Eligibility We will accept children of parents who are registered, practicing members of Sacred Heart parish. We welcome children who do not attend Catholic schools. If your child has not yet been baptized, please speak with Fr Michael as this can be arranged as part of the programme. Age The minimum age for children to be accepted on the programme will be that they have commenced Year 3 in September (aged 7 – 8 years). Some children may not be ready to participate and engage in everything that sacramental preparation requires, in which case we encourage you to postpone until they are older. Older children (secondary school age) are encouraged to take part in the Parish Rite of Christian Initiation which may be a more appropriate level to engage them. Faith Practice Sunday Mass is at the heart of our spiritual life as a privilege and obligation, when we celebrate the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. The celebration of First Holy Communion each year is primarily a parish community celebration. On this understanding, the parish will give every help to parents and children, particularly those children not attending Catholic schools. The support of parents for this and other elements of the course cannot be emphasised enough. The best thing you as parents can do to prepare your children for this sacrament is to regularly attend Mass. Parents will also be expected to attend a number of parents’ talks during the programme (run during some of the children’s sessions). Mass Attendance Attendance at Mass helps children to understand more fully what the Eucharist is about and to join in the Parish community. To ensure that all children actively participate in Mass within the Parish, we ask that they attend five Sunday Masses leading up to their enrolment, five Sunday Masses leading up to their First confession and five Sunday Masses leading up to their First Holy Communion. Please ask Fr Michael or Deacon Tony to stamp your child’s Mass attendance card at the end of Mass. Mass attendance will be checked during the programme, alongside the completion of the I Belong book and session attendance, when assessing if children are ready to make their First Holy Communion. If attending the Parish’s Sunday Mass is challenging, please speak with Fr Michael to discuss potential alternatives Masses. After each session, we ask that First Holy Communion families attend the 11:00am Sunday Mass together and sit near the front of church. This allows the children to take part more fully in the liturgy and fosters a strong sense of community. Programme Attendance Parents must ensure that their children attend punctually all the preparation classes leading up to the First Holy Communion Mass. At a minimum we expect children to attend three of the I Belong sessions, the confession preparation and one of the First Holy Communion Mass sessions. If you are unable to attend the enrolment Mass, your child can make their enrolment during a different Mass. No child will be denied First Holy Communion, however, children who miss sessions will have missed key catechesis. In such cases, and after discussion with our Catechists, parents may be asked to reapply for the next year’s programme. Sports events, parties and other such competing attractions must come second to attendance on the programme and regular attendance of Mass during the First Holy Communion year. We treat this seriously and hope that you will as well. Naturally things happen in life so if there is a genuine emergency then please get in touch. Parental Support The Baptismal ritual states that parents are “the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith”. The Parish First Holy Communion programme is designed to help ensure that all children receive the same guidance and teaching to prepare them for the sacraments. Our Catechists give up their time to support you as parents/guardians and to guide the children through the programme. Parental support is key to children understanding and engaging in the preparation for the sacraments. Enrolling your child is a commitment to be involved in the teaching and care of your child all through the length of the programme. Requirement for Catechesis and the Role of the Parish Priest Each parish organises their First Holy Communion programme slightly differently depending on what works for their community, the availability of volunteer catechists who give up their time to run sessions, priest availability and other practical factors. All courses are designed to satisfy the need for the Parish Priest to ensure that each child receives adequate catechesis (education in the faith) for an appropriate period of time ahead of receiving the sacraments (cannon law 777) and is actively attending Mass. The Priest must be confident that each child understands the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion (cannon law 913). Participation in the programme and regular Mass attendance are important in helping Fr Michael to make this assessment. It is the Parish Priest’s responsibility to decide if a child is ready to make their First Holy Communion. Sacred Heart School We are grateful to the teachers and leaders of Sacred Heart primary school for promoting the First Holy Communion programme to children in year 3 and supporting the children’s wider development in their Catholic faith. The school organise photos and a celebration within school time and will arrange this separately with parents of children at the school. Please do not contact the school with questions about the First Holy Communion programme as this is organised and delivered separately by Sacred Heart Parish. The course is offered to all children in the parish and is designed to include children from non-Catholic schools. First Confession and First Holy Communion Mass Dates During registration we will ask parents for preferences of dates and will try to allocate children in-line with this, while aiming for even sized groups. Celebration Mass & Parish Celebration We would like to invite all children to a celebration Mass following their First Holy Communions to celebrate as a group having made their First Holy Communion and then to have cake and a little party in the hall together. We encourage children to attend Mass dressed in their outfits – this is an opportunity for them to celebrate together as a group and for the Parish to give thanks for the commitment they have made. First Holy Communion Dress Code We do not require new outfits, we just ask that children be smartly dressed to reflect the solemn spiritual and joyous occasion that it is. School uniform can be a good option if you are not sure what to wear. Some general guidance: Jeans, T-shirts and sports shorts or trainers are not appropriate. Traditionally girls wore white dresses for First Holy Communion – other colours are fine (e.g., if they have bridesmaids dress they would like to wear again) and if your child doesn’t like wearing dresses, they can wear an outfit that they are more comfortable in. If wearing a dress, please choose something simple and with some sort of sleeve to cover the shoulders. Skirts should be long enough to cover the knee. A veil may be worn but please no princess or ‘fairy’ headdresses and no high heels. Often boys wear a suit a suit or jacket, white shirt, with or without a plain tie. Alternatively, smart dark trousers with a formal white shirt are just as good. We don’t want anyone to be anxious about what their child wears – please ask us if you have any concerns. Friends and Family Attending First Holy Communion Mass We want to help make your child’s First Holy Communion a real celebration and welcome friends and family to join them on their special day. A full church really adds to the celebration! We recognise that it can sometimes be a little daunting coming to church if aren’t Catholic or haven’t been to Mass for some time. We would like everyone to feel comfortable and welcome. Visitors may find an order of Mass sheet helpful – this gives all of the main responses that we use in the Mass (there are some copies in church, but it may be an idea to download from our website and print one just in case). There is also a really simple explanation of what happens during Mass on the “abbreviated structure of the Mass” handout that may help non-Catholics understand what’s happening and why (included in the initial information pack and downloadable from our website). Who Can Receive Holy Communion? Please take a few minutes to take a look through the simple reminder of who can receive Holy Communion and how to receive Communion reverently (info sheet downloadable from our website). Costs We ask for a £39 donation to the parish when you register your child. This donation helps to cover costs involved in the running the programme, including: providing each child with an I Belong book, printed hand-outs, wine and hosts for communion practice, commemorative candle, certificates, decorations for the church, cakes and decorations for the celebration. Catechists and volunteers donate their time to run the programme and prepare the church. If the donation creates difficulty for you, please speak with Fr Michael – no child will be turned away. Baptism Certificate We will need a copy of your child’s baptism certificate. If the baptism took place at Sacred Heart, please supply the date of baptism as part of registration so that we can confirm the records. If the baptism took place at another parish, then you will need to obtain the certificate from that parish. We only need a copy so a photocopy or scanned version will do. Communication Most communication will be by e-mail. We will also set-up a WhatsApp group for parents. Questions If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with Fr Michael after Mass or with any of the Catechists at the end of a session.