School Desk

Catholicism 101

Posted

Patricia Hund has an important job at St. Margaret of Cortona School. As the second-grade teacher, she is in charge of preparing her students for their First Penance.

From his desk last week, John McCormick explained the basics of the First Penance — with help from Ms. Hund.

“You have to tell the sins,” he said, “to the priest.”

“You’re going to tell your sins to the priest, then what happens?” she asked. “What are you asking God for?”

“Forgiveness.”

“Will he always forgive you? Are you positive?”

“Yeah,” he said.

In the Catholic Church, children must make their First Penance — commonly called confession — before their First Communion, which generally happens in the spring of second grade. The students from St. Margaret’s, located at 452 W. 260th St., will go to the rectory as a class to complete the sacred rite for the first time.

“They’re very innocent, you know, and it’s kind of fun preparing them, really. They take it very seriously,” Ms. Hund said. “There’s a little bit of fear. Because it’s the first time, I have to reassure them that anything they say to Father is in confidence, that he can’t tell their parents, he can’t tell me, he can’t tell [Principal Hugh] Keenan. Someone will say, ‘Oh, that’s a relief. Are you sure?’ As if they have anything so terrible to tell.”

Ms. Hund said she talks to them about the difference between doing something by accident and on purpose, and between a venial sin and a much more serious mortal sin.

“If you make a mortal sin — which we don’t do, that’s what bad people in the world do — if you make a mortal sin, you go away from God, it hurts your friendship with God,” explained Emily Sosa. “And if you do a venial sin, you just move a little away from God.”

Ms. Hund, who has taught at St. Margaret’s since she graduated from the College of Mount Saint Vincent 36 years ago, takes her role seriously.

“I think it’s something that’s important in their life. I remember making Penance, receiving Penance and First Communion, and I hope it’s something they will remember and something that might help them through their lives,” she said. “Whether it’s them knowing that God will always be there for them, or their parents, just to try to give them that to hold onto.”

“That’s gotten me through some tough times in life,” she continued. “And a lot of them go through broken families. There’s two kids going through divorces at home. And it’s hard. So if this can help them with that a little bit.”

Isabel Angell, St. Margaret of Cortona School, First Penance, 2nd grade, First Communion

Comments