Autistic 8-Year-Old Denied First Communion

A denial of communion for an 8-year-old boy with autism has led a New Jersey family to go head-to-head with the Roman Catholic church. 

Refusing A Child 

New Jersey’s LaCugna family is going head-to-head with the local Catholic church in hopes that it will reconsider its initial refusal to let 8-year-old Anthony LaCugna,  make his first communion. 

Rev. John Bambrick says his reason for denying the sacrament to the boy is precisely his disability – calling it one that prevents him from separating and deciding what is right from wrong. 

“I just want my son to be treated like everybody else... He needs the same rights that we all have,” Nicole LaCugna, the child’s mother, told ABC’s New York affiliate. 

Social media users were quick to pick up on a post made by the child’s father, Jimmy LaCugna, on Facebook. The post blew up with tons of support for the family and their desire to have their child make communion despite his disability. 

The boy’s mother was shocked by the church’s refusal, saying that Bambrick never even talked to them and doesn’t even know their son, with the father sharing the sentiment. 

Since the post, the church has issued a statement quickly shifting its views and seemingly reconsidering by saying that “we have been researching how we could best assist the most profoundly disabled in a better way,” although the 8-year-old Anthony was not explicitly mentioned. 

Jimmy LaCugna and Nicole are yet to be satisfied with the church’s response as both expressed their distaste for the handling of the situation, saying that there is no confirmation on whether or not their son can “do his communion this year.” The mother took it one step further, calling the church’s efforts to remedy the situation a “disgrace to our religion.”