Children's Sacramental Preparation

Children's Sacramental Preparation

Grades 1 thru 6 Baptism
First Eucharist
First Reconciliation

One of the great achievements of Vatican II was the giving of the Church back to the people. The Laity now see the duty of spreading the faith as their own and not exclusively the role of priests, religious and teachers in school. In our Parish, lay people are involved in many activities formerly seen to be the domain of the clergy. One of these activities is Sacramental Preparation. It is our sincere hope you and your entire family will find in this process a renewed and deeper understanding of your Catholic faith.

1. Sunday Eucharist, “Source and Summit” of our Faith

As one of the Sacraments of Initiation, Mass is an integral element of our Catholic identity. Attendance at Sunday Mass, every week, by the entire family is the cornerstone of the family’s faith. For it is the family, especially the parents, who model and teach the faith: by what they say, and do. The role of the parent as the first teachers of their children is rooted in the promise they made to their child at baptism.

So important is this in the process of mature and solid faith formation, that if the family does not attend Sunday Mass weekly, the children of the family will not be able to successfully complete the sacramental preparation process. Parents have the additional responsibility to participate in their own ongoing adult catechetical formation; this is so they will mature in their own faith and are able to prepare their child for sacraments in collaboration with the parish.

2. Sacramental Instruction

At the Parish School (Old Mission Montessori School), and the Parish Faith Formation Program (weekly instruction and authorized home schooling) does not begin until the second grade. The first grade is a critical year in faith formation for children as it introduces them to the roots of their Catholic faith. The second grade curriculum is specifically designed to then build on those roots with the beginning of general sacramental catechesis.

When your child is in the second grade he/she has begun the first year of his/her two-year catechetical instruction for sacramental preparation. If your child is in third grade and was not enrolled the previous year then this third grade year becomes his/her first year of sacramental catechetical instruction. The more focused part of the sacramental preparation cannot take place until your child has completed the first year of general catechetical formation.

3. Home Catechesis

There are in each sacramental preparation program a series of mandatory classes to help the parents prepare for the “home catechesis” with their children for the celebration of First Eucharist and First Reconciliation. These classes are so integral to the process that they are mandatory. A parent not attending all the required meetings will cause their child’s celebration of the sacraments to be delayed, a full year, until the parent’s classes are completed.

Any parent is welcome to attend these meetings a year earlier in order to begin preparing their child, or completing this requirement for themselves, but it will not change the grade year of the child’s reception of these sacraments.

After the parents and child have attended their special classes, completed the texts on the sacraments, and have discerned that their child is ready, there is a schedule of days available for
interview of the child by the program coordinator. The interviews determine the child’s readiness to celebrate the sacraments for the first time.

Parents of children grades 3 through 6 English Faith Formation Program and/or the Old Mission Montessori School, have the option of taking preparation classes in English or Spanish. Please utilize the appropriate schedule and stay with your selected program for its duration.

To begin this process parents must fill out the SACRAMENT REQUEST FORM and return completed forms to the Faith Formation Office.

Join Us

For more information about Children's Sacramental Preparation, please call Larry LaGrasta at 760-757-3250 X318 or send an email.

Quick Access:	Children's Sacramental Preparation Baptism First Eucharist First Reconciliation One of the great achievements of Vatican II was the giving of the Church back to the people. The Laity now see the duty of spreading the faith as their own and not exclusively the role of priests, religious and teachers in school. In our Parish, lay people are involved in many activities formerly seen to be the domain of the clergy. One of these activities is Sacramental Preparation. It is our sincere hope you and your entire family will find in this process a renewed and deeper understanding of your Catholic faith. 1. Sunday Eucharist, “Source and Summit” of our Faith As one of the Sacraments of Initiation, Mass is an integral element of our Catholic identity. Attendance at Sunday Mass, every week, by the entire family is the cornerstone of the family’s faith. For it is the family, especially the parents, who model and teach the faith: by what they say, and do. The role of the parent as the first teachers of their children is rooted in the promise they made to their child at baptism. So important is this in the process of mature and solid faith formation, that if the family does not attend Sunday Mass weekly, the children of the family will not be able to successfully complete the sacramental preparation process. Parents have the additional responsibility to participate in their own ongoing adult catechetical formation; this is so they will mature in their own faith and are able to prepare their child for sacraments in collaboration with the parish. 2. Sacramental Instruction At the Parish School (Old Mission Montessori School), and the Parish Faith Formation Program (weekly instruction and authorized home schooling) does not begin until the second grade. The first grade is a critical year in faith formation for children as it introduces them to the roots of their Catholic faith. The second grade curriculum is specifically designed to then build on those roots with the beginning of general sacramental catechesis. When your child is in the second grade he/she has begun the first year of his/her two-year catechetical instruction for sacramental preparation. If your child is in third grade and was not enrolled the previous year then this third grade year becomes his/her first year of sacramental catechetical instruction. The more focused part of the sacramental preparation cannot take place until your child has completed the first year of general catechetical formation. 3. Home Catechesis There are in each sacramental preparation program a series of mandatory classes to help the parents prepare for the “home catechesis” with their children for the celebration of First Eucharist and First Reconciliation. These classes are so integral to the process that they are mandatory. A parent not attending all the required meetings will cause their child’s celebration of the sacraments to be delayed, a full year, until the parent’s classes are completed. Any parent is welcome to attend these meetings a year earlier in order to begin preparing their child, or completing this requirement for themselves, but it will not change the grade year of the child’s reception of these sacraments. After the parents and child have attended their special classes, completed the texts on the sacraments, and have discerned that their child is ready, there is a schedule of days available for interview of the child by the program coordinator. The interviews determine the child’s readiness to celebrate the sacraments for the first time. Parents of children grades 3 through 6 English Faith Formation Program and/or the Old Mission Montessori School, have the option of taking preparation classes in English or Spanish. Please utilize the appropriate schedule and stay with your selected program for its duration. To begin this process parents must fill out the SACRAMENT REQUEST FORM and return completed forms to the Faith Formation Office. Join Us For more information about Children's Sacramental Preparation, please call Larry LaGrasta at 760-757-3250 X318 or send an email.
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