First Communion and First Reconciliation

Our Lady of Lourdes 2016-2017

First Communion and First Reconciliation

Sacramental Preparation Information Packet

Dear Families,

Welcome to a new year of learning and growing in faith as we begin to prepare your child to receive the Eucharist for the first time! When you presented your child for baptism, the first of the three sacraments of initiation, you affirmed your place as their primary catechist, or teacher. Now you’re continuing in that role in their faith journey as you help them prepare for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. In this packet you’ll find all of the information you’ll need for the year. Please keep the calendar of important dates somewhere easily seen (like your fridge or family calendar!).

Here at Our Lady of Lourdes we use the God’s Gift series from Ignatius Press for both First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation. Each class covers the content in one chapter, and you’ll be encouraged to review at home what your child has learned each week. We’ll also be encouraging you to practice with your child how to go to confession and how to receive communion. If we can recruit enough catechists, we hope to offer three class options. Depending on registration numbers, not all options may be offered.

Sunday 12:15-1:15pm Wednesday 4-5pmWednesday 6:30-7:30pm

Regular Mass attendance is the backbone of the Catholic spiritual life, we’re asking students to complete “Mass Reflection” half-sheets. A sample can be found in this packet. Mass Reflections should be completed weekly from October 30th through May 7th. They can be turned into a folder on the Children’s Faith Formation bulletin board or brought to class.

Because the program only meets six times for First Reconciliation and eight times for First Communion, students must also be enrolled in some kind of additional, year-long faith formation program (again, either through Catholic School, parish-based faith formation, or an approved home study program). We’ll also need from you thefollowing paperwork: registration form, a signed parent contract, and a baptismal certificate. Baptismal certificates are due February 3; if your child was baptized at OLL, we already have it on file!

Our $35 registration fee covers two workbooks, supplies for the retreat and classroom, pictures from first communion weekend, and a cake reception following each Mass. Scholarships are available for registered parishioners – no child will be turned away from making their first communion due to lack of funds.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

In Christ,

Katelyn Steinke

Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation

(360) 695-1366 x306

IMPORTANT DATES for

First Reconciliation and First Communion

Sacramental Preparation

CLASSES
Sunday, 12:15-1:15
Wednesday, 4:00-5:00 or 6:30-7:30
First Reconciliation / First Communion Weekend
Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14
All Weekend Masses
Sunday
October 30
November 6
November 13
November 20
(no class Nov 27)
December 4
December 11 / Wednesday
November 2
November 9
November 16
(no class Nov 23)
November 30
December 7
December 14 / First Communion Dress Rehearsal
Sunday, May 7
3pm-4pm in the church
First Communion Retreat
Saturday, April 22
10am until 12pm
FC Weekend Mass Sign Ups Open
Friday, February 3
(midnight!)
Baptism Certificates Due
Friday, February 3
First Communion
Sunday
January 29
February 5
February 12
(no class Feb 19)
February 26
March 5
March 12
March 19
March 26 / Wednesday
February 1
February 8
February 15
February 22
(no class March 1)
March 8
March 15
March 22
March 29
When to make your first confession
December 10 or 17 from 3:30-4:30pm (or by appointment)
December 15at 7pm (Advent Penance Service) or March 23 at 7pm (Lenten Penance Service)
PARENT MEETINGS
First Reconciliation
November 13 (Sun) OR November 16 (Wed) / First Communion
First Meeting
February 12 (Sun) OR February 15 (Wed)
Second Meeting
March 12 (Sun) OR March 15 (Wed)

Things to know for First Reconciliation and First Communion

Sacramental Preparation

CLASSES:

Class attendance is crucial. If your child must miss a class, if at all possible please let Katelyn know beforehand. Repeated absences without cause may delay your child’s first communion.

First Reconciliation / First Communion
Sunday
October 30
November 6
November 13
November 20
(no class Nov 27)
December 4
December 11 / Wednesday
November 2
November 9
November 16
(no class Nov 23)
November 30
December 7
December 14 / Sunday
January 29
February 5
February 12
(no class Feb 19)
February 26
March 5
March 12
March 19
March 26 / Wednesday
February 1
February 8
February 15
February 22
(no class March 1)
March 8
March 15
March 22
March 29

PARENT MEETINGS:

At least one parent is required to attend one meeting for first reconciliation and two meetings for first communion, for a total of three meetings. For each meeting there will be a Sunday option and a Wednesday option. It’s important that you have the information from each meeting; if you can’t make either option for a meeting, we can work something out together.

