FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2024 – Planned for Saturday 8th June 2024, for children who will start their preparation in January 2024.
For Children NOT in Holy Cross School. This year there will be instruction in the months of January – May immediately prior to the First Holy Communion Day itself (Saturday 8th June at 12 noon & 3pm). This instruction will be led by parish catechists. It will take place on five Saturday mornings beginning with the 10am parish Mass and continuing in the Fr Berry room until 12.00 noon on the following dates: 13th January, 3rd February, 2nd March, 13th April, and 4th May 2024. In these five sessions instruction will be given in the following topic areas: Baptism and the Sacraments – the seven sacraments. The children will be using the book “I belong” (supplied free by the parish) and parents will be expected to help their children at home in completing chapters of the book, not finished in class. Candidates will be expected to attend all sessions and as many Sunday masses as they can throughout January – June. * Confession is scheduled for Lent 2024, Reconciliation Sacrament celebration Reconciliation Service in church followed by Confessions– Year Three and families. For children enrolled in the Saturday First Holy Communion Class – they will make their confessions on Saturday morning 2nd March, after the class.
It is planned that on the day there will be two Masses, the first at 12 noon the second at 3pm. Parents will be informed by letter of these arrangements. For further information please contact Fr Neil on 01213512161 or by email fr.neil.bayliss@rcaob.org.uk .
The list of the candidates for the two Masses follows below: Please note that whilst not ‘written in stone’ if you wish to change from one First Holy Communion Mass to the other you must find a family willing to make a swap with you and inform Fr Neil, otherwise you cannot change the designated Mass you have been allocated: Do not approach the school or school staff they cannot help in this matter.
List of Children for First Holy Communion June 8th 2024
Mass at 12 noon Barrow, Baskerville, Bateman, Bigos – Dabrowska, Bomba Bradbury, Chapman, Clougher, Connor, Cross, Eales, Feenan, Firkins, Flight, Garrison, Givans, Handsaker, Keates, Kelly, Williams.
Mass at 3pm Gilhooly, Harvey, Leung, Loshi, Lyons, Madden, Manoj, Martin, Monteiro Shearsby, Ng, Pearson, Robbins, Robbins, Rowe, Scarlett, Sterndale, Sweeney, Turner, Warr.
Invitation to May Procession. Dear Parents/Guardians, I write to invite you and your children to the May procession at 3pm on Sunday 19th May 2024, when we will be crowning a statue of Our Lady and processing her into the Presbytery gardens. Like years past I propose that for all First Holy Communion children there will be a ‘starring role’ to be played towards the end of the service. We will as usual start in the Church and process from there to the gardens. During this procession which the First Holy Communion children will follow the servers and scatter petals before Our Lady that the rest of the congregation will then walk over. There will be refreshments at the end of the service (Tea and cakes!). I know that it is a weekend and you may have plans for the family already, but I do hope that you will be able to attend and will allow your child to take place in this activity. Yours sincerely in Christ, Fr Neil Bayliss Parish Priest.