Preparing to receive jesus
Preparation for a child’s first communion usually takes place at the age of 7. Parents work together with the parish to prepare their children for this beautiful Sacrament.
“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us’” (CCC, 1323).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of the faith for their children. As your child’s primary educator, we ask that you do the following as part of the Family Faith Formation Program:
- Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
- To the best of your ability, go over weekly faith formation lessons with your child.
- Financially contribute to the Church according to your ability.
- Be an active and registered member of one of the Upper Pontiac Parishes.
- Pay attention to emailed correspondence from the parish.
Preparation for First Confession & Communion
The first step in preparing your child for First Confession and Communion is to bring your child to church on Sundays. If you are not regularly attending Sunday Mass, then your child cannot receive these Sacraments. Attending Sunday Mass is an essential aspect of Christian life. God says to us through Moses, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work” (Ex. 20:8-10). The Catechism of the Catholic Church elaborates on the necessity of keeping the Lord’s Day holy:
The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship “as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.” Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.
CCC 2176-2177
The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life.
Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church.
In our parishes, all children are required to take a course to prepare for the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. Preparation will be arranged on an individual basis as parents commit to bringing their child to Mass every Sunday. Once regular Sunday Mass attendance has begun, you will be given a copy of “The New Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism”. We will meet after Sunday Mass once a month to review content of this book until the child is ready to receive first Confession & Communion. No date will be set for Sacraments until a child is ready to receive those Sacraments.
There are two online courses that parents/guardians will be expected to complete during their child’s preparations: “Presence” and “Forgiven”. Both are available for free on Formed.org. You can access these and other resources by going to formed.org and signing up as a parishioner of the “Diocese of Pembroke”.
If you are regularly attending Sunday Mass with your child and wish to take the next step in preparing for Confession and Communion, please fill out the form below.
First Confession & Communion of Adults
Adults who wish to join the Catholic Church and have already been Baptised may also go through the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation for adults). Any fully initiated Catholics who want to learn more about their faith are most welcome too!
Upper Pontiac Parishes 