First Reconciliation / First Communion
Meeting Options:
November 13 OR November 16 / First Meeting Options:
February 12 OR February 15
Second Meeting Options:
March 12 OR March 15

PREREQUISITIES:

1+ year of faith formation - In the Archdiocese of Seattle, students need at least one prior year of religious education before they can start preparation to receive communion. This can be one year of parish-based faith formation classes, Catholic school, or a home study program.

Baptismal Certificate – a copy of your student’s baptism certificate gives us proof that they were baptized, and without it we can’t allow them to receive communion. If your child was baptized here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we already have their record on file. If they were baptized at another parish, contact that parish and have them mail us a copy of the certificate. Have them send it to:

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

4723 NW Franklin St.

Vancouver, WA 98663

Baptism Certificates are due by February 3rd.

MASS REFLECTIONS:

Attending and participating at Mass on Sundays (or Saturday evenings) is an essential part of our Catholic identity. In order to encourage all families to make a regular habit of going to Mass, all first communion students will be required to complete weekly Mass Reflections.

Mass Reflections are required for:

All Sundays from October 30th through May 7th

November 1st (All Saints Day)

December 8th (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

These half-sheets can be turned into the folder on the Children’s Faith Formation Bulletin board, to the parish office, or during class, and can be found there as well.

A sample Mass Reflection is included below:

Mass Reflection

Name:______/ Grade:______
Name of Church Attended:______/ Date of Mass: / ______
Today’s color was (circle one):
Green Red Purple White Something else:______/ Time of Mass: / ______
The Gospel was from (circle one): Matthew Mark Luke John
(If you need help remembering, with a parent you can check out
What I saw, heard, and think: (Did you see any special celebrations, blessings, special guests, songs, or anything else during Mass? Do you remember something from the readings? Write what you noticed below or draw a picture of it on the back of this sheet.
If you did not attend Mass, write a short prayer praising God, thanking God, or asking God for help this week)
______

FIRST RECONCILIATION

The sacrament of reconciliation, or confession, is something that should be a normal, regular part of every Catholic’s life. The Church teaches us that we must go to confession at least once a year if we know we’ve committed a mortal sin. Practically, it can be very spiritually beneficial to go more often, so we can grow into the most virtuous, most authentic, and most Christ-like versions of our selves.

Therefore don’t have a special separate time for students to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation as a class. Instead, we invite families to choose one of the regular confession times. For your convenience, these are dates when Fr. Woody will especially expect to hear first time confessions:

Saturday, December 10th from 3:30-4:30pm

Saturday, December 17th from 3:30-4:30pm

Of course, your student may choose to go to confession at any of our regular confession times (Saturday, 3:30-4:30pm), at one of our Advent or Lenten Penance services, at another parish, or by special appointment with Fr. Woody.

I do invite parents to consider making this an opportunity for the whole family to go to confession. Students often feel more comfortable if they can see a family member also going to confession.

In order to support the integrity of the seal of confession, we do not record who receives the sacrament or when they choose to do so. This means we won’t be issuing certificates, and we ask family and friends to refrain from taking pictures.

The following is a sample examination of conscience for children, and a guide to going to confession.

Examination of Conscience:

Have I lied?
Have I disobeyed my parents?
Have I cheated on something?
Have I stolen anything?
Have I forgiven those who havehurt me?
Have I been unkind to others?
Have I been jealous of anyone?
Have I been selfish?
Did I make anyone else sin?
Have I missed Mass on Sundays
or holy days without a good reason? / Do I pray regularly?
Do I tell others about Jesus?
Do I pay attention at Mass?
Do I pray for others?
Do I share with others?
Do I use nice words?
Do I watch only television ormovies that Jesus would
approve of? Do I read good books?
Do I take care of myself byplaying safely
and eating right?
Have I not been sorry when I do something wrong?

How to Go to Confession

Before you go to Confession: Examine your conscience – think about the things that you have done that hurt God, your neighbor, and yourself. It’s often helpful to use a list of questions called an “Examination of Conscience” to help you remember your sins. Using the Ten Commandments can also be helpful.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and says “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been (How long?) since my last confession.These are my sins.” (For the first time, students don’t have to say how long it’s been – just let the priest know it’s their first time)
   
2. Tell your sins to the priest. It can be helpful to say how many times you did something, if you remember. You can write your sins down, go through the Ten Commandments, whatever will help you remember. Sometimes it’s helpful to end with a sentence to let the priest know you’re finished, like “I am sorry for these and all my sins” or “And I’m sorry for all these sins and those I can’t remember at this time.”
3. For practice, students can pretend to list their sins, or make some up.
   
4. The priest might offer you some advice, or ask questions to better understand a situation. He’ll assign you a penance, which is usually some prayers, reading something from the Bible, or doing an act of service for someone else.
   
