Like clockwork, all nine, with Hanna and Max in the lead, paraded to the front of the church sitting in the same row, second pew from the front on the left-hand side, every Sunday, filling the entire row like sticks in a long wooden fence. Walking to the front of the church, all five girls wearing the same matching blue and white pinstriped dresses, the two boys in black slacks, black shoes, and starched white shirts with clip-on bow ties, jockeyed for position as they approached the self-imposed assigned …show more content…
When it was time for Communion, the boys and girls walked to the front of the church in single file lines to accept Communion for the first time. Millie thought of it as her first act toward independence in her faith-walk separate from her parents. She looked forward to the day she would take the Holy Eucharist into her mouth for the first time. She had always looked on with envy as her older brother and sisters took Communion each Sunday, coveting the gifts they received at their First Communion party.
When Molly, Pete, and Kate each made their First Communion, a huge celebration took place in the backyard of whatever house they happened to be living in at the time. ALL of the relatives were invited. Max’s seven siblings along with their spouses and children, Hanna’s sister and two brothers along with their families, and all the grandparents, created an enormous group. Consuming copious amounts of food and drink, this was a party Millie eagerly