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Registration for First Reconciliation
& Holy Communion Prep
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Schedule for First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion
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Message from Fr. Tom Pastorius
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Thank you for being a good and responsible Catholic parent who cares about the important events in the spiritual life of your child. Passing on the Church’s faith in the love of God and the values taught to us by Jesus Christ are among the most important things you can do as a parent to help your child develop into a healthy adult and to become the person that God has created your child to be.
A Sacrament is a unique experience of the grace of God that leave us changed for the better. Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples to “Go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).
A disciple is a committed active follower of Jesus. Disciples regularly pray, worship God at Church on Sunday and on Holy Days, and live out the principles taught by Jesus in the spiritual traditions and charitable works that are central to the Catholic way of life. Sacraments are the Lord’s way of sanctifying and strengthening us for the life of discipleship.
Many Catholics have grown up with the practice of automatically receiving the sacraments at the customary age – Baptism as an infant, First Communion in 2nd Grade, Confirmation in eighth grade—without having had much serious preparation or ongoing formation in the importance of the sacraments to an actively committed Christian life.
The result of that experience was for many generations an insufficient formation of Christian discipleship, and the statistics say it all:- 80% of people who identify as Catholics do not regularly go to Church
- 85% of children baptized eventually receive First Communion
- 58% will receive Confirmation
- Only 9% will be practicing their faith by the time they turn 22.
The practice of just automatically receiving the Sacraments is no longer sufficient for the Lord’s purposes.
Because a sacrament is a special encounter with God meant to strengthen our life of discipleship, the Church needs to prepare the person celebrating the sacrament to be properly disposed to experience it. In the case of Baptism of a child, we need to make sure that the child’s parents/guardians and godparents fully understand the significance of the sacrament and their duties to help the child grow into a serious Christian who actively practices the faith of the Church. The parish pastor and his ministry team must ensure this preparation.
The following requirements must be met before your child may celebrate his or her First Eucharist.- Child participate in Mass regularly on Sundays and Holy Days.
- Child has participated or is in the process of participated in religious education (Faith and Family) for two years.
- Child will take special classes in the second year of his or preparation in addition to your family’s participation in Faith and Family.
- Child is prepared for the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of his preparation to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
- Parents or guardians should attend preparation sessions with their child presented by the staff of the parish.
- Parents or guardians should attend an Alpha, ACTS retreat, Agape Sunday, or other approved spiritual enrichment activity.
I hope you will embrace this important training and faith formation for your child and for yourselves as a parent or guardian. As Christian parents we want our children to know Jesus and faithfully fulfill the Lord’s instructions to form disciples—committed and active followers. As your pastor, I want this for both you and your child. I look forward to working with you and your family.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
Pastor of St. Joseph Parish