Welcome!
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting St. Clement’s Parish web page for sacrament preparation for children.
I imagine you have questions about the child’s preparation journey for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.
You may even have questions concerning a child who is over seven years old and wondering how they would prepare for the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Reconciliation too.
Hopefully, you will find answers to many of your questions under the headings of:
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- Overview of Sacrament Preparation
- Special Needs
- Baptism for children seven years and older
- First Reconciliation (Penance, Confession)
- First Eucharist (First Holy Communion)
- Why enroll your child in a parish or Catholic school faith formation program?
For more specific information about sacrament preparation for children please contact me by:
email: rivers.m@scpny.org or (518) 584-6122 Press 3 for my direct line.
If you would like to arrange for the baptism of your child under the age of 7, please leave a message with the office secretary for the baptism coordinator Deacon Frank Berning (518) 584-6122.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Maureen Rivers
Pastoral Associate of Children’s Sacraments
Overview for Children’s Sacrament Preparation
The Sacraments: Understanding God’s Gift
The Sacraments are holy and efficacious signs of God’s life instituted by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and administered by the Church. The scope for Sacrament preparation for children includes Baptism for children beginning at age seven and older as well as preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist.
A preparation period is essential to ensure that children have an age-appropriate understanding of God’s love for each of us and the meaning of the sacrament.
Infant Baptisms have a different preparation process focused on the parents. Please see (link) for information about infant Baptisms.
Spiritual Journey
The journey to Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist is spiritual and not merely social or academic, meaning learning lots of religious information.
Preparation is approached as helping your child to have a personal friendship with the risen Jesus and His Church. This relationship is offered to us in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
We encourage you to ponder the teaching of the Church on the necessity of celebrating the Eucharist at least every Saturday or Sunday. We gently pass on to you as parents/guardians, the official teaching of the Church on this subject that it may be a guiding light in your spiritual life and in your vocation as a Christian parent/guardian:
“The faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation [Sundays and Holy Days] unless excused for a serious reason…Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2181).
For many younger adults and parents, this teaching may sound new and unfamiliar. It rests on our belief that God in Christ Jesus lavishes us with his grace in the sacramental life of the Church. So, please, set a good spiritual example for your child by making Saturday or Sunday Mass a priority. This life of grace is the good news we will teach and proclaim to your child.
Special Needs
The Church welcomes all who desire sacrament preparation and is pleased to encourage children, teens, and adults with special needs, learning differences, and disabilities to actively participate in the life of the parish.
Sacrament preparation at St. Clement’s Parish strives to meet the needs of each child, teen, and adult by providing a welcoming and appropriate sacrament formation process to uphold the dignity of each person.
St. Clement’s Parish depends on its parishioners to be a reflection of God’s love to volunteer and accompany the candidate throughout the sacrament preparation journey and beyond to support the candidates growing in relationship with God and the community.
Please contact Maureen Rivers for more information.
Email
Baptism for Children Seven Years or Older
Holy Baptism: New Life
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word “5 (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 312).
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
Children who are seven years and older desiring baptism: parents please contact Berni Grec in the front office. (518) 584-6122
Preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism can coincide with the preparation for First Eucharist and Confirmation. The child comes to understand what is happening, and what is changing during the Sacrament of Baptism through catechesis among peers, formal liturgical rituals, and participating in parish life. In Baptism, we recognize through the power of the Holy Spirit, becoming a new creation, an adopted child of God, and forgiven from Original Sin.
Steps for children over seven years of age for the Sacrament of Baptism:
- Register with the parish.
- Contact Berni Grec, at the front office with your questions and to discuss your child’s and family’s needs.
- Meet with the Parish Baptism Coordinator, Deacon Frank Berning, for an interview and family baptism preparation.
- Enroll the child in the faith formation program on the parish or Catholic school level.
- Participate in the liturgical year and become active in the church, especially by coming to celebrate the Mass with your family.
The Preparation Process for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
Preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a two-year process. Home schooling during the second year is only considered an option under dire circumstances.
Foundation: Year One
The first year catechesis provides the child with the foundational knowledge of the love and the relationship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit long to have with each of us. The children learn about the loving relationship God desires to have with each of us through listening to the Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments, experiencing the feasts and the celebrations of the Church’s liturgical year, as well as Catholic Social Teachings. Families are encouraged to pray and read the bible at home with their children, come to Mass, and take part in the activities of the parish.
The foundation year provides the children with a sense of who God is, why God created us, and what God wants for us. This knowledge prepares the child for understanding what a sacrament is, the gifts of God’s grace which the sacraments provide, and why we need the sacraments to stay close to God.
Sacrament Preparation: Year Two
Traditionally, the children prepare and receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist beginning at seven years old, as they enter the “age of reason.” The celebration of the Sacrament of First Reconciliation usually happens in the month of January.
We celebrate the Sacrament of First Eucharist during the Easter Season in May. Preparation for the sacraments builds on God’s love for us and our relationship with God. Reconciliation focuses on God reaching out to us with his grace of healing, forgiveness, mercy, and the action of “being reconciled” to God and the community. Preparation for First Eucharist, a sacrament of initiation, emphasizes our relationship with Jesus in being a member of the Body of Christ, the paschal mystery, the celebration of the Mass, and our call to mission.
First Reconciliation (Confession, Penance)
Reconciliation: the Sacrament of Forgiveness and Healing
1446 “Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church; above all for those, who since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p.363).
The actual preparation year for First Reconciliation focuses on God’s redemptive love, mercy, and justice for his children as well as our freedom to respond. God will never abandon us and continually welcomes us to be reconciled to Him. The children prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation through interactive retreat experiences, fellowship and social justice activities, as well as sacrament prep catechesis in a faith formation program (parish or Catholic school).
Steps for enrolling your child to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist:
Register with the Parish
- Contact Maureen Rivers, the Pastoral Associate for Sacrament for Children, for information.
- Register your child for the faith formation program on the parish or Catholic school level.
- Provide a copy of your child’s baptismal certificate
To be eligible to prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, the child should have had one foundation year of catechesis from a faith formation program at the parish or Catholic school level.
must be:
• Baptized in the Roman Catholic Church or
• Baptized in the Christian faith and Welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church
Contact Maureen Rivers
Email
Parish Registration
First Eucharist (First Holy Communion)
The Eucharist: The source and summit of the Christian life
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
1324 The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” 136 “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, 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, our Pasch.” 137
1325 “The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God’s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit.” 138
1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.139
1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: “Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.” 140
The Children’s Preparation for First Holy Communion
The children’s preparation for the reception of First Holy Communion centers on our call of being an integral part of the Body of Christ with coming together to participate and celebrate at Mass and live our our mission.
The children learn about the Mass, such as the different parts of the Mass and the sacred items used during Mass. They will have the opportunity to explore the church, the sanctuary, and the sacristy. Various activities, retreats, and liturgical celebrations all play a role in preparing your child to meet Jesus in the Eucharist.
Please bring your children to Mass. As a family, try to take part in parish life the best you can. Your family’s commitment to attending Mass will help your child to understand what the catechist is talking about during class as well as they are committing something that is bigger than their self as they prepare for this next sacrament of initiation, First Eucharist.
Steps for enrolling your child to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist:
- Register with the Parish
- Contact Maureen Rivers, the Pastoral Associate for Sacrament for Children, for information.
- Register your child for the faith formation program on the parish or Catholic school level.
- Provide a copy of your child’s baptismal certificate
To be eligible prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, the child should have had one foundation year of catechesis from a faith formation program at the parish or Catholic school level.
Your child must be:
• Baptized in the Roman Catholic Church or
• Baptized in the Christian faith and Welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church
Contact Maureen Rivers
Email
Why enroll your child in a parish or Catholic school faith formation program?
The Desire for God
“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 27).
Philosophy
Created by God in His image and likeness, each child is unique and endowed with gifts. The sacrament preparation strives to engage each child where they are, physically, cognitively, and spiritually, aiming to assist them with recognizing their gifts and help to fulfill their innate desire to draw close to God.
Preparation for the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and First Eucharist help strengthen the child’s relationship with Christ and His Church as well as provide paths for the child to encounter God’s love and mercy in these sacraments.
Faith Formation
We at St. Clement’s Faith Formation respect each child’s innate dignity and individuality. We are committed to helping parents form a vibrant spiritual life in their child through the sacramental preparation process. The essential component of any sacramental preparation is for a family to make the sacraments, especially the Eucharistic Sacrifice (Mass) central to their lives.
Expectation for Parents
Parents desiring to present their children for Baptism, First Reconciliation, and First Holy Communion preparations are asked to commit themselves to attend Sunday Mass weekly in keeping with the teaching of the Church and the command of Jesus to celebrate the Eucharist in his memory.
The preparation and reception of the sacraments take place at the parish level?
The Role of the Church
“The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1131). Thus, preparation and reception of the sacraments take place at the parish level under the pastor’s authority to ensure each child is well prepared with the required dispositions so to receive God’s grace and bear fruit.
Where should my child prepare for the sacraments?
Typically, the proper place for children to prepare and receive their sacraments is at the Church, where you are a registered parishioner. The intention is that each child has a parish home; channels of communication are open between the family and the pastor, as well as receiving the seen and unseen spiritual benefits from the pastor’s prayers and guidance for the child and their family.
Two Converging Paths
Faith Formation
Parents are invited to enroll their children in St. Clement’s Faith Formation program for sacrament preparation. There is a deadline for registration. Please click this link to be brought to the Faith Formation Registration page for more information.
Catholic Schools
Children enrolled in St. Clement’s Regional Catholic School or another Catholic school may receive catechesis preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist during their religion sessions at their school. However, the reception of these sacraments occurs within the context of the parish celebration with other parish families’ candidates.
Additionally, children who attend a Catholic School and are a member of another parish will need to request a letter of permission from their pastor to prepare and receive the sacraments at St. Clement’s.
St. Clement’s Church policy is that preparation for Sacraments occurs at the parish level. Religious homeschooling should be an exception and only for severe medical reasons.
The materials used for the Sacramental Preparation Program for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are the used for the parish faith formation program as well as St. Clement’s Regional Catholic School. We use the Blessed Program for both Reconciliation and First Eucharist from Dynamic Catholic.
Parent/Guardian preparation sessions are woven into the process so that parents are empowered to fulfill the promise they made at the time of their child’s Baptism: to be the primary teachers in the ways of faith and Christian living.
Integrated into the journey are social justice projects age-appropriate for children to reinforce the Eucharist calls us to act with justice and care on behalf of the poor and needy of our world.
Contact Maureen Rivers
Email