2021-2022 CALENDAR for FIRST RECONCILIATION
and FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
August 28 - September 12: Registration Period for all Faith Formation
September 30: Parent Orientation to First Reconciliation Prep, 6:30 PM
October 9/10: Home Lesson #1
October 23/24: Home Lesson #2
November 6/7: Home Lesson #3
November 18: Parent and Student Check In at Church, 6:30 PM
November 20/21: Home Lesson #4
December 4/5: Home Lesson #5
December 18/19: Home Lesson #6
January 15: First Reconciliation Retreat, 9:00 AM - NOON
January 27: Parent Orientation to First Holy Communion Prep, 6:30 PM
January 29/30: Home Lesson #1
February 12/13: Home Lesson #2
February 26/27: Home Lesson #3
March 10: Parent and Student Check In at Church, 6:30 PM
March 12/13: Home Lesson #4
April 2/3: Home Lesson #5
April 9/10: Home Lesson #6
April 23: First Holy Communion Retreat, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
May 1: First Holy Communion @ 10:30 AM Mass
We use the RCL Benziger Sacrament Preparation Program:
Reconciliation - We Are Your People, The Sheep of Your Flock
Eucharist - Do This in Memory of Me
God is the source of all life, and in the Sacraments of the Church, we receive the free gift of God's very life - grace. In every way, the Sacraments are about God's gracious and abundant love, fully revealed in Jesus Christ and strengthened in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Sacraments - the foundation of Christian living - are visible signs instituted by Christ to give grace. In the Catholic Church there are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance and Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The Sacraments are important parts of each stage of life, in which the outpouring of God's grace is offered to us. Through the grace given to us in the Sacraments, Jesus brings us into communion with all that is true and good and beautiful - all that leads to the Fullness of Life.
The Sacraments of Initiation, of special interest to our Faith Formation families, are described more fully below:
BAPTISM - The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides a simple explanation for what Jesus does for us in Baptism: "Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments" (CCC 1213). Through Baptism, we "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27) and enter more fully into his life. We are incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, to grow in love and self-giving. A Baptism Preparation class is required for first time parents. To schedule this time, please contact the Director of Faith Formation.
FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST HOLY COMMUNION - Jesus Christ came to bring healing to body, soul, and the whole of creation.
CONFIRMATION - Through Confirmation, young people, in conjunction with the community, confirm the faith that is becoming more firmly rooted in heart and soul. They are "more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit" (CCC1285) that encourages witness and service. For information about out Confirmation program, please go to the Confirmation page found under the Faith Formation tab.