First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
September 21, 2021 2024-07-31 15:16First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
“The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.”
“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood.” This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.’”
“The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” CCC 1322-1324
Parish children in Second Grade may be eligible to begin the intentional preparation necessary for the reception of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Second Grade is the ordinary time for this preparation.
Mandated by our Diocesan Policies and Guidelines, it is a separate and distinct preparation and brings together all parish families, regardless of school, Catholic School, Public School or Homeschool, into our one faith community. There is no separation of the Body of Christ.
Your child must also participate fully in the prior year’s formation in either Parish Religious Education (Sunday School) or Catholic School’s First Grade Year. Parents must be committed to full participation in Holy Mass with their children.
Sacramental Prep Eligibility Requirements:
- You must be a registered and active Catholic parishioner. This means living the Sacramental Life; attending Mass weekly, receiving Reconciliation and Eucharist often. If you are a member of another parish, you register and participate in the formation and reception of the sacraments at that Church.
- Successful completion of at least First Grade in a Catholic school or Catholic Christian Faith Formation Program (Sunday Kids' Program) prior to the Second-Grade year.
- You must be currently enrolled in Catholic School or Catholic Christian Faith Formation Program (Sunday Kids' Program).
Parents and youth must attend all meetings and formation, to include two retreats, as required by the Parish Office of Christian Formation. - Children may not receive First Reconciliation or First Communion prior to second grade.
Please note that parents of children older than Second Grade who have not yet received the Eucharist must contact the Office of Christian Faith Formation at 410-822-6581 or lsteinmiller@ssppeaston.org.
