Last weekend was full of activity. I was helping out again in the Augustinian parish. This is the time of year when first communions and confirmations take place here. Just as in any parish this means that there is lots going on. In fact, the months of November and December are particularly busy in Panama because a lot of things coincide - First Confession, First Communion, Confirmation, Independence Day Celebrations, Advent, Christmas, and this is also the time of year that is most favoured for weddings (so I'm told).
Confessions were interesting - not because of the sins, but because of those confessing. First Communion here is given when children are approximately 11 years of age; Confirmation, when they are 18. This is such a totally different experience to Ireland that I found it to be quite striking. Firstly, the children for first communion, being that little bit older, are much more confident. They also have a much better capacity to understand at least the basics of what is involved in the celebration of Mass. Their confessions reflected this as it was very noticeable that they were able to think about their lives and the significant relationships in them.
Making confirmation at 18, when they are just preparing to leave school, instead of at 11 when they are just leaving it, is a totally different experience. These are no longer children - they are young adults. They also have the experiences, dreams, and challenges that you would expect young adults to have. Making confirmation for these young adults is not an automatic event. This is something that they have chosen - and they have to choose it for themselves.
Catechesis here is generally done in the parish, so those who wish to be admitted to these sacraments have to make quite an effort to make it to the celebration. Each one has to follow a course that lasts for 2 years (2 hours a week). The course is given by catechists who are volunteers in the parish. Those who don't complete the course, don't make their first communion or their confirmation. This is a very different experience from Ireland where all sacramental preparation is done in the primary school. This is very often done very well but I have always thought that there are two important drawbacks - 1) the catechesis is associated only with school and not with the parish. This means that once school is left behind, so, very often, is the catechesis; and 2) the time dedicated to the sacramental preparation is much greater when it is done in the parish. Another important advantage that I notice is that less emphasis is given to the actual celebration, and more to the learning - there is much less practising for the big day (if, indeed, there is any, because normally there isn't) and much more practising of their faith by going to Mass each week (a requesite), and by being involved in parish activities.
Of course, all is not perfect here either - Panama has the same problem that we have when it comes to those who have been confirmed - once they are confirmed they are rarely seen again in the church. However, it is true that there is a much higher index of participation in parish activities for young people in Panama than in probably any local church in Ireland.
On Sunday I was asked to preside at a First Communion celebration. This was a group from a religious run secondary school (run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception) which means that this group didn't do their preparation in the parish but in the school - not, however, during the hours of lessons; catechesis is done after normal school hours. Like all of these celebrations there was a great deal of joy.
Some things that stood out for me during the First Communions - there was no disruptive noise from the congregation; most people in the congregation knew the responses to Mass and also the hymns; everybody arrived early; the children participated in all the moments of the Mass but without the "performance" element that can so often take over from the celebration itself. All in all a very interesting experience.
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