Reconciliation
First Penance or Reconciliation is usually celebrated for children who are in grades two and up. According to the guidelines put forth from the Diocese, children should have completed twenty hours or one year of an ongoing program of Catechesis before the reception of this Sacrament.
Parent and child come together for six sessions, facilitated in three classes, to learn about the unconditional love and forgiveness of the Lord. With the guidance and help of the teachers/catechists, parents lead their children to discover the mercy of God. All the material is prepared for you and your children. There are at home activities, videos and other online resources on the website to help you review and strengthen your learning.
The six sessions, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, focus on:
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Learning about Baptism and the beginning of the faith journey
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Learning about what it means to be a friend of Jesus.
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Learning about the Beatitudes and the Commandments as God’s rules of love.
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Learning about conscience and recognizing what sin is.
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Learning what it means to be sorry.
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Learning more about the Sacraments.
Fr. Mike Schmitz explains Reconciliation
Sacramental preparation requirements
- The candidate (child) for sacraments must be enrolled in the faith formation program a minimum of one year prior to being invited into the sacramental prep program.
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-Preparation for Reconciliation is mandatory before the preparation of other sacraments.