Dear Parishioners:
The First Communion (La première communion), by Elizabeth Nourse (1859–1938)
We are happy to report that we have rescheduled our First Holy Communion Masses postponed earlier in the spring. We are spreading them out over three Saturdays in September to keep the groups small, about 20 candidates at each class. Our OLM School First Communion Class will celebrate together while our OLM RE Classes are separated in two. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, only their parents and immediate family are allowed to attend the Masses. However, it will be live-streamed so that relatives and friends might watch and pray for the First Communicants. We are thrilled that this important celebration in the life of our parish is happening! We thank all the First Communion Families for their patience and understanding during these unprecedented times. Please pray for these children as they continue to prepare for the reception of First Holy Communion.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once gave a talk to a First Communion Class. He said:
“Of course, I remember my First Communion day very well. It was a lovely Sunday in March 1936. It was a sunny day, and the Church looked very beautiful, there was music. There were so many beautiful things that I remember. But at the heart of my joyful and beautiful memories is this one - I understood that Jesus had entered my heart, he had actually visited me. And with Jesus, God himself was with me. And I realized that this is a gift of love that is truly worth more than all the other things that life can give.”
Confirmation Mass is scheduled for Sunday, October 25th, at 5:00 PM with Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester, NY as our celebrant. We are keeping this date and time and expect that Bishop Matano is still able to join us. We have over 80 candidates for Confirmation and anticipate restricting attendance at the Mass to the candidates and their parents and sponsors. The Mass is to be live-streamed for relatives and friends. Pray for these young men and women as they prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Catechism Lesson by Jules-Alexis Muenier [1890)
We are also finalizing our plans for the OLM Religious Education Program for the coming year. We will be unable to have in-person classes due to the COVID-19 restrictions. These restrictions mean that our RE families are going to have to homeschool their children in the faith. Of course, we provide the needed materials and necessary guidance for this home study. We hope for some limited in-person instruction for the RE Students preparing for First Communion and Confirmation in 2021. We are still developing a plan that is feasible and safe for all concerned. Sacramental Preparation needs some in-person instruction, and this is most likely to be done in the Church itself.
It is important to remember that our RE Program is only an additional aid and guide for parents in the teaching of the faith to their children. They are the primary teachers of the faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God.”
We encourage students and families to register now for Religious Education. Knowing the number of students enrolled in our RE program this fall helps us plan correctly. Registration is online at the parish website. Pray for our OLM RE Families! Our goal is first and foremost, the healthy and safe return of students to RE and Church. Of course, all these plans are subject to change as the pandemic health and safety restrictions evolve. Please pray for an end of COVID-19 and the health, well being and safety of all! Stay safe. Be Well. Do Good! God Bless