Deacon Frank Foyt

I have a young lady age 12 who has missed catechesis because of a family situation. She (through her father) has asked to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Everything I've seen targets the second grade level which is much below her level. Anybody know of a good resource?

Depending upon her level of exposure to the church over the past few years she may actually be a better candidate for RCIC than a brush up and rush up to "catch up" with her sacraments. If she is relatively unchurched and uncatechized she will benefit from a year long process that will prepare her in a manner simular to an adult candidate (Baptized christian entering the church)
On the other hand if she has had a real ongoing experience of the church and parish community and some solid catechisis along the way but didnt make her sacraments because of something like class schedule or moving then you might consider simply preparing her for the sacraments.
In my experience the best place to start is meeting with her to find out if this is what she wants. (Warn her father ahead of time that she is old enought to make this choice and that he shouldn't put pressure on her to please him in this matter) which ever process is most appropriate for her make sure that she is receiving catechis with her peers as well as make sure that this isn't something that she is expected to do alone. Her family needs to be engaged in helping her and attending Mass with her.
A few years ago I had 2 lovely young men 10 & 11 who wanted to get caught up in their sacraments unfortunately their parents were less committed to bringing them into a life of Faith in the church than they were to getting the boys to football practice. They saw the process as something they could drop them off for an hour a week for with out any follow thru on their part or partcipation in the weekly Eucharist. Tragically when I told the parents that they needed to bring the boys to church or it wouldn't make sense to prepare them to receive the Eucharist. I received an angry tirade from one of the mothers who accuesed me a pushing her son away from the church. As you may imagine I was upset because I had hoped to draw them to a deeper relationship with the church. I do continue to pray for the boys often and I am confident that the seeds of faith will blossom in them at the Spirit's prompting in God's good time. Sometimes we encounter people who think that sacraments must happen on a timed schedule and we must hurry up and make up if they were missed, instead of recognizing that sometimes there is a deeper experience of the sacraments when they are recieved with the openness of conversion.
Hope this helps.
Peace

I also think the place to begin is to get to know both her and the family. If she is just coming back due to a family situation, quite possibly so is the family. I'd connect her with her grade level classmates in regular classes and if she is your only person in this situation schedule some time to meet regularly with the child and adult care giver, whoever that may be to begin to bring her into the life of our church. Not only will she "need the sacraments" she also needs a context to understand them within (the full body of our teachings) and a supportive home where she can continue reflecting on the journey that you'll be leading her on.
Bill

Good point, Bill. It seems that I am getting more and more young people who have not celebrated Reconciliation and Eucharist, My first step, after taking time to listen to their story, is to get them connected with the larger parish comunity (another family if at all possible). I also encouarge them to enroll in RE so they can begin building relationships.

James.