A special First Communion Day

Last weekend, our granddaughter, Miss C. made her first holy communion.

As her chief catechist, I knew she was ready. She was ready when she made her first confession last fall. Because of COVID protocols, she couldn’t go anonymously in a confessional. But she marched bravely up the aisle in church to go face-to-face with our pastor. What a brave girl.

Covid protocols kept us wondering what her first communion day was going to be like. Would they have a group mass? Would masks still be required? Could friends as well as family sit together for the big day?

There were other questions as well. Miss C. wanted her first communion celebration to be at her daddy’s house, and that was going to take a big effort.

A few years back, Mr. Pete and I bought a house to flip. We started fixing it up and then Miss C. and her daddy needed a place to live. God saw a need and helped us meet it. They have been living there ever since. The home was livable, but it certainly wasn’t beautiful. Here’s an example. The walls needed to be scraped and painted, it needed a new floor in the back room, and water damage on parts of the wood floor needed to be replaced. Could we make it shine before the big day?

The other question was Miss C’s dress. She has very sensitive skin that tolerates mostly cotton fabrics the best. It’s a little tricky to find a plain cotton fabric and make it into a special dress for a first communion. Luckily, my talented sister agreed to take on the project.

We sent the date for the First communion on June 12. That allowed us a few months to work on the house. It would also be a date that Izzy would be off of work and that Calvin and Sarah could come up from North Carolina. It also gave me time to keep teaching Miss C. about God and learning her catechism. The other kids made their first communions in May and had their masked pictures on the front of the bulletin. Miss C. was blissfully unaware of all of that. But I was secretly praying that we could make her day as special for her as that.

Work continued on the flip house.

Old floors were torn up.

Ceiling and walls were painted.

Wood work was finished and painted.

Meanwhile my sister worked on the dress and came up with a perfect solution. A beautiful blue veil (a Marion color) would work nicely with a simple white dress. The result was spectactular!

I’m happy to report that Charlotte was 100 percent ready before her first communion day, even making an unexpected and unsolicited profession of faith to her piano teacher a few days before!

The house was about 95% done and looked great for the party, although some more work will need to be done later.

We lucked out with COVID as well. Ohio lifted all of its restrictions on June 2, ten days before the big day. We had four pews reserved and we all sat together.

But most importantly, Miss C. received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time, from the priest who has given her baptism and first reconciliation! She was elated and so happy. And we are so happy that we could come along for that part of her faith journey.