Over four weekends, from June 9 to June 30, nearly 120 elementary school students made their first Communion at the auditorium Querétaro’s Educational Center; and on June 21, 47 high school students received the Confirmation at Querétaro’s cathedral.
First Communions
Three first Communion celebrations were presided over by Brother David Molina, pastoral coordinator, and one by the headmaster, Brother Germán Marquínez, in an emotional, community and family atmosphere.
The Fray Luis de Leon College, administered by the Augustinian Recollect Fathers, holds an active programmed catechesis to Primary third grade via system Montessori The Good Shepherd, that is a catholic pedagogy that enhancing love for the Church, taste for the liturgy, prayer and silence, having as leader Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd.
In this method the pupil lives the experience of his faith like a “sheep” of Christ; prior of receiving the first communion, this pedagogy it is intensified on the pupils via various signs like receiving the Word, the prayer of Our Father, the liturgy of light and attire, and the reception of the sacrament of penitence. Each group of Primary, organized in four weekends, lived every activity above mentioned.
The development of these activities prior to receiving the first communion were successfully carried out thanks to the support of catechists and committed lay people of Good Shepherd, friars from the community of Saint Pius the Tenth, volunteers from the social service of Preparatory, the Pastoral Coordinator Friar David Molina and, above all, the teachers of religious orientation: Amelia Martínez, Sandra López and Felipe Mejía, who every weekend were in charge of the management, organization and good development of the retreat, liturgy of light, etc. In this way the students learned biblical maxims, received guidelines for a good confession and lived meetings of prayer and recreation, until, finally, everything ended in the celebration of the first communions.
Confirmations
Firstly, on June 21, 47 high school students from the same school received the sacrament of Confirmation, administered by Monsignor Sacramento Arias, rector of the Holy Cathedral of Querétaro.
This is the second time that confirming from the Querétaro school have received this sacrament at the cathedral, in order to strengthen the ties with the Diocese of Querétaro so that the young students can feel connected to their local Church and to their pastor Monsignor Fidencio López, bishop of Querétaro.
The celebration of the sacrament was full of emotions and meaning for the new confirming. In fact, the rector of the cathedral acted in a close and affable manner with the godparents and the confirming, both in the homily and in the renewal of the baptismal promises as well as in the imposition of hands; he encouraged the young people to be aware of the greatness and grace that the sacraments of initiation represent for all Christians.
Finally, in the chrismation, the Queretaro priest encouraged the newly confirmed to live their life as confirmed with courage, that is, to be witnesses of Christ in all the contexts of their lives.
Before concluding the celebration, their catechist, Fray David Molina, thanked Monsignor Sacramento for his service and reminded the confirmed and their families of the need to be in communion with Bishop Fidencio López, pastor of the Diocese of Querétaro.
It should be noted that, before receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, the young people had a year of catechesis given by Friars José Antonio Hernández and David Molina, a retreat prepared exclusively for the confirmed along with the celebration of the sacrament of penance, in addition to a retreat with their parents and godparents, and a rehearsal prior to the ceremony, with the purpose of arriving well prepared to receive the sacrament.
