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I just had a question about the status of the restoration of infant communion in the Ukrainian Catholic Church:

What is the current status of infant communion in the Ukrainian Catholic Church? Is there a standard practice that has restored infant communion in Ukrainian Catholic parishes? Or, is this more of a parish by parish (or eparchy by eparchy) decision? If infant communion has been restored in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, when did this occur?

If I've formulated my question wrong, I apologize. I was in discussion with someone recently on this and this question came up. Thanks!

My daughter was baptized, chrismated, and received communion as an infant in a Ukrainian Catholic Parish, and all the infants/small children at the divine liturgy received communion as well, but that's all I know.

I believe the Instruction on the Implementation of the liturgical provisions of the CCEO mandates the restoration of Holy Communion for infants and small children.

Most of my people are straight from Ukraine; nobody has ever blinked at the administration of Holy Communion to infants and small children, nor is Bishop Hlib surprised by the practice.

Fr. Serge

Thanks, Father. I know in the late 90s in Arizona it had not happened yet. Does anyone know if it's standard in the US in Ukrainian Catholic parishes?

It does not happen in Scotland either , but I can't answer for the rest of the UK

In the Eparchy of St. Nicholas (which includes Arizona) I know of no parish that refuses infant Communion nor has in at least the last decade. Neither Fr. Hugo Soutus nor Fr. Andriy Chirovsky will refuse any infant Holy Communion.

Infant Communion is the normal practice in the UGCC, and all of the two or three commonly used books for Initiation mention the practice of communing the infant. The local Eparch, the Synod, and even Rome through the Instruction has mandated this practice.

This is an interesting topic to me. Because the Ruthenian parish in which I grew up (early 70s) practiced infant Communion, this became the norm in my mind and I was unaware that it was done any other way in Eastern churches. I had no idea that the practice was not universal until fairly recently.

For those jurisdictions that have not restored infant communion, why not?

Elizabeth

I likewise have never belonged to nor visited a UGCC parish that did not practice infant communion in my lifetime.

Alas in my experience most UGCC parishes I am familiar with have "First Communion" when the child is older. In other words, despite the best theology and official (or quasi official) mandate, there is often only Baptism and Chrismation and no Holy Communion at Baptism. Then when they are older they have First Holy Communion. So we've a ways to go yet

This is such an ingrained thing that even some (most?) of the "good" (reformed) churches that have restored infant communion, still have what they call "First SOLEMN Communion" (at the age of First Communion)- and they make a big deal of it with those poofy wedding dresses for the girls etc. (Why is this one more "solemn" than the Holy Communion partaken last week?)

Personally I think they should replace that with "First Confession" - and you can still make a big deal of that with parties and presents.

All of the hierarchs in the US have mandated infant Communion. The newer immigrants come over expecting it. I don't know why the "Solemn Communion" thing exists - even as a transitional thing to eliminating references to "First Communion" it creates misunderstanding. This is not relegated to the UGCC as I have also seen this done in a Melkite parish.

i've seen it as: First Holy Confession, First Solemn Communion, etc. etc. just go to your local card-shop and try to buy a card for one of those occasions!!!!

in any case, my 7-month-old and 3-1/2-year-old commune with me and/or my wife regularly in any of the UGCC churches we go to (we have two "home" parishes, and then the parish i grew up in in NJ; also at the SSMI pilgrimage in Sloatsburg it was perfectly normal). one thing i feel funny (uncomfortable) doing is sending my older son by himself, if i have not prepared myself for receiving Eucharist on that particular morning. last Sunday i saw my wife's relative send her 4-yr-old daughter by herself at the NJ parish.

good? no good? i'm not sure about this one.......

Christ is in our midst!! He is and always will be!!

Why not? Think of the lesson you are giving your son each time. It isn't easy, but one thing my own son--now 31--has remarked about was seeing his father praying and preparing for what I've always said was THE MOST IMPORTANT thing I will do in a week or in a lifetime: meeting the Lord in this most intimate way and receiving Him no matter how poor my preparation has been--distracted as it may be.

BOB

The Melbourne Eparchy is still doing First Communions. We have an awful long way to go in getting into line with a number of directives on Eastern Churches put out in Ukraine and Rome.

The most recent issue of Sophia features a page of text and 2 of photos focused on the "2009 Eucharistic Awareness Program" at the Melkite Cathedral. Call it what you will, it sure looked to be 'First Solemn Communion'.

See pages 7-9 Ten Little Angels [melkite.org].

Notably, an article on page 17 of the same issue focuses on "First Reconciliation" at Our Lady of Redemption Melkite parish in Warren, MI.

Many years,

Neil

It's really very simple: the power of a bishop is nothing as compared to the power of the babas and yayas. They want to see little Euphroseniye dressed up in a bridal gown, and young Demetrius in a monkey suit, and they will not be denied.