4Real Forums: 2 year prep required for FHC?

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Topic: 2 year prep required for FHC?

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homewith3
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 9:42am \| IP Logged

I have a question for you ladies. A couple years back our Parish began requiring a 2 year preparation period for FHC whereas it used to be a 1 year preparation..now it begins in 1st grade and runs for 2 years instead of 2nd grade for one year like it used to be. I am pretty sure this is a Diocese wide change...not just our Parish. Can anyone tell me why they made this change?

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Christine
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 10:03am \| IP Logged

Many parishes in our Archdiocese do this. I was told that it was because some parents would start going to Mass when First Communion classes started in the fall and then stop after their child received First Communion. Two years is more of a commitment and will one draw those who practice their faith and two possibly bring families back into the Church.

When I prepared children for FC (one year program in the 1990s), there was a boy who told the class that he and his family were only going to Mass so that he could receive his First Communion. After his FC in May, he and his family did not return.

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KackyK
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 10:48am \| IP Logged

I've heard of this but not termed the same way. I know parishes around here don't say "you need two years to prep for FHC", what they want to see is that you have been coming to religious ed (or homeschooling it) for at least one year before the FHC year. So basically the same thing Christine said.

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Mary Chris
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 11:06am \| IP Logged

The parish I belong to does require two years of prep for sacraments. At my parish they only offer CGS for FHC.

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folklaur
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 11:21am \| IP Logged

In, AZ, we only needed one year (my parish ONLY does CGS for RE). My ds got his FHC in 3rd.

Where we are moving in NV, they said the same as mentioned above - that it is a two year program in 1st & 2nd.

Lorri
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 11:56am \| IP Logged

My mom is the RE coordinator for her parish and they do require that you have 2 years worth of RE before FHC. It's not a two-year program, like part one and part two, but to make sure that you have a good foundation. I guess in theory, you could have RE in Kindergarten, not in 1st grade and then again in 2nd and still be ok. I should ask her.

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Mary G
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 1:23pm \| IP Logged

I'm teaching sacrament prep this year -- and I'm pushing for them to make it a mandatory 2 year program starting next year. The idea being, the first year we'd go thru all the bible stories and then the second year go thru the catechesism and link all the stories to what is required to understand before receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and FHC.

Since I only have the kids one day a week -- and often gets canceled due to holidays (we meet on Sundays, so every Monday holiday cancels Sunday!) -- we only get in about 20 or so classes. Unless my kids have parents that make sure they do Faith and Life assignments, we just don't get the information to the kids.

One thing that I've found is that MOST families aren't steeped in their Catholicism as my own -- I have kids in Sac Prep who didn't know the basic prayers (I'm talking Our Father or Hail Mary) until yesterday (and they're making their FHC in May!). My 5 yo knows all the prayers (except Act of Contrition) because we pray these at home all the time and he's just learned them -- my CCD kids don't hav ehtat kind of backup.

That's why a 2-year program is needed to ensure that the kids are doing more than worrying about their outfits for FHC ...

That all said, I believe parishes can make exceptions when the parents show that their children are well-versed in the prayers, catechism etc so that they can make their FHC/FR early ... that's what I did with Maggie and Thomas last year (actually I didn't even have them in CCD, just taught them at home, Father tested them and they passed easily).

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