• Make sure that the children can see and hear the celebrant.
• If it is not possible to have the children sitting in the sanctuary area, then create a space towards the front of the church.

CREATE A SPACE IN THE CHURCH DEDICATED TO SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION

This space, which will change with the seasons, provides a focal point for the children, their families and indeed the whole community during the months leading up to First Eucharist and beyond. It may also reflect some of the suggestions for the Family Prayer Space offered in the Grapevine.

CANDLES

A lighted candle is a reminder to all of us of God’s presence in our lives. It is a particularly powerful symbol for the children who have been lighting candles as part of their prayertime in school since Junior Infants. As Do This in Memory begins we bless and present a candle to each child at the end of the Enrolment Mass. We hope that these candles will be used in family prayer at home. We also suggest that the children bring these candles to Mass each Sunday of the programme and place them in the Sacred Space where they remain lighting during Mass. This is a very visible sign of the connection between home and church.
Some of the Coordinating Group can take it in turns to light the candles and return them after Mass. The children should be encouraged to put their names on the candle. The candles should be extinguished after Communion, so that the wax has set before the children collect them.

You will need a candle for each child taking part in the programme. Boramic Candles (Tel 059-9773161) and Duffy and Scott (Tel: 057-9351089) have produced a special Do This in Memory Candle at the price of €3.00.

If it is not practical to have all the children's candles lit during Mass, perhaps a large candle might be placed in the Sacred Space to represent all the candles. This could then be lit at the beginning of Mass.