Mount Schoenstatt First Holy Communion|Juan Pablo

Schoenstatt is a German word meaning “beautiful place” and that is exactly what Mount Schoenstatt is.  This hidden little gem is one of the cutest little chapels I have ever seen.  Located in Helotes, TX. this charming property is very intimate and the private mass was just beautiful.  Although I had never met Sandra before, we had talked so much on the phone that when we got to the session, I felt like we were friends.  Usually we like to meet with our clients to do a pre-consult to make sure we get a good understanding of what they envision for their sessions, but because we were on vacation at the time Sandra called and the fact that her and her family live in Mexico, we consulted via phone.  She was so sweet and she explained that photos of her son celebrating his First Holy Communion were of the utmost importance to her.

I was so happy to see Juan Pablo’s parents just enjoying the moment and admiring their son’s accomplishments that day.  They never pulled out a camera and they fully trusted us to capture those precious moments.  This has reminded me to put down my phone/camera during those special times like my sons music class or even as he boasts about how fast he can come down the slide.  Although most times I feel the need to document every step my son takes, I often remind myself that while taking these photos I am also compromising the most important thing- my son seeing my reaction.  That is something that very important to him, not only for his self esteem but for his self confidence.  It was so sweet to see Juan Pablo look over at his family and smile, he was so proud that his family was admiring his accomplishments.  A lot of thought was put into this day by his family and not only for him but for his cousin too.  Juan Pablo and his cousin Paulina both took their first communion on June 18th.  From what I understood in the mass (and please don’t quote me as it was in Spanish) this date holds a significant meaning for St. Paul and that is where their names were derived from.  The mass was very directed towards the children and the children were very proud to answer any questions asked.  It was so moving to see all the love that was shown that day by Sandra and her family.  And although it was a blazing hot day, Juan Pablo, his baby sister and parents happily giggled and posed for family photos before and after the mass.  Sam and I couldn’t be much happier that we were able to capture these special memories for their family.