Your child’s faith journey began the day you brought your child to the Church to be baptised. And what a special day that was for you and the family. Now, that child has grown, they are about to take another step in their faith journey, as they prepare for First Holy Communion. And we all have a part to play.

While the Home is the primary learning place, each parent/guardian will be asked to take on a special role over the next few months, to journey with your child as they prepare to receive the sacraments, as there is only so much that can be taught in school. Our teachers do a wonderful job in preparing the children for their special day, but ‘home is where the heart is’. And the home is the domestic Church, where our children are influenced by what they see and learn.

As part of our preparation for First Penance and First Holy Communion, we run in tandem a parish based programme, ‘Do this in Memory’. This programme is a continuous programme, connecting the classroom with the home and the parish. As part of the programme, there is an Information Night, (where we meet the parents), an Enrolment Ceremony for you and your child, and there are four Sundays set aside where you and your child will have some participation in the Sunday Mass. It is also hoped that you and your child will frequent mass regularly as your child prepares for this special day.

Thosaigh aistear creidimh do pháiste an lá ar thug tú do pháiste ag an Séipéal dá mbaisteadh. Agus ba lá fíor speisialta ar fad a bhí ann daoibhse agus don teaghlach. Anois tá an páiste sin fásta agus iad le coiscéim eile a thógáil ina n-aistear creidimh agus iad ag réiteach don Chéad Chomaoineach. Agus tá páirt againn ar fad anseo.

Cé gurb é an Baile an príomhionad foghlama iarrfar ar chuile thuismitheoir/caomhnóir ról speisialta a ghlacadh ar feadh cúpla mí le bheith in éineacht lena bpáistí agus iad ag réiteach leis an tsacraimint seo a ghlacadh, ó tharla nach féidir ach méid áirid a mhúineadh sa scoil.  Déanann ár múinteoirí togha jab ag réiteach na bpáistí dá lá speisialta, ach ní féidir an baile a bhualadh. Agus is é an baile, mar gur áit é a mbíonn tionchar ag an méid a fheiceann agus a fhoghlaimíonn na páistí ann, Eaglais an teaghlaigh.

Mar chuid den réiteach don Chéad Aithrí agus don Chéad Chomaineach, reachtálann muid an clár ’Déanaigí é seo i gCuimhne Ormsa’ sa bparóiste ag an am céanna. Is clár leanúnach é, a chruthaíonn ceangal idir an seomra ranga, an baile agus an paróiste. Mar chuid den chlár bíonn Oíche Eolais ann, (ag a gcastar leis na tuismitheoirí), Searmanas Clárúcháin duitse agus do pháiste, agus leagtar amach ceithre Dhomhnach ina nglacfaidh tusa agus do pháiste páirt éicint in Aifreann an Domhnaigh. Táthar ag súil freisin go bhfreastalóidh tusa agus do pháiste ar an Aifreann go rialta le linn dóibh a bheith ag réiteach don lá speisialta seo.