Parents to blame in row over First Communion

Mr Long, in his letter attacking the Catholic Church about a child not making his First Holy Communion (Yorkshire Post, January 25), would be advised to make sure he is in full possession of the facts, which as an atheist one wouldn’t reasonably expect him to have.

Catholic parents, when having their children baptised, make a promise to bring that child up “in the practice of the Faith” and going to Mass every Sunday (unless prevented by illness or another good reason) is part of that commitment.

Therefore, regardless of whether the child has Down’s Syndrome or is a Mensa hopeful, if the parents have disregarded that promise, the Church will not proceed until they do.

It is they, not the Church, who are hindering the little children from coming to Jesus.

After all, nobody forced them to have their child baptised in the Catholic Church and to make the promises that are an integral part of the ceremony.

From: Deacon David Marshall, St Patrick’s RC Church, Bolton Brow, Sowerby Bridge.

TO use that old saying, “if something is worth doing, then its worth doing well”, naturally applies to the preparation/instruction for something so important as the Roman Catholic First Communion.

From the outset parents are always encouraged to become, if not already, actively engaged in the Church community and support their offspring through a course of “child friendly talks” on the significance of The Holy Communion.

Generally, flexibility and personal circumstance, along with liaison at the child’s school, are always sympathetically catered for and adhered to.

However, time and commitment are delicate issues in our fast moving and sometimes impatient society.

On the question of “charity”, no matter how difficult things may be, it still often has to start at home.