Giving Something Besides Money for First Communion

First Communion gift books

I’ve posted about this previously: when it comes to giving a child a gift to commemorate his or her reception of First Holy Communion, I propose that we do better than just putting money in a card! Of course, children are conditioned today to equate receiving money with the highest expression of generosity, and I realize that, by offering them some other gift, they may come to the conclusion that such a giver is “cheap.” Perhaps in addition to some small cash token we can consider other, more meaningful gifts that truly express the spiritual significance of the occasion.

If you are in the position of offering a gift to a child for First Holy Communion this year, consider giving a gift that represents our living faith as well as an opportunity to interact with Pope Francis by gifting the child with the Dear Pope Francis Letter Kit, which includes the following:

  • a copy of the New York Times bestselling book from Loyola Press, Dear Pope Francis. In this book, Pope Francis directly responds to questions from children around the world, including, “If you could do one miracle, what would it be?” and “What did God do before the world was made?”
  • a letter-writing kit to help children and families write their own letters to Pope Francis.

Also available in Spanish: Querido Papa Francisco y kit para escribir cartas.

Here are a few other meaningful First Communion gift ideas:

A child’s First Holy Communion is an opportunity to instill in her or him a deeper understanding and appreciation of their relationship with Jesus Christ—something that money can’t buy!

About Joe Paprocki 2758 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*