor speaks to the congregation beforehand and reminds them that this is a holy moment and not to distract the children or be waving at them or whatever.
I look forward to my son someday having his FHC in similar fashion. A few more years before that though...
He is already passionate about it, asks me EVERY WEEK when he can!
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isjalu0826
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| Posted: May 11 2007 at 3:57pm | IP Logged
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I mean FLASHBULBS flashing, not lightbulbs!!! HA HA!
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Marybeth
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I didn't sit with my parents for my First Holy Communion. My Dad and his siblings made theirs on Ascension Thursday and not many parents attended the Mass.
I was thrilled the next day to go to Mass with my Dad and walk up the aisle with him. He told me don't be afraid (it is a very long aisle) and to offer my Communion for my Mom. It was Mothers Day. The whole weekend was very special and I loved it!!!
Just a different perspective from my end...since I loved my day it doesn't upset me not to be near my ds when he receives next year.
Marybeth
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BrendaPeter
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isjalu0826 wrote:
Our parish does it differently than I've ever seen. There are about 4 children that receive at each Mass from the first Sunday after Easter until they finish up.
Each child gets to receive with their parents and I just love how it is so peaceful and it's not like other FHC's I've seen where it's a veritable photo op moment, with so many children and lightbulbs flashing.
Even with the 3-4 children, our pastor speaks to the congregation beforehand and reminds them that this is a holy moment and not to distract the children or be waving at them or whatever. |
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This is so beautiful!
Our 2 eldest sons received their FHC with a class. I didn't even consider receiving with them as I assumed it wasn't possible. Now we just pick a date and ask our pastor if our children can receive their 1st Holy Communion at that particular Mass. Our friends do the same thing. Usually the pastor will mention it during the homily. We sit in the front row and our child is the 1st to receive Holy Communion that day with our family immediately following. We've had so many positive comments about this from other parishioners!
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Brenda (mom to 6)
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mariB
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Wow. I didn't know First Communicants received communion with their parents on FHC at any church. Our parish has always had all the children receive first! It gave me a chance to watch and to feel so blessed that these children were receiving Our Lord and to(' ')
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JennGM
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BrendaPeter wrote:
[QUOTE=isjalu0826] Our parish does it differently than I've ever seen. There are about 4 children that receive at each Mass from the first Sunday after Easter until they finish up.
Each child gets to receive with their parents and I just love how it is so peaceful and it's not like other FHC's I've seen where it's a veritable photo op moment, with so many children and lightbulbs flashing. |
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This is what our parish does. I do like it this way.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Lorri
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Our parish is a tiny one on a little Air Force Base. We have 15 children in the 2nd Grade RE class. The children will process in together, then join their parents for the Mass. At the offeratory, the children will "set the table" for the consecration. The choir will be singing "We Come to Your Feast" and the first line is "We place upon the table a gleaming cloth of white" which corresponds to the exact time that the first to children are bringing up and unfolding the altar cloth. It's very moving to see these little (not so little any more!) children setting the table for the Lord.
For communion, each child with the members of their immediate family steps up. The family forms a half circle around the child as he receives communion, then the rest of the family receives communion or gets blessed.
Pictures are not allowed during the ceremony so as not to distract the children. We are arriving an hour early for pictures. Father will be in his vestments and each child can have a staged picture "receiving" an unconsecrated host. I'm not sure how I feel about staging a picture, but then again I wouldn't have been trying to get a picture of the actual moment anyways.
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Meredith
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I am so sorry Jenneifer and will pray that you find peace and can rejoice in this very special day!!
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Meredith
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lapazfarm
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I am so sorry for your heartache at this very special time.
I do have to say, though, when I read your post, the thing that struck me was, WOW!!!! 300 first communicants in your parish!
This, to me is unbelievable! Having always lived in an area where Catholics are a very small minority I cannot imagine what that must be like! I don't think we have 300 folks total in our parish!LOL! And never more that a handful of children at First Communion time. Yours truly must be a different world from the one I live in.
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JSchaaf
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lapazfarm wrote:
I do have to say, though, when I read your post, the thing that struck me was, WOW!!!! 300 first communicants in your parish!
This, to me is unbelievable! Having always lived in an area where Catholics are a very small minority I cannot imagine what that must be like! I don't think we have 300 folks total in our parish!LOL! And never more that a handful of children at First Communion time. Yours truly must be a different world from the one I live in. |
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5906 First Communicants in the diocese this year. 
The Mass was this morning. I'm still sad, I didn't even SEE Anne-Catherine during the entire thing. Of course I'm happy about this special day but still feel that I wasn't there.
Anyway, at the end of the Mass Father did invite the children to wear their dresses, etc. to mass throughout the weekend. So we'll have a "do over" tomorrow.
And I'll be right behind her, crying the whole time. This will also be our chance to get some pictures after Mass with Father, in the Mary garden, etc.
Thank you for all your kind thoughts! When I thought about all the people in the world who want to receive Jesus but can't I realized by little problem wasn't a big deal.
Jennifer
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BrendaPeter
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I'm so sorry Jennifer!
If it's any consolation, we just read "The Young Life of St. Faustina" by Clair Mohan Jordan. I was so surprised to learn that she made her 1st Holy Communion by herself, with no family in attendance!
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Brenda (mom to 6)
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helene
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The important thing is that you and your beautiful daughter worked so very hard to prepare her heart to receive Our Lord on this special day. Don't let externals spoil your joy. Congratulations! A long, blessed, holy, sacramental life to you both!
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Happy Mom to five girls (20,17,13,11and 4) and five boys (19, 15, 10, 8 and 6)
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: FHC-A Little Disappointed
