• Preparing a child to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion is an exciting time for both the parents and the child. Being forgiven of our sins in Reconciliation and receiving the most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist are great gifts given to us by Jesus and entrusted to the Church. Preparation for these magnificent gifts involves acquisition of knowledge, time spent with Sacred Scripture, prayer, and reflection for both the children and their parents. It is a journey that invites the child and parents to the love, grace, and mercy that Jesus is waiting to pour out upon each of us. 
  
  There are four elements to First Reconciliation and Holy Communion preparation:

  1. The child preparing for the sacraments must be enrolled either in a Catholic school or Saint Francis Xavier’s Parish Discipleship Formation program.

   

  2. Each family that has a child preparing for First Reconciliation and Holy Communion will meet with Rhiannon Buehler, Coordinator of K-5^th Grade Discipleship Formation, in the fall for about a half hour to get to know one another since we will be working closely in the coming year. The date, time, and place to meet are flexible. More details will follow in the coming weeks and please reach out if you already know a good time to meet!

   

  3. One workbook in preparation for First Reconciliation and one workbook for First Holy Communion are to be completed by the parent and child together on their own at home. The First Reconciliation workbook will be distributed in mid-October. The First Holy Communion workbook will be distributed in late January after First Reconciliation.

   

  4. Parents and children attend several sessions throughout the year. These sessions provide the participants the opportunity to grow in knowledge of the Faith, pray, and reflect in age-appropriate ways throughout the sacramental preparation process. Please see the back side of this page for details about these sessions.  

  
  Parent Sessions
  Parents attend 3 sessions in the fall on Tuesday evenings from 6:45-8:15 p.m. It is ideal for all parents of the child to attend these sessions. We understand if you need to take turns attending due to children's bedtimes. If you are a single parent household, we humbly ask that you find childcare.

  • • Tuesday, October 25
    • Tuesday, November 15
    • Tuesday, December 6 *This session begins at 6:00 p.m. and end at 7:30 p.m.

  
  Parent/Child Sessions
  Children preparing for the sacraments must attend the following sessions with at least one parent on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Our last session on Sunday, April 23 will include Reconciliation at 9:45 a.m., Mass at 10:30 a.m., and then lunch and activities in the Parish Hall until 1:30 p.m.

  • Tuesday, January 10
  • Tuesday, February 7
  • Tuesday, March 14
  • Sunday, April 23 (*9:45 a.m-1:30 p.m.)

  
  All the sessions listed above are important in the sacrament preparation process. None of them are simple dissemination of information sessions with materials that can be emailed or sent home. These sessions involve active participation experiences that include discussion, activities, reflection, and prayer. Please plan vacations and other events around the above dates in the coming year, and notify coaches, scout leaders, etc. that your child will miss a meeting, practice, or game that occurs on one of these dates. 
  
  Dates for celebration of First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and rehearsal are as follows:

  • First Reconciliation – Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
  • First Communion rehearsal – Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 6:00-7:15 p.m.
  • First Communion Mass – Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.