In the spirit of Confession Friday (which I learned about thanks to the The Word Worm), I’ve decided to offer you some really great (read: the worst ever) pictures of my existence. In fact, if you enjoy them…let me know. I’m not short on “classy” photos of my chubby childhood. I could make this a fun Friday thing.
My First Communion
Allow me to explain to non Catholics the basics of First Communion. In the 2nd grade, Catholic children, who’ve been guilted by their mothers since birth, make this right of passage into the church. This is when they start accepting communion (Jesus) into their bodies.
Second grade was a really awkward time for me. Apparently, even though I had attended first grade CCD, 2nd grade was too full and Mom couldn’t enroll me in the class. They told her that I could make my communion next year. Obviously, my very Catholic mother would have none of that. Soooo, she pulled a trick that only a woman in my family could pull. She pitched seven fits until the Director of CCD and Father Valente had to do something.
They gave my mom the second grade CCD student and teacher books, and she “home-schooled” my religious education in the 2nd grade. Once a week, or every couple of weeks, we would sit down and go through the lessons in the book. Some weeks we would cover several lessons, other weeks just one lesson. Either way, this felt like a torturous experience for a severely awkward seven-year-old who really just wanted to go play with her friends.
When it came time for Communion preparation, I had to do it all on my own (I mean, my parents were there and all–but no kids. No classmates. No peers.) So, the second grade teacher had made a cassette tape of the songs we would sing at the Communion Mass, that I practiced with. Mom and Dad took me to my First Confession. Mom and her best friend, Kathy, took me to get my First Communion dress. I got to pick out the dress and a veil. That part, I loved.
Then came Communion practice. My first interaction with the other second graders. I knew some from school, and some from the previous year, but mostly they were strangers to me. To make an awkward child even more angsty, Mom informed me that I was not allowed to touch Jesus. This meant that while my peers would be taking the Communion into their hands, I would be taking it into my mouth. During practice, I was to test this out. I was so nervous and embarrassed for myself that I couldn’t see straight. The catechist running the practice looked at me a little funny when I didn’t have my hand reached out, because that’s not what he had explained…but he caught on quickly. Later, this would become, in my head, something kinda neat that I did during mass, and I was proud of it…but at the time, it was so embarrassing.
Finally, the day of my Communion arrived. I barely remember the actual day. I know that I was there. I know that I made it through. I remember the priest who offered me Communion had an impressed look upon his face when he did not see my hands reaching toward him, but my open mouth. I remember that there was a party, and that was fun.
I took the liberty of attempting that surly look in my present… here’s what came out.
And so now, my godson is on the cusp of his second grade year. About to make his First Communion. My mom actually taught him 1st grade CCD this summer so that he could sign up to be in the second grade class. He seems excited and interested. I think he’ll be a lot less awkward than his Auntie Chrissy. Thank God.
29 Responses
OMG I think we had the same communion veil!
Carson Pirie Scott?
I dunno- I wore my sister’s hand-me-down
I didnt make my first communion untill i was 11 years old and it was a disaster! First,my parish,St.Jeromes,was very strict and required the full communion outfit for us girls.They considered the communion dress as an extension of the baptism outfit we were baptized in as babies,so as part of the requirements,we had to wear a cloth diaper and plastic pants[rubberpants[ under our tights with an under shirt,this was to remind us of the purity of our baptisms.My mom got the largest size pair of the rubberpants she could find,which were toddler size and made my diaper from sewing baby diapers together to make one diaper.Then,secondly,the rubberpants fit tight over the diaper and the leg openings were digging into my leg joints and causing me pain.Thirdly,it was warm that sunday in may and i was sweating some in my outfit and the diaper,rubberpants and tights didnt help matters.Fourth,at my party,after all the photos were taken,and i was in misery,mom took me to my room and took the diaper off of me and rubbed calamine lotion on the red rings from the leg openings of the rubberpants.She then pulled the rubberpants back up and told me i had to wear them the rest of the day.They felt a little better not having the diaper on under them,but i could still feel the plastic next to my skin.Lastly,when i took my outfit off before bedtime,my butt and hips were all broken out in a red rash from the rubberpants.mom re-applied the lotion and in the morning the rash was mostly gone,but the two red rings around my leg joints lasted for over a week before they went away!
