1st Reconciliation

Sacramental preparation. Children must have completed at least one year of Faith formation (grade 1 or above) and be enrolled in their 2nd year of faith formation (grade 2 or above) to enroll in preparation for 1st Reconciliation and 1st Eucharist.

1st Reconciliation Program details

Preparation for the Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation is done through a partnership between parents and Catechists.
Through a series of workshops here at St. Mary’s and sessions completed at home by parents and children, the family is actively engaged in preparing for the Sacrament. Preparation. will take place between October and January culminating with a retreat. Families will then be ready to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The steps of preparation are as follows:

Parent meeting – This meeting with the parents will take place in September. Parents will be given an overview of the program, calendars, and expectations, and receive the materials to work with their children. Attendance is required.

6 1st Reconciliation book sessions taught at home by parents. Parents will use the materials they received during the parent meeting to complete the home preparation for the Sacrament. See lesson plans HERE

Workshops for parents and children. Workshops begin in September and continue once per month. The children and parents will spend the workshops learning about the Sacrament. Attendance is required.

Retreat. The Reconciliation Retreat is for the children and parents and focuses on the immediate preparation for the Sacrament. Attendance is required.

Rehearsals There are no rehearsals for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Celebration of 1st Reconciliation. The celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation will take place at Saint Mary's (or the parish of your choice) during regular Reconciliation hours. It is important for children to participate in the life of the parish and to know and to grow into fully participating members. Families will be provided with a schedule at the Reconciliation Retreat.

1st Reconciliation Materials

Catholic Parent Know How - As the primary catechists of our children, parents present their children for baptism and guide them toward Christ as they are initiated in the Church community. Passing on your faith to the next generation can feel like an awesome responsibility. CPKH is an eight page guide for parents to refresh your knowledge of the Sacrament and gives you practical tools to help teach your child about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Parents will receive this at the initial Eucharist Parent meeting and review it before they start at home preparations with their children.

Reconciliation Student Book - The student book is a beautifully written and illustrated guide to learning about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is broken into 6 sessions each starts with questions about the child's life, drawing a relation between their life today and what is being taught in the session. It continues with a scripture story that presents the main theme of the session. The story uses engaging illustrations and stickers to help the children focus and understand the story. The session then continues with a teaching about preparing for Reconciliation and celebrating Forgiveness. Each session ends with a short prayer reflection for the family. At the end of the book is a section titled "Living My Faith" which explains the Rite of Reconciliation, an Examination of Conscious, 10 Commandments for children and prayers of reconciliation .

My Own Reconciliation Booklet - The Reconciliation booklet is for the children to review what they are learning about Reconciliation. It has an age appropriate examination of conscious, the steps to follow to receive reconciliation, the Act of Contrition (which all the children should be learning), and an explanation of a Reconciliation ceremony. You will read and review this with your child to help prepare them for reconciliation.