First Reconciliation
Reconciliation means to reunite or to come together. Today we use the term along with penance or confession to name the Sacrament of Healing in which our sins are forgiven and sinners are reunited with God, the Church, their brothers and sisters, and themselves. In this sacrament through the words and actions of an ordained priest, God restores broken and wounded relationships. The Archdiocesan Guidelines for the Sacrament of Reconciliation state:
“It is the responsibility, in the first place, of parents and guardians, as well as of the pastor (and therefore, by extension, other parish ministers), to see to it that children who have reached the use of reason are correctly prepared for and nourished by the Eucharist as early as possible, preceded by sacramental confession. The desire on the part of individual children to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a prerequisite for first reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. While the need to celebrate the sacrament may not flow from a sense of obligation, children should become aware of the need to seek forgiveness derived from “…a healthy understanding of what sin is.”
A child must go to the Sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time. (CCC 1457) Students in grade 2 prepare for First Reconciliation during their regular class time (4:30 pm OR 6:30 pm sessions are offered) on Wednesdays. A few additional classes/meeting times are required for parents and student. Students who attend a Catholic school must attend the parish religious education classes; students do not prepare for participating in a Sacrament at the schools, but rather at the parish in which they and their families worship and are registered.
Requirements:
- Record of baptism; if not baptized at St. Peter’s, parents must contact the church of Baptism and request 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 the 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. Please contact Kathy Raible, 651.905.4311, in the Religious Education/Faith Formation office for further information.