December 3, 1966

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:59 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

December 3, 1966 2016-09-30T15:59:33-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It was an unremarkable Saturday. History records that the only newsworthy event on record (or at least, on Wikipedia) was an underground nuclear test performed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

But on that day I received my First Communion.

It was at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Olney, Maryland. Today, Olney is a sprawling suburb replete with tract houses and shopping centers. Back then, though, it was farm country, with one stoplight at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Route 108, and a tiny DGS store in what looked like an old farmhouse. The wooden floors creaked.

St. Peter’s was a modern, utilitarian church divided in two: on one side of the altar was a smaller chapel with ancient wooden pews (saved from the original chapel), and on the other side was a massive tile-floored hall with folding chairs. This space doubled as the school auditorium. It wasn’t air conditioned. In the summer, massive metal fans on tall poles stirred warm air and did nothing to make us feel evenly remotely cool.

On December 3, 1966, I imagine, most of us were looking forward to Christmas and wondering what Santa would bring. But before that, there was First Communion. We practiced for this day for weeks, with the nuns—Sisters of St. Joseph from Chestnut Hill—showing us how to receive on the tongue, kneeling. Receiving in the hand was unheard of. Sipping the Precious Blood was unimaginable.

I don’t remember much about the day itself. I wore a navy blue suit and relatives came in from New Jersey. Somebody gave me a tiny silver four-way cross to wear around my neck. Someone else gave me a colorful ceramic plate with gold lettering: “In remembrance of my First Holy Communion.” I remember there was a luncheon after, at our house. But that’s about all I can recall.

Three weeks later, in an event that seemed much more significant at the time, I received a two-wheeled blue Schwinn bicycle for Christmas. I spent hours in the freezing cold that morning, cheerfully peddling it up and down the sidewalk outside our house.

I was seven years old, in the second grade, with a new blue bicycle.

Who could ask for anything more?

Sacraments

This & that

Previous Post

December 3, 2013

Shadows and light: you have to see these amazing sculptures

Next Post

December 3, 2013 New Jersey offers full police honors at funeral of 10-year-old boy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who rebelled with 250 men against Moses and Aaron?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nadab Korah Dathan Abihu

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »