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Reconciliation & First Communion

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)

Registration is open here and will close October 9th 2021.

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.

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 September 19th. The program outline is as follows:

First Reconciliation (2021) – Saturdays @10:30 am to 12 pm (unless otherwise stated)

  • Parents’ Information Session: Sunday, September 19th 2021 (after 11 am mass)
  • Session 1: Saturday, October 16th 2021
  • Session 2: Saturday, November 6th 2021
  • Session 3: Saturday, November 20th 2021
  • Session 4: Saturday, December 4th 2021
  • Retreat: Saturday, December 11th 2021 (10:30 am to 12:30 pm)
  • Celebration: Sunday, December 12th 2021 (after the 11 am Mass)

First Communion (2022) – Saturdays @10:30 am to 12 pm (unless otherwise stated)

  • Session 1: Saturday, February 12th  2022
  • Session 2: Saturday, February 26th 2022
  • Session 3: Saturday, March 12th 2022
  • Session 4: Saturday, April 9th 2022
  • Retreat: Saturday, April 23rd 2022 (10:30 am to 12:30 pm)
  • Celebration: Sunday, May 1st 2022 (at the 11 am Mass)

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