Reconciliation
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week,” Jesus showed himself to his apostles. “He breathed on them, and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:19, 22-23)
Catholics celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation because we recognize that sometimes we fail to do as we ought and because we believe in God’s mercy and forgiveness. The priest can help you and you can trust the Holy Spirit to guide you.
One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience. This confession of venial faults, without being necessary itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.
The spiritual effects of the Sacrament of Penance are:
- reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
- reconciliation with the Church;
- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by the mortal sins;
- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.
Eucharist
The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” The other sacraments are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself. It is the same Christ, really present under the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice. As with all Sacraments, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist invites our participation. As such, we must prepare ourselves for this Sacrament.
Sacramental Preparation (for children in grade 2 and up)
Thank you for your interest in our Sacramental preparation Programs at Sacred Heart. Please note that your Son or Daughter will need to have valid proof of Baptism to be accepted. There is also a $25 fee for each of the books your son/daughter will be using. (Total of $50 for both sacraments.) Books and payment can be picked up or made at the office. Note: to receive Holy Communion, your son/daughter will have needed to go through Reconciliation first which is why we offer them one after the other.
The Parents-ONLY Information Session will be held on Sunday, October 2nd @ noon (after the 11am mass). Parents are expected to come to all sessions as an accompaniment to their son/daughter and to learn about the faith and practice alongside their children.
There are four (4) sessions + a retreat to prepare for First Reconciliation and four (4) sessions + a retreat to prepare for First Communion. Parents will be expected to be guiding and teaching their children at home, especially given the current circumstances of COVID-19. You will be expected (as the guardians) to ensure your candidate is well-formed – after all, the sacraments are to provide candidates with the grace of God! There will be more information provided in the information session on October 2nd. There will be a welcoming 11 am mass on October 23rd for the children. The program outline is as follows:
Parent Information Session: October 9th @ noon after the 11am mass.
Children’s Welcome Mass: Sunday, October 23rd @ 9 am
Sacrament Preparation Program: First Reconciliation
o Session 1: Saturday, October 22nd 2022 @ 10:30am to noon
o Session 2: Saturday, November 5th @ 10:30am to noon
o Session 3: Saturday, November 19th @ 10:30am to noon
o Session 4: Saturday, December 3rd @ 10:30am to noon
o Retreat: Saturday, December 17th @ 10:15am to 12:30pm
o Celebration: Sunday, December 18th after 11am mass (please come to mass)
Sacrament Preparation Program: First Eucharist (Saturdays from 10:30am to 12pm)
o Session 1: Saturday, January 28th @10:30am to noon
o Session 2: Saturday, February 11th @10:30am to noon
o Session 3: Saturday, March 4th @10:30am to noon
o Session 4: Saturday, March 18th @10:30am to noon
o Retreat: Saturday, April 15th @ 10:15am to 12:30pm
o Celebration: Sunday, April 16th @11am mass (Divine Mercy Sunday)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kathryn (sacraments@sacredheartcalgary.ca).
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