Registration Information for First Reconciliation – First Holy Communion for 2023-24
Dear Parents/Guardian,
This may be a very important year for you and your family. Your child is about to enter another phase of his/her academic journey. It is also the time to think about your child celebrating and receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation and of the Holy Eucharist. I do believe that your child’s school curriculum with the valuable assistance of his/her respective teacher is geared to prepare him/her for this important phase of his/her faith journey.
The family has the greatest role in instilling human and Christian values. The family, like the Church, ought to be the place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel radiates. Parents have the primary responsibility to journey in faith with their children. The formation of children depends on the help, example, and influence of their parents. They not only give consent to the Christian Initiation process, they also promise to do their part in preparing their children for initiation.
Enrolment of your child at our Catholic Schools does not mean that he/she is registered to celebrate and receive the Sacraments. If you would like your child to receive the sacraments we need you to register your child with us and plan on participating in some immediate preparation for the reception of these sacraments. Parents or guardians are expected to have contact with clergy and catechist, to participate in the online sacramental preparations, attend Sunday masses, and to attest to their children’s spiritual progress.
Sacramental Preparation
Sacraments are acts of Jesus, in union with the members of His body: the Church. The Church is responsible for determining the specifics of sacramental preparation and celebration. There are two types of preparation for sacraments: initial and immediate.
Initial preparation is assisted by our Catholic schools, where the school encourages:
Daily living of a Catholic lifestyle appropriate to one’s age and spiritual development
Christian discipleship modelled by teachers and staff by word and example
Understanding the importance of Sunday Eucharist and its connection to the sacraments
Immediate preparation is done by the parish and the families. It encompasses:
Sunday worship and encouraging families’ involvement in parish life
Developing a specific sacramental catechesis on the sacrament being anticipated – this year we are using an excellent program called Decision Point by Matthew Kelly.
Immediate preparation of the candidates for Confirmation is the responsibility of the parents and the parish where the family regularly worship together
Registration
Please have your child/children registered for First Communion by no later than Tuesday, October 31st, 2023. You can fill out and submit the form at the bottom of this page, or contact the parish office at 705-526-6313 ext. 1 if you have any questions.
Donation
To assist our parish to defray the costs of preparing your child to receive and celebrate the Holy Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, a donation of $30 is much appreciated. This donation covers the cost of the 2 workbooks: one for First Reconciliation and one for First Holy Communion.
Please bring your donation to church at your child’s Enrollment Mass. This price is subject to change.
Enrollment Mass
In addition to regular Mass attendance as noted above, all children are required to attend with their parents an Enrollment Mass. The dates of the Enrollment Masses are:
**Saturday, October 28th at 5:00pm Mass, and on Sunday, October 29th at 11:30am Mass**
Preparation Classes
Both parents and children are expected to do the sacramental preparation instructions at home, utilizing the wonderful Dynamic Catholic ‘Blessed’ program series https://dynamiccatholic.com/blessed. Blessed is a state-of-the-art series of 84 short animated films and beautifully illustrated workbooks that will assist the children in their journey. Once registered your child will receive the two workbooks needed for the program.
Also, children are required to attend all the online catechism classes with our parish catechist. Please provide us with an email address to be used for this purpose on the registration form. (Please make sure this is an email that is regularly monitored by a parent/guardian so that you do not miss an important communication.) These classes are meant to complement and not to replace the work that parents are expected to do with your children.
There is a list of the dates of these classes attached to this letter.
A note on missed lessons/make-up lessons: as a full-time university student who is balancing other employment along with this important ministry, our instructor has limited availability to offer additional make-up lessons. Children learn by example and your commitment to prioritizing these classes will help teach them the lifelong value of their faith.
Future Communication:
All future information will be available through our church bulletin, our parish website and email correspondence.
Sincerely yours,
Fr. Roselle Azares
Pastor
St. Margaret’s Parish, Midland
