www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Photo Gallery 1st Communion...about 1930;

Group photograph of a 1st Communion Class taken on the steps of St John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, Bayonne, New Jersey.

Is there a reliable source that traces the history of such observance of "First Communion" in Catholic Churches of the Byzantine liturgical tradition (Russian, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Melkite, Romanian, Italo-Greek, in the Old Country and in the Diaspora)? When/where/how/why did the practice begin? To what extent is it still followed? What effect, if any, did its introduction have on the practice/catechesis regarding the Sacraments/Mysteries of Initiation? What discipline/practice was observed, if any, with respect to the reception of the Eucharist by baptised/chrismated children before their "formal" or "communal" First Communion? Did/do any Orthodox follow the practice of the Eastern Catholics?

Not altogether sure, Tim. I believe that the gentleman in the picture may be a distant cousin of mine through the Zsidisin side of the family. If that is true I think some of your questions could be answered by knowing what he was instructing his students about. More to come.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

Tim,

In the diaspora, it became almost (if not) universal practice among the Eastern and Oriental Churches as a function of (take your pick):

- wanting to look 'fully' Catholic/Western (i.e., we adopted the latinization)
- being instructed to cease communing infants at baptism (i.e., we were told to latinize)

It traces, almost assuredly, to the first interactions with the Latin hierarchs back at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

I can produce photos of the same sort from virtually any of the Churches represented in the US or Canada prior to 1940. The Ruthenians did it, the Ukrainians, Melkites, Italo-Greek-Albanians, Croats, Romanians, Hungarians, Slovaks, Russians, Belarusians, Syriacs, Maronites, Armenians, Copts, and Chaldeans - which I think pretty much includes all of the Churches that had a presence in the US earlier than 1960. I think it's safe to say that none of the Byzantine Rite Churches still do so.

However, as to the Oriental, Chaldean, and Maronite Churches, I believe all or most of them still do. That, I think, is also true of the Ethiopian/Eritrean, Malankara, and Malabarese who have since developed a presence here.

For some of these, this continues praxis as it is in their homelands, as the latinization facor is still fairly high among the majority of these Churches - much more so than among the Byzantine Rite Churches, as it was more ingrained in them. They brought it with them, whereas it was thrust on us or bought into by us on arrival here. Not to say that latinization hasn't crept into some of our Churches in the Old Country - because it has.

As regards the Orthodox, I can't speak to that with any degree of authority, but I believe that it did happen in some ACROD parishes for a time after the break from the Ruthenians. I'd rather Father David or DMD address that part of the question, as they can provide answers that are more definitive.

Certainly, in places, though 'First Communion' per se no longer happens, there has developed a 'ceremony' or what have you around the idea of 'First Confession', followed by 'First Solemn Communion' (or somesuch terminology) which affords the babas the photo ops and dress-up opportunities for little Hortense and Leroy that seemed in 'danger' of being lost (ah, the pain of it ) when latinizations were being abandoned. (In case you can't tell, I'm not a fan of pseudo-First Communion pageantry.)

As far as its effect on the historical praxis of the Mysteries of Initiation, it was accompanied by the abandonment of Chrismation and its replacement by Confirmation in the Latin manner.

Many years,

Neil

Many thanks! / Shchyro dyakuyu! / Bolshoi spasibo!

I will look forward to whatever light others can shed on this practice, its origins and its more recent variants. I wonder if there is any indication of the involvement of any Byzantine hierarch, either in introducing the practice or in seeking to regularize or standardize it.

Yes, it was pretty much the uniform practice in both the Metropolia in its Carpatho-Russian and to a lesser extent its Galician parishes through the early 1960's or so and in ACROD through the late 1980's. It was difficult to convince folks that the tradition was recent and inauthentic in terms of the history of the eastern Church, but over time this link has been broken. Infant communion is the norm, although many parishes retain the 'trappings' of First Communion as 'First Confession' when a child reaches seven or eight years or age.

Sweet picture. The kind of latinization I like: it's old and it blends in.

I'm fairly sure the tiny Russian Catholic Church never did it. Part of their reason to exist was to be just like the Orthodox (in this case to convert the Russians), just like the Pope wants all the Greek Catholics to be.

Yes, ACROD kept it for a long time.

Sure, keep it as Solemn First Communion (after First Confession) with the traditional pageantry and party.

An OCA priest I knew had one of those, growing up in the Russian Metropolia, which, russified, didn't do actual First Communions.

Looking back at what I wrote earlier, the one Church that likely didn't do it was the Belarusians. From what I know of the mission in Chicago, its congregation was an older one and the occasion may not have presented itself. As Michael/Hesychios worshipped there from time to time, he may be able to confirm or deny my impression.


Tim,

By the time the Churches of the Byzantine Rite in the US had hierarchs, the practice was already well-entrenched. And I think that's true going all the way back to 1907 when Bishop Soter, of blessed memory, was installed.

