At my church.... (check all that apply!)

[Heirbyadoption]

We have pot luck continental breakfast just before our Sunday School. Since Sunday School is an hour and half, we do not have to worry about meeting the requirements of pre-Communion fasting.

Interesting... What is the actual pre-Communion fasting time requirement?

On another note of interest, I was under the impression that Sunday School was a Protestant invention. Is this something your particular congregation has taken and adapted, or is there a specifically Catholic format/content to it?

[MaxPC]

We have pot luck continental breakfast just before our Sunday School. Since Sunday School is an hour and half, we do not have to worry about meeting the requirements of pre-Communion fasting.

Interesting... What is the actual pre-Communion fasting time requirement?

On another note of interest, I was under the impression that Sunday School was a Protestant invention. Is this something your particular congregation has taken and adapted, or is there a specifically Catholic format/content to it?

Pre-Communion fasting is one hour before Mass.

Heirbyadoption, funnily enough "Sunday School" (catechetical classes) were actually started in the Early Church though they were not called "Sunday School". I shall try to keep the explanation brief and avoid an entire treatise of history. It is past my bedtime.

In Catholic World, the terms religious education; catechetical classes; and Sunday School (if those classes meet on Sunday) are interchangeable. There are dozens of other names that have been used throughout history but in essence, this ministry ("classes" or "Bible studies" or "religious education") have always existed in some form in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. I would hazard a guess that it was not always called "Sunday School" in some protestant circles either, especially if they do not meet on Sunday.

For me it is an affirmation that through the centuries it has been recognised that more faith support and education is beneficial to Believers in addition to the weekly worship. Man has not changed so much after all.

[Heirbyadoption]

We have pot luck continental breakfast just before our Sunday School. Since Sunday School is an hour and half, we do not have to worry about meeting the requirements of pre-Communion fasting.

Interesting... What is the actual pre-Communion fasting time requirement?

On another note of interest, I was under the impression that Sunday School was a Protestant invention. Is this something your particular congregation has taken and adapted, or is there a specifically Catholic format/content to it?

Pre-Communion fasting is one hour before Mass.

Heirbyadoption, funnily enough "Sunday School" (catechetical classes) were actually started in the Early Church though they were not called "Sunday School". I shall try to keep the explanation brief and avoid an entire treatise of history. It is past my bedtime.

In Catholic World, the terms religious education; catechetical classes; and Sunday School (if those classes meet on Sunday) are interchangeable. There are dozens of other names that have been used throughout history but in essence, this ministry ("classes" or "Bible studies" or "religious education") have always existed in some form in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. I would hazard a guess that it was not always called "Sunday School" in some protestant circles either, especially if they do not meet on Sunday.

For me it is an affirmation that through the centuries it has been recognised that more faith support and education is beneficial to Believers in addition to the weekly worship. Man has not changed so much after all.

Makes sense. I would probably differentiate between catechetical classes and Sunday School as they exist in 21st century America. Thanks for clarifying, though!

[MaxPC]

Makes sense. I would probably differentiate between catechetical classes and Sunday School as they exist in 21st century America. Thanks for clarifying, though!

You are welcome. By way of interest, how do you define and differentiate catechetical classes from Sunday School?

For Catholics, “catechesis” is the general term for it.