First Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) is Christ’s gift to the Church, willed as “a source and sign of radical mercy, reconciliation and peace.” In this sacrament, a person receives God’s mercy for sins committed after Baptism and is reconciled with the Church they have wounded by sin. It is also called the sacrament of confession because confessing/disclosing one’s sins to a priest is an essential element, and the priest’s sacramental absolution gives the penitent pardon and peace.
Children generally understood to be at the age of reason or older (where culpability for sin begins with both knowledge and intention) may partake. The Reconciliation service take place November in the nave (main space of the Church), with many priests available. Family and friends are also welcome to partake in the sacrament of reconciliation. After having been formed to receive the sacrament well, any baptized Catholic may partake of the sacrament during regularly offered times or by appointment with a priest.
Children enrolled in the Wednesday Evening Religious Education Program and at St. Pius X/St. Leo School are prepared for First Reconciliation by their parents, catechists, and teachers. A parent meeting is held before the celebration of the sacrament to help parents support and prepare their children at home.
NOTE: While First Reconciliation is often celebrated during a child’s second-grade year, children who are older and have not yet received the sacrament are encouraged to prepare at any time. Please contact the Director of Faith Formation to discuss individualized preparation. Once the child is ready, a time will be arranged with one of the parish priests for the celebration of the sacrament.
First Communion
Communion in the Eucharist is receiving Christ’s Body and Blood in a way that increases your union with the Lord, strengthens the bonds of charity, and reinforces the unity of the Church as Christ’s Mystical Body.
First Holy Communion is when children are first admitted to receive the Eucharist, and it completes their Christian initiation (with Confirmation) by fully joining in the Lord’s sacrifice through the Eucharist.
As a general rule of the Catholic Church, children’s First Communion must be preceded by sacramental confession and absolution, and it should be administered by a priest within Mass. In this parish program, First Holy Communion is celebrated each spring—typically on the first Sunday after Easter—for second-grade children enrolled in the Wednesday Evening Religious Education Program or attending St. Pius X/St. Leo School.
Preparation is provided by the children’s parents, catechists, and teachers, with a parent meeting held before First Communion so parents can actively help prepare their children to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. Because of the sacredness of the sacrament, we require adherence to our First Holy Communion Handbook (Dress Code & Seating Information).
Note: Older children who have not yet received First Holy Communion are encouraged to contact the Director of Faith Formation so individual preparation can be arranged to meet each child’s needs before the celebration.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a sacrament of Christian initiation in which the baptized receive the Holy Spirit through the anointing with chrism, strengthening their bond with Christ and the Church and giving them grace to be witnesses of Christ. It perfects baptismal grace by rooting the person more deeply in God’s family and making them more capable of living and spreading the faith. Receiving it after Baptism and the Eucharist, it completes Christian initiation, so the faithful are obliged to receive Confirmation “at the appropriate time” as determined by the Church, the Bishop, and the Priest (otherwise initiation remains incomplete).
The Sacrament of Confirmation is ordinarily celebrated in December for students in the eighth grade who are enrolled in the Wednesday Evening Religious Education Program or attend St. Pius X/St. Leo School. Preparation formally begins during the seventh-grade year and includes classroom catechesis, prayer, service opportunities, retreats, and other experiences designed to deepen each candidate’s relationship with Christ and readiness to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Note: Young adults and adults who have not yet been confirmed and wish to receive the sacrament are encouraged to contact the Pastor or the Director of Faith Formation to begin the preparation process.
Physical Confirmation forms are available upon request or at the January parent meeting.
- Due 1-29 Confirmation Registration Form (Complete here only)
- Due 1-30 Candidate only Retreat Consent, Liability, food allergies Download PDF OR Complete online
- Due 3-30 Confirmation Saint & Sponsor Name Form Download PDF OR Complete online
- Due 4-10 Sponsor Eligibility Form Download PDF (Also see sponsor guide below, this form must be completed physically, after completion by Sponsor and Sponsor’s parish priest, it may be scanned in as long as the parish seal is visible or physically turned into office or the candidate or parent on any Wednesday night before the deadline)
- Due 5-5 Discipleship Group medical consent & code of behavior Download PDF OR Complete online
- Due week of 10-19 A Year of Discipleship Journal Download PDF
- Due week of 10-19 Confirmation Interview Questions Download PDF OR Complete online
Confirmation Handbook
Confirmation Sponsor Guide
Sponsor Invitations from candidate
A Note about the celebration of sacraments, the requirements of preparation for receiving them and before receiving them: The Church requires us to safeguard the sacraments and those who would receive them, because sacraments are not private religious symbols nor assurance of salvation but powerful, personal, and sacred actions of Christ that (1) require reverent and correct celebration, (2) demand proper dispositions and openness of heart, and (3) doing so protects the Church’s unity, the clarity of doctrine, and the spiritual good of the faithful.
Contact: Carter Carruthers, 402-558-1898.