5. Next he’ll ask you to pray your Act of Contrition.

“My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you, whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.”

1. Then the priest will grant you absolution, usually with the words, “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
2. You can make the sign of the cross when he starts to say, “In the name of the Father…”
   
3. You respond with “Amen.”
   
4. He says, “Go in peace.” You can respond “Thanks be to God.” Then you go pray and perform your penance as soon as you are able.

FIRST COMMUNION

First Communion is an important moment in a Catholic’s life! For the first time, he or she gets to participate in the Eucharist in a new and special way. We prepare students with the goal of helping them make every communion just as special as the first, even if they won’t be wearing the same special outfits.

First Communion Weekend is May 13th and May 14th, at all weekend Masses.

Dress Rehearsal is May 7thfrom 3pm until 4pm in the Church

(Please wear your special outfits! We’ll be taking a class picture!)

BE THERE AT…

Please have your child arrive 30 minutes before Mass begins.

MASS PREFERENCES

February 13th, at midnight (that’s the night of the 12th).

Send your preferred Mass time to Katelyn in an email: .

You will be seated on a first come, first serve basis. I can guarantee that you will receive your preferred Mass date and time, but I cannot guarantee that you will be able to sit in a specific pew. Please indicate if you would like to share a pew with another family, or if you have guests with special needs (wheelchair accessible seating, etc).

I’ll send out a preliminary seating chart once I receive everyone’s request, I’ll make any adjustments that are needed, and then I’ll send out a final seating chart.

DRESS CODE

The only real requirement we have is that students should wear nice clothing – no jeans or sneakers that they would wear on the playground, no T-shirts. In the US it iscustomary for first communion students wear white, a symbol of their baptism. I can show you examples of outfits from previous years. Talk to Katelyn if your family would like help purchasing a nice outfit for your student.

Girls: White dresses, veils are welcome but entirely optional. If you choose to wear gloves, they must be removed before you receive communion. If your doesn’t want to wear a dress, she can wear nice pants and a nice white blouse.

Boys: White button down shirts, white or dark jackets and ties are welcome but optional.

Please have your outfit ready by May 7th, our dress rehearsal, so your child can look spiffy in their outfits!

PHOTOGRAPHY

A photographer will be at all Masses and CDs with pictures on them will be available for free after first communion weekend. You are welcome to take your own pictures or video, but please, no flash.

FIRST COMMUNION RETREAT

Our retreat is Saturday, April 22nd from 10am until 12pmat the parish.In the Archdiocese of Seattle, students preparing to receive Communion must participate in at least one retreat experience. During the retreat parents and children will have a chance to pray and reflect on the Eucharist. We’ll visit our parish vineyard, take a tour of the church, and make banners.

Each student should be accompanied by at least one parent or guardian on the retreat.

If you cannot attend the retreat, please let Katelyn know as soon as possible. You will be asked to attend a first communion retreat at a neighboring parish. Alternate retreat activities will be available should your child be unable to participate in any retreat at another parish. Because this is an Archdiocesan requirement, not participating in a retreat activity can delay your child’s first communion.

ABSENCES:

If your child must be absent from class, please let Katelyn know. Repeated absences can delay when your child receives their first communion. We’re happy to work with you should problems like illness, transportation, etc prevent your child from coming to class.

HOW TO RECEIVE COMMUNION

We teach students both accepted ways to receive communion, and let them decide which method they would like to use.

Hand: students make a “throne” for Jesus with their hands by cupping them slightly and placing their dominant hand under the other. When the minister says “The Body of Christ” the student says “Amen” and received the Eucharist. They take their dominant hand out from underneath and pick up the host and immediate put it in their mouth. After, they make the Sign of the Cross.

Tongue: students fold their hands close to their chest.The minister says “The Body of Christ” and the student says “Amen.” They open their mouths and stick out their tongue to make a flat surface wide enough for the minister to place the Eucharist on it without getting their fingers in the student’s mouth. After receiving the Eucharist, they close their mouth immediately and make the Sign of the Cross.

Cup: the minister says “The Blood of Christ” and the student says “Amen.” The student takes the chalice with two hands (one on either side of the cup part) and carefully brings it to their lips. They should just wet their lips, return the chalice to the minister, and make the Sign of the Cross.

Students are encouraged to receive the Eucharist under both forms, because it’s a fuller reminder that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. However, if they only receive under one form (only the Body or only the Blood) they’re not receiving any “less Jesus” than anyone else. Extremely low-gluten hosts are available for those with sensitivities.

Our Lady of Lourdes 2016-1017

Sacramental Preparation Parent Contract

Child’s Name: ______