That is all sorts of horrifying and embarrassing! I can’t even imagine. Why would they DO that to you?!
To Faith H.-I finially made my First Holy Communion at 14 and it was just as bad as yours was! We had to wear a poofy,top of the knees,short sleeve communion dress and the veil,with lace socks and white ‘mary jane’ style shoes.Like your parish,our communion dresses were considered an extension of our baptism outfits,so we had to wear rubberpants and a tee shirt under our dresses! My mom got the adult size small,white rubberpants from a website and my tee shirt at Kohls.I had babypowder inside the rubberpants and also on the outside as mom said it would help keep them soft.I felt a little weird and embarrassed walking down the aisle with the 7 year olds! At my party,several of my female cousins and a couple of my friends lifted up the front of my dress to check out the rubberpants.I also got a mild rash from them and at bedtime mom rubbed lotion on the rash.
Oh my god! 🙁
In some parishes the communion dress is considered an extension of the baptism gown the girls were baptized in as infants so the white under shirt and cloth diaper and rubberpants is worn under the communion dress to represent and symbolize the girls purity of their baptisms for their First Holy Communions.
When i made my First Holy Communion at age 12,I was put into a size 8 pampers cruiser diaper with ruffled rubberpants over it and a white undershirt as my top! My dress was short sleeve and poofy and came to my knees.My veil was long and i had lace anklets and white mary jane shoes.The pampers and ruffled rubberpants were the doing of my gramma and great aunt! At my party,the back of my dress was lifted up and several of my female relatives checked out my pampers and the ruffled rubberpants and thought they looked cute and adorable!
To Jackie M.-You are right.Our parish is one that considers the communion dress as an extension of the baptism gown the girls wore for their baptisms as infants.The girls wear a poofy,short sleeve,knee length communion dress and veil with lace anklets and white maryjane style shoes and a white tee shirt with a cloth diaper and rubberpants is worn under their dresses.Our daughter finially made her First Holy Communion at 15 and she wore the short sleeve,knee length communion dress and veil with the lace anklets and white shoes and i got her cloth diaper and rubberpants from a website and the tee shirt from Target.She looked gorgeous in her outfit and very pure and innocent.She even admitted that the cloth diaper and rubberpants made her feel pure like an infant.
To Faith and Clarice- I had it even worse! I did my First Communion at 14 and lived in a small town in north central Iowa.Our required outfit was a short sleeve,poofy,top of the knees,communion dress with a tie under the chin bonnet,lace anklets and white mary jane shoes and a tee shirt,cloth diaper and rubberpants under our dress! My bonnet had to be made for me and i had to wear the same toddler size rubberpants the little girls had to wear over their diaper! I felt weird and enbarrassed walking down the aisle and every knew i had the diaper and rubberpants on under my dress!
That is just crazy and embarrassing!!
I am 15 and will be making my First Communion this comming sunday,May 19 and i am dreading it! I am in the class of 2019 with the 2nd graders and my parents along with my one gramma and aunt are making me into a little girl for the ceremony! I am going to wear a poofy,knee length,sleeveless communion dress and matching veil with the lace anklets and the white patent leather shoes and a white camisole with a cloth diaper and white,crinkly,adult size rubberpants over it! My parents,gramma and aunt told me that i have to be pure and innocent like the little girls in my class,so i have to endure the embarrassement for the day! The only saving grace for me is that there is one other older girl in my class at 14 and she is being dress as one of the little girls also.
Wow. At least you’ll have a peer with you. I am so sorry you have to endure that, even if it’s only one day. I will never understand this, but sending you good vibes that the day goes as well as it can for you.
When i made my First Communion at 15,my parish also required rubberpants and an under shirt to be worn under the communion dresses to symbolize the purity of our baptisms as infants and also to make us feel more pure and innocent.Mom got my white rubberpants in adult size that fit me a little loose.She sprinkled baby powder on me before i put them on and my undershirt was tucked into the waist.My poofy communion dress and veil were put on me next,then the lace anklets and the white mary jane shoes. I felt somewhat weird with the rubberpants on under my dress to say the least! I didnt feel any more pure with the rubberpants on under my dress than i would have with white panties on!