Remember too that, except for the Ruthenians and Ukrainians, none of the others (Byzantine or Oriental) even had a hierarch in the US until 1966, when Bishop Justin (Najmy), of blessed memory, and Bishop Francis (Zayek) were ordained to the episcopate as the first Exarchs of the Melkites and Maronites, respectively.

So, as to its introduction, it was introduced for them, until it eventually became so much the norm that, as David said, folk were, in time, inclined to believe that it was ancient and accepted praxis. My Ruthenian and Ukrainian brethren can speak to when it began to be phased out of their respective Churches, but I doubt if it was any sooner than immediately post Vatican II, probably beginning under the aegis of Archbishops Stephen and Ambrozi, both of blessed memory.

In my Church, the praxis began to be suppressed when Archbishop Joseph, of blessed memory, took office after the repose of Bishop Justin in 1969 or so, although it took a few years to be phased out completely. I can't speak definitively as to the Romanians, but Bishop Louis, of blessed memory, wasn't named Vicar Apostolic until sometime around 1981 or 1982 and it's doubtful that anything much was done earlier than that.


Serge,

The Russians did indeed do it as well, whether they liked doing so or not. That they were directly dependent on the Latin hierarchs when they came into existence pretty much assured that they would.

Many years,

Neil

Byzantine Seminary Press (Pittsburgh) is still offering First Communion, First Confession and Solemn First Communion certificates on their website. This must indicate that the practice is still being followed in some BCC parishes?

Tim is right, the Metropolia changed the event from First Communion to First Confession over the years, retaining the Catholic trappings while practicing infant communion. The OCA parish here probably stopped that in the early 70's when a Carpatho-Russian priest was followed by an emigre from Russia proper. I wonder if it is still done though in coal country and in some parts of their Diocese of the Midwest where there are more Carpatho-Russians and Galicians?

Hmmmmmmm.... I hope folks appreciate that this is more than a little confusing for me as I stuggle to find my way home to the Byzantine Catholic tradition. I am Rusyn by birth and was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition until I left home after High School. First Communion was a mainstay of the Roman Catholic parish which I attended.

I seem to be getting mixed signals as to whether 1st Communion was
a.) an integral and original part of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church
b.) adopted after the tradition came to America or
c.) was practiced only by RBC members who split away from the original traditions to start a new tradition. Help??

Best Wishes,

Bruce

Even my church which had officially been Russian Orthodox since 1909, has a picture in its archives from the sixties, entitled "First Holy Communion" of adorable little girls in white and boys in suits. So - I don't know what's up with that and how they did things back then, I guess they continued what they had in the old country... Currently, our church communes little ones and babies like the rest of the Orthodox.

To answer Bruce's query, which I missed previously, I think 'First Communion' came to be common for the Ruthenian and other Byzantine Rite Churches in this country as part of: the acceptance of latinized praxis pushed on the Eastern Churches by the Latin hierarchy; AND, as a self-initiated praxis in a misguided effort to be more accepted/recognized as 'just as Catholic' or 'just as American' (understand that as synonymous with 'Western') as 'real' Catholics.

Whether it had also been done back in the Old Country at that point in time - because of Latin influence or pressure - I don't know for certain, but I don't believe so - at least not as a widespread praxis. (It was already common back at home among some of the Oriental Catholic Churches though; latinization was foisted on several of those long before they ever got on the boat to head this way.)

Many years,

Neil

Mariya,

In the case of your church, I think it was not what they had done in the Old Country, but what they carried with them from the time they spent here as Byzantine Catholics before they transfered to or returned to Orthodoxy.

Many years,

Neil

Mariya, yes, Saints Peter and Paul on Third Street in Passaic did have First Holy Communion right into the 1980's, they also held "pro-liturgy" (8 am on Sundays) and had stations of the cross along the balcony area (i.e. choir area) the church basically, from a review of historical documentation, left due to a dispute over who would retain title to the church property, from 1902 to 1905 the church was not attached to any jurisdiction but in 1905, the church formally submitted to the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Newark, Bishop John Joseph O’Connor, after this Father Basil Volosin left the parish and a new pastor, Father Eugene Homicsko was assigned to Saints Peter and Paul. Father Homicsko remained at the church until his departure in February of 1909, Father Homicsko was followed by Father John Krochmalney. Father Krochmalney served as pastor of the church until 1910. During this period the church decided to change jurisdictions and actually, according to historical documentation, the church did not "officially" become Orthodox until March 6, 1910.

The majority of members in the parish hailed from the village of Vysni Orlik (Slovakia), and from villages within the Galicia region which today is known as Southern Poland. "First Holy Communion" was just one of the many practices of the parish but possibly did not have as much to do with the "old country" as would first appear.