When and where did you make your First Holy Communion? Mine was at St. Joseph Church, Augusta, Georgia on Mother’s Day, 1961 in the Ordinary Form of the Low Mass, the Tridentine Low Mass, at the parish’s 8 AM Mass. I made my First Confession the day before.
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Mine was in September of 1961, Missa Cantata at 9:00 am, St. Joseph Church, South Bend, Indiana, with first confession the previous Friday
My parents returned to the Catholic Church when I was in fourth grade, so I received first communion late. The church in Ohio we belonged to was in no hurry to catch me up, but still wanted me to attend CCD classes with my age group. Perhaps they were thinking I would receive First Communion when I was ready for Confirmation? When we moved to Michigan two years later, the older priest, Fr Coma (not sure of spelling) thought it was bizarre I hadn't been caught up yet, so he had me attend special meetings with him so he could teach me about it. I received First Communion on Easter Sunday 1996 at St Mark's Catholic Church, Niles, Michigan. It wasn't treated like a usual First Communion - I didn't wear special clothes, process in, or receive separately, which as a sixth grader I was thankful I didn't receive with the 7 year olds. I'll always be thankful to that priest because the impression the Church had given to me to up until then, perhaps unintentionally, was that they didn't care if I ever received Communion.
I remember being prepared by Sister Kevin in the second grade for First Communion. She had us kneel, extend our tongues, and then when person to person touching our tongues with her finger WITHOUT wiping that finger...!
We thought he might receive a visit from the bishop, Thomas McDonough, so we learned to say "Good Morning, Your X-L-N-C!" in our best second grade voices. Alas, we never got the visit.
I remember the tears of horror that flowed when the RCIA Director informed me that because I was currently civilly married (and had been married twice previously) that I wouldn't be able to become Catholic until annulments were done. I was crushed. Having been married to abusive spouses made it impossible that I would ever be able to obtain annulments because those spouses would never agree to go through the process. The parish priest said that there was one way: I would have to agree to live as brother and sister in my current marriage. Done. Tears of joy then flowed when the RCIA director called to give me the good news that she would be helping me prepare for my first Confession. I was received into the Church on December 8, 2016, receiving my Lord with the most joy I've ever had.
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