First Communion

The Sacrament of Eucharist joins us in a special way to Christ and the Church. The Eucharist is a sacred meal of thanksgiving; it is a solemn memorial to Christ’s death and resurrection. The Second Vatican Council taught that “the other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesial ministries and works of the apostolate are bound up with the Eucharist and are directed toward it.” The Eucharist is the center and high point of the Church’s sacramental life. The goal of this program is to prepare students to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time. The Sacrament of First Eucharist is a sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. It is appropriate for the child to participate in this sacrament at the parish at which the family worships. This sacrament is a celebration of the child being welcomed to the Table of the Lord and a fuller initiation into the Church. It is a celebration within the parish that is welcoming the child into its community. For this reason, children who attend Catholic schools prepare to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist at the parish, not at the school. Students in grade 2 prepare for First Eucharist during their regular class time on Wednesdays. A few additional classes/meeting times are required for parents and student. The children and their families also participate in a special focus Mass and a mini-retreat day in this program.

Requirements:

• A child must go to the Sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time. (CCC 1457)
• Record of baptism; if not baptized at St. Peter’s, parents must contact the church of Baptism and request that a verification of Baptism be sent to St. Peter’s.
• The student and/or student’s family must be registered parishioners of St. Peter’s in order to participate in this program. If he or she is not registered we must receive a letter from the pastor of the parish in which the student is registered stating that the pastor approves of this student participating in a sacramental preparation program outside of his/her parish.

Registration for this program begins in April and May of the previous school year.  To register your child for First Reconciliation and First Communion programs, please click on Religious Education/Faith Formation Registration for 2017-2018, then register your child for the Grade 2 program.  All children in Grade 2 will be prepared for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Contact Kathy Raible at 651.905.4311 for more information.