First communion 2017 at OLWV

After one year of preparation, the children, all Hebrew speaking, Israeli born, children from the migrant communities, mostly Filipino with a few from the Indian and Sudanese communities, came to church dressed in white. In the religion lesson that preceded the mass, Father David explained the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The children then took some time to jot down the sins they wanted to confess. Each child presented the paper on which the sins were written to Father David, who then tore each paper to shreds and cast the papers into a garbage pail. “This is what we ask God to do with our sins, to throw them away and help us to live lives according to the teaching of Jesus. This we can do only filled with the Holy Spirit,” explained Father David.

During the mass, attended by the other children attending religion classes, those studying the history of salvation with Dima and those preparing for the sacrament of confirmation with Benny, and many parents and relatives, the church was overflowing. When the time came, each child approached the sacrament for the first time and solemnly received it.

At the end of mass, Father David, Father Michael Grospe, the chaplain of the Divine Mercy Filipino community, and Ms. Bhea, the coordinator of the catechism program, presented each child with a certificate and a small memento of this great day.

This was the final celebration of the year, which concluded the year of religion classes at Our Lady Woman of Valor. The classes will begin again at the beginning of September.