CHILDREN with special needs enrolled at the Intervention Center for Autism and Related Exceptionalities or iCare have received their first Holy Communion last Tuesday morning, December 11.
The iCare, owned and managed by Renato Tangonan, is a school committed to provide efficient and effective quality therapy and educational services to children with autism and other related disabilities using the scientific procedures of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as the foundation of intervention.
Last Tuesday morning, special kids and their parents attended the children's first Holy Communion presided by Reverend Father Erdman Pandero and Reverend Father Julian Guinit.
According to Tangonan, the parents expressed joy and gratitude upon knowing the iCare's initiative to organize a holy communion for special kids in the school.
“Happy sila, fulfilled siguro sila as Christians kay pwede na silang mag communion. Kaya nga si Father, kinausap namin kanina, na pag mag-communion daw sila later on sa simbahan, they will just tell daw na nag first communion na sila kay Father Dodong para mabigyan sila,” Tangonan, the program director, said.
The special children did not undergo the sacrament of reconciliation or first penance, which every Christian should go through before receiving the Holy Communion.
According to Father Pandero, these children with special needs are considered angels because they do not have any intention to commit sin, adding that it is the responsibility of the parents to guide them.
Tangonan and some of the parents of the special kids also mentioned that this is the first time in Cagayan de Oro City that the special children received Holy Communion.
After having their first communion, these special kids can “participate as one community in the partaking of the body and blood of Christ,” Tangonan said.
The iCare program director also shared their plan to have a monthly mass in the iCare so the special kids can spend time with their families.
“Tiningnan namin kung sa simbahan sila, ang children with special needs may difficulty in adjusing sa bagong places,” Tangonan said.
“That's what we are proposing to them [Fathers Pandero and Guinit]. Hopefully papayag sila, kahit once a month lang,” he added.