(20 January 2012) The media is currently following a story regarding a boy with Down’s syndrome who was refused his first communion in Leeds. For more information, read the BBC article.
As this story is still unfolding, we do not know all the circumstances and the surrounding details that played a role in this decision.
We do know that there are children with Down’s syndrome who actively serve mass in Scotland.
“There are a number of young people with Down’s syndrome serving mass in Scotland,” said a representative from the Scottish Catholic Media Centre in Glasgow.
There are also people with Down’s syndrome in Scotland who serve as altar boys said the Scottish Catholic Media Centre representative. If a person with Down’s syndrome would like to be an altar boy, a clergy member or lay person would train him for the role.
If you would like your child to be raised in the Catholic faith and to receive his/her first communion, ensure your child is receiving education for communion by parents, other family members, the child’s support worker and/or teacher.
- If your child is attending a Catholic school – Education will be ongoing in preparation for the first communion.
- If your child is attending a non-Catholic mainstream school – Many children receive instruction (usually on Saturdays) from a lay person at the local church hall. Please discuss these options with your parish priest to discuss options.
- If a child is attending a non-Catholic specialised school – The parent(s)/guardian should speak with the head teacher as soon as possible to discuss if an education plan specific for communion preparation can be built into your child’s curriculum.
If you have specific issues that you would like to discuss regarding your child’s understanding of communion, please speak with your parish priest.
If a family is having issues regarding communion, please phone Down’s Syndrome Scotland’s Family Support Service to speak to one of our Family Support Service Officers. For more information, please contact us on 0131 313 4225.
