Dear Parents,
What an amazing time for your child and your family. Preparation to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion should start at home as soon as possible. Combined with weekly Mass attendance, you can start the following practices:
During bed time help your child go over his/her daily happenings, and together do and Examination of Conscience with the Ten Commandments or the Lord’s prayer. You can alternate the Examination of Conscience every night. Remember, you don’t have to do all the steps or ask all the questions, the objective is to reflect not to overwhelm.
Everyone has the personal choice of receiving Holy Communion on the hand or on the tongue. Remember:
When in front of the Priest make a gentle bow and step forward to receive Holy Communion.
Children should make a throne with their hands, as if they are receiving a king. The hands should be one underneath the other, usually dominant hand on the bottom.
When the priest says, “The Body of Christ,” look at the Holy Host and respond “Amen” firmly like you believe it!
Use the bottom hand to pick up the Holy Host and consume it immediately.
Fold hands in prayer and process back to your seat to make a prayer of thanksgiving.
If receiving on the tongue, gently extend your tongue after saying “Amen.”
We cannot stress enough how important it is for your child to attend Mass every week. You will strengthen your child’s relationship with God, putting into practice the third Commandment of honoring the Lord’s Day while helping your child to have a better understanding of the Sacramental preparation.
Dates to remember: 2023/2024 School Year
· First Communion Parent Meeting, Sunday, Sept 29th at 10:15am
· Reconciliation Parent Meeting, Sunday, March 9th at 10:15am
· Sacrament of Reconciliation, Saturday, March 15th at 11:00am
· First Communion Practice Wednesday, April 30th at 6:00pm
· First Communion Day, Saturday, May 3rd at 11:00am
Fr. Sean Donnelly
“Train the young in the way they should go; even when old, they will not swerve from it” Proverbs 22:6
