First Communion Preparation

Welcome to St. Mary's 1st Communion Preparation process! Below you will find detailed information regarding how 1st Communion is done at St. Mary's.
 
Click here to see the 2018-2019 1st Communion Schedule

At St. Mary’s children receive First Holy Communion in the 2^nd Grade. First Communion preparation is done separately, but not in place of, faith formation classes on Sunday. The majority of the preparation is done in the home, an approach which allows the whole family to walk the journey of Sacramental Preparation together, and honors the reality that parents are the primary teachers of the faith to their children.

The First Communion process takes place in two main stages: Preparation for Reconciliation and Preparation for 1^st Communion.

1. The Reconciliation stage begins with a parent meeting in which all families are given a workbook covering Reconciliation and instructed on the best way to work through each lesson. Parents take this home and are given 2 to 3 months to complete the curriculum with their children. At a set date, all the children will be invited to the Church where ‘interviews’ will be conducted in order to ensure that they have the basic understanding necessary to receive the Sacrament. Following this, a penance Service will be scheduled and all the children will receive their First Confession.

2. After this is the First Communion stage. Again, another parent meeting is held in which all the families are given a workbook covering First Communion. After 2 to 3 months another set of interviews are conducted and once this is completed the children will then receive their First Communion in the late spring and the process will be complete.

During both stages, parents are the primary catechists for their children. As such, there are certain unique expectations that must be met in order for this process to be a success. Below is a list of the expectations that accompany preparation:

• During preparation, children are still expected to attend Faith Formation classes in the parish on Sunday morning at least 70% of the time (unless the child is enrolled in St. Mary’s School).
• As with all practicing Catholics, children are expected to attend Sunday Mass weekly with the parent(s), unless for a grave reason. To ensure this, the children will be required to place special envelopes in the collection basket each Sunday.
• For each stage, families are given two months to complete the given curriculum. Parents are expected to work through this curriculum throughout the two months on at least a weekly basis.
• On the back of this letter you will find a schedule for the year. Families are expected to attend all the mandatory meetings.
• Families must be registered members of St. Mary’s Cathedral.
• Children must be baptized (If not baptized the children will need to enter into our RCIA program in order to receive Baptism and 1^st Communion).