Do This in Memory
A Parish Based Preparation Programme for First Eucharist
From September 2017 parishes will be using Do This in Memory 2: Liturgical Years A/B. The dates for the year can be downloaded here.
What is ‘Do This in Memory’?
Do This in Memory is a parish based programme of preparation for First Communion centred in the parish celebration of the Sunday Eucharist and in the home. The programme resources are designed to facilitate parents, families and the parishes’ active involvement in the preparation for the sacrament. The programme takes place once a month for nine months before First Eucharist and concludes during the parish celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Programme Resources:
The Coordinator’s Manual
This includes:
- Liturgical guidelines for each Sunday of the programme
- Homily notes
- Text of Sunday readings
- Post-Communion reflections
- Liturgical guidelines for the celebration of First Eucharist
- PowerPoint presentation and notes for the initial meeting with parents.
The following elements can also be found in the Coordinator’s Manual
Fr Simon’s Top Ten THUMB Tips for Priests
These tips can be found in the Coordinator’s Manual. It is hoped that they will prove a useful resource for priests as they engage with Do This in Memory during the year.
Inserts for Parish Newsletters
As a way of connecting the wider parish community, and particularly other children, to the First Eucharist preparation there are a series of short inserts for Parish Newsletters entitled ‘Learning about the Mass with Kath and Qumen’. There are 36 of these short inserts which can be placed in the Parish Bulletin beginning on the weekend of Enrolment Sunday and continuing on a weekly basis until the programme is finished. The text of these can be found in Appendix 4 of the Coordinator’s Manual. This text is also on the CD-ROM that accompanies the manual. The files on the CD-ROM can be copied and pasted by the person who is responsible for producing the Parish Newsletter.
THUMB: THAT’S HIS/HER USEFUL MASS BOOK
This book provides material which helps parents and children engage with the programme before, during and after Mass.
 THUMB contains the following:
 An Introduction to Do This in Memory including a Guide for Parents that suggests ways they might use the programme most effectively
What Happens at Mass?
- This exploration of the Mass is led by two cartoon characters, Kath and Qumen, who are also preparing for their First Eucharist. Through questions, observations and comments they help the children and their parents learn more about the Sunday Celebration.
The Rite of Mass:
This section contains all the prayers and responses of the Mass. It will help parents and children to participate more fully in the celebration of the Eucharist. This year the responses and prayers have changed to reflect the introduction of the New Roman Missal in September 2011.
KidStuff:Â Â Â Â
The final section of THUMB contains nine activity sheets to be completed at home after each Sunday of the program.
GRAPEVINE NEWSLETTERS
There are nine Grapevine Newsletters which are distributed to the families preparing for First Eucharist after each Do This in Memory Mass. Together with THUMB; the Grapevine helps parents to engage more fully with the programme at home. It includes the text for the Gospel of the next Sunday of the programme, suggestions for family prayer and the creation of a Family Prayer Space.
Do This in Memory is published by Veritas and is available from www.veritas.ie or by contacting Christine at [email protected] or 059 9164084.