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 outside the Faith Formation classroom 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 children are actively engaged in preparing for the Sacrament. Preparation usually takes place between November and February with the children receiving the Sacrament in early February.

See Preparation calendar for this year HERE

The steps of preparation are as follows:

Parent meeting – This meeting with the parents is held during regular faith formation class time. The focus is on prayer, sharing of faith and empowering the parents to work with the children at home on the Sacramental prep. Parents will receive the materials to work with their children at home on the 6 sessions in the 1st Reconciliation book along with parent materials and lesson plans. 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. The children will turn in completed sessions and activity sheets. Completion of the 6 sessions is required to receive the Sacrament. See lesson plans HERE

Workshop 1 for parents and children. The first workshop starts with prayer in church. The children and parents will spend the workshop learning about the Sacrament. Attendance is required.

Workshop 2 for parents and children. The second workshop is an interactive workshop for parents and children. The focus is on the immediate preparation for the Sacrament. Attendance is required.

Rehearsals There are no rehearsals for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Celebration of 1st Reconciliation. A 1st Reconciliation service and reception is held early in February on a Saturday morning at 10:00am.

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 Together - Family Guide - "This is not your usual workbook, written just for a parent or just for a child. Instead, this is a family guide to be used TOGETHER - hence the name!
   You'll find informational and inspirational stories at the beginning of each session for the grownup taking part in the preparation, whoever they might be.
   Then the grownups and the children begin together. You read aloud. You ask questions of each other. You imagine and discuss. You learn together. You pray together.
   Story time is a precious rite of childhood. It's a time of closeness, discovery, and sharing. This sacramental-preparation process mirrors that familiar activity, just as the sacraments themselves mirror the experiences of our family relationships and daily lives.
   So curl up and get comfortable. Spread this book across your laps, read aloud, and learn together about how your faith is alive at home."
    Parents will receive this at the initial parent meeting and will use it in conjunction with the Reconciliation student book to complete the 6 at home sessions with the 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.