Second grade at Donahue Academy is full of exciting moments of wonder! First Communion is perhaps the most important and long-awaited of them. By Grade 2, most students have been looking forward to this day since Kindergarten. On Saturday, May 3, Ave Maria Catholic Church celebrated the First Communion for over 70 youth from the parish, including the students from Donahue Academy. It was a beautiful day, and the students expressed how they were filled with great joy to finally be able to receive Jesus for the first time! They were amazed and excited to realize that after their First Communion, if they were prepared, they would be able to receive Jesus daily at the school Mass.
At Donahue Academy, Grade 2 students are blessed with a wonderful daily formation program for their First Communion. The first part of the year focuses on the sacrament of First Reconciliation, which the students received in November. The second part of the year focuses on preparation for the sacrament of First Communion. Since knowledge of Jesus and love of Jesus are so intertwined, the students come to discover and understand the truths of the faith and the mystery of the Eucharist, which helps them to deepen their love for Jesus.
The program’s goal is to foster in each student both a great love for Jesus in the Eucharist and an encounter with Jesus Himself. Daily Mass, opportunity for monthly adoration and confession, the virtue of the month, and daily religion classes are some of the ways we facilitate this encounter. Donahue students, together with the Ave Maria Parish Formation students, also attend two retreats, which are unique in that each student attends with a parent. The days are filled with beautiful opportunities to learn and discover more about the sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
Throughout this school year, students were also able to attend at least 10 of the Monday evening children’s Holy Hours as part of the parish formation program. At Donahue, they also took part in monthly adoration, which for Grade 2 usually takes place on the first Tuesday of every month. It is an amazing blessing to have Jesus’ presence in our school, and we do not take it for granted!
The week before First Communion, in addition to the final classes of preparation, students receive the sacrament of Reconciliation and pray a First Communion Novena. During each day of the Novena, they add a flower to the garden of their hearts by doing something very specific. At the end of the Novena, they have created a beautiful spiritual garden for Jesus to see on the day of their First Communion. It is our hope and prayer that the love and effort students put into their preparation for their First Communion Day yields spiritual flowers for a lifetime!