Our 13 year old daughter just made her First Holy Communion this past sunday,May 22nd.The dress code called for all of the girls to wear white rubberpants and an undershirt under their communion dresses. I got her youth size rubberpants and used babypowder on her and she got a rash from them!
I am 13 and currently in puberty and bedwetting because of it.I wear cloth diapers and rubberpants to bed every night per my parents requirement.I just made my First Holy Communion this past sunday October 2nd in the teen class-13 to 17 year olds and after my bath,mom put a pair of my bedwetting rubberpants on me with a tee shirt as my top that i had to wear under my communion dress for the day.It was the first time i wore the rubberpants without my diaper under them and it felt different!
Hi,at my parish baptisms are done during Easter vigil.All of the girls,little,preteen and teen,wear the traditional white,poofy,short sleeve,top of the knees baptism dress and bonnet with a white under shirt,cloth diaper,rubberpants,tights or lace anklets and the white maryjane shoes and they are very pure and innocent! Then First Holy Communion is done a month later and the girls baptized at Easter vigil have to wear their baptism under shirt,diaper and rubberpants under their communion dresses also.
Our daughter just turned 13 in March and is making her First Holy Communion this comming Mothers day,May 14th in the class of ’23 with the 2nd graders. I am excited and looking forward to dressing her in her pretty,short sleeve,knee length communion dress and veil with the lace anklets and white patent leather shoes! I bought her white cloth communion diaper and the white rubberpants from Babypants.com and will put them on her after her bath sunday morning with the white tee shirt as her top.I got the rubberpants in adult size so as to fit loose over her diaper.I got baby lotion and baby powder to use on her with the diaper and rubberpants. All of the little girls will have the diaper and rubberpants under their dresses as well so the daughter will be just like them!
I suppose from a man’s perspective, those young girls will hopefully grow into lovely ladies and always view their past upbringing as a reminder to feel protected and safe and feel self respect! Basic training, dress code and an understanding of the meaning of life and its principles can often be difficult to grasp but that modesty becomes part of future morals they will take throught their lives. It is far better, I believe to be humble and decent than to become a tart and not have any standards at all. In addition, many adults who were deprived of early hygiene and training indulge in things that they will later regret in adulthood and consequently won’t be able to reverse.
You clearly haven’t read this post or anything else on this blog.
Signed,
A “tart” with standards that would steer far away from a man with a perspective like yours.
A cousin of ours whose is 12,just made her First Holy Communion last sunday,June 2nd.Her parish requires the girls to wear a diaper,rubberpants and tee shirt under their communion dresses,so she had on a disposable diaper with babyprints on it with the white rubberpants on over it under her dress.The diaper showed thru her white rubberpants some and actually looked kind of cute!Some of the girls had a cloth diaper with their rubberpants,others had the disposable diaper under their rubberpants
But did the boys have to wear diapers too?
No, the boys do not wear the diapers,only the girls have to wear them with the rubberpants over them.The communion dresses are considered as extensions of the baptism gowns the girls were baptized in as babies,so the cloth diapers and rubberpants represent the purity of their baptisms.
No the boys did not have to wear diapers,only the girls had to wear them under their communion dresses.Boys are not as pure and innocent as girls are! I had to wear the cloth diaper and rubberpants under my communion dress at age 13 and they made me feel pure like a baby.
No the boys did not have to wear diapers,only us girls had to wear them with the rubberpants over them.
No,the boys do not have to wear diapers,only the girls have to wear the diapers and rubberpants.
To Gwen-It is the same at my parish also,only the girls wear the cloth diaper and rubberpants under our dresses.I am 15 and just made my FHC last may and wore the poofy,short sleeve dress and veil with the lace anklets and the white maryjane shoes.Mom got my cloth diaper,diaper pins and the white rubberpants from Babypants.com. So that i would feel even more pure,the rubberpants had six rows of pink lace sewn across the back with a white bow in the middle of the ruffles.I felt very pure and innocent in my outfit and my friends at my party,thought the rubberpants looked very cute!