Original Research
Preparation of an unsighted or visually impaired child for the First Communion in the Catholic Church in Poland
Submitted: 09 June 2022 | Published: 14 October 2022
About the author(s)
Dariusz Lipiec, Department of Pastoral Theology and Catechetics, Faculty of Theology, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, PolandAbstract
The aim of the article is to present the preparation of the unsighted and visually impaired children for the First Communion and for their first confession. Blind and visually impaired children whose case is discussed in this article, are, according to the medical standards, described as unsighted; these children attend specialist educational centres. The first part of the article presents the conditions of their preparation for the First Holy Communion and for the first Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, emphasising the influence of the visual impairment on their cognition and communication. The next part of the article shows the steps of the theoretical preparation, with a particular emphasis on the theological issues presented during the religious education classes. Further parts of the article present the steps of the practical preparation, which mainly takes place in the church and in the chapels. The finally presented issue concerns the cooperation between the priests and catechists with the parents of these children.
Contribution: The research presented in the article significantly contributes to the Pastoral Theology, mainly in the field of pastoral care of children with disabilities.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 1665Total article views: 1951
Crossref Citations
1. Building a community of the sighted people with the blind on the example of Dom Bożego Narodzenia in Niepołomice
Dariusz Lipiec
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies vol: 80 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/hts.v80i1.9620