First Reconciliation & First Communion
What is First Reconciliation?
Our parish prepares school aged children and families for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and Penance prior to their First Holy Communion. With their first sacramental acts of Confession and of Penance, they celebrate the Church's proclamation of God's loving mercy through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Like adults children have a right to an ongoing experience of this Sacrament and are encouraged to go freely and regularly. Regular reception of the Sacrament is a beautiful way of co-operating with God as the Holy Spirit graces us with the virtues we need to draw us closer to Jesus Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Church teaches that it is “the place of parents, as well as the duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly and, after they have made sacramental Confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as possible” [canon 914]. The same canon of the Code of Canon Law teaches that it is “for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who have not attained the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed do not approach Holy Communion”. In the Archdiocese of Toronto, it is normative that children and adults preparing to receive Holy Communion for the first time also participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation beforehand, as a means to prepare themselves most appropriately, and to inculcate a desire for Reconciliation throughout their life.
In consultation with the pastor, a child normally starts going to Confession as he/she prepares for First Holy Communion and after he/she has received instruction (catechesis) on this sacrament from the parish.
No, the preparation for this Sacrament is the parish's and parent's responsibility. However, children usually receive instruction in our Catholic schools.
Sacramental preparation in the Archdiocese of Toronto is rooted in three principles:
- All sacraments are ecclesial celebrations, i.e. celebrations of the Church;
- Parents are the primary educators of their children in the ways of faith;
- Catholic schools are an integral part of ongoing Religious Education, including preparation for the sacraments.
There are two types of preparation for sacraments, initial and immediate.
1. Initial (ongoing Religious Education) preparation encompasses:
- Sunday worship;
- Prayer in the family;
- Education in a Catholic School system (or equivalent formation in the parish in Catholic doctrine and life-style);
- Daily living of a Catholic life-style appropriate to one’s age and spiritual development
2. Immediate preparation is the responsibility of the parents and parish and encompasses:
- Sunday worship;
- Prayer in the family;
- Specific sacramental catechesis on the sacrament being anticipated;
- Daily living of a Catholic life-style appropriate to one’s age and spiritual development.
Children will be prepared to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the parish where they worship, even if this is different from the parish with which the school they attend is affiliated. If parents would prefer their child receive the sacrament with their school community then they will require a ‘letter of permission’ from the parish priest. The preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is separate from the preparation for the Sacrament of Eucharist.
This is a very important question that requires constant turning to Christ's presence especially in the Sacraments. Like every child, every family is unique. Parents are privileged teachers of the faith in the family, and this profound privilege requires you to 'walk the talk'. Active participation at Mass on Sundays is always essential. In consultation with your parish, these ideas may help if you do them: being present at your children's parish preparation when appropriate; going to Confession regularly; praying for and with your children and bless them; loving the Church, the people of God, publicly and privately.
What is First Holy Communion?
The three Sacraments of Christian Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist—together form the process of sacramental initiation into the Church. The First Holy Communion marks a wonderful beginning of receiving the Body of Christ and sharing at the table of the Lord with the whole community of St. Patrick's.
Our parish helps families prepare for their child'(ren)'s First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. The preparation process takes place usually around seven years of age or as determined by the pastor.
Frequently Asked Questions
The parents and the parish are responsible for your child's preparation for the First Holy Communion, with help from our Catholic schools. To prepare for First Holy Communion you are to register your family in your local parish. If you are not attending a parish currently, we warmly invite you to participate in the Mass on Sundays with one of our many parish families.
The immediate preparation for the celebration of the sacraments is the responsibility of the parents and the parish.
Sacramental preparation in the Archdiocese of Toronto is rooted in three principles:
- All sacraments are ecclesial celebrations, i.e. celebrations of the Church;
- Parents are the primary educators of their children in the ways of faith;
- Catholic schools are an integral part of ongoing Religious Education, including preparation for the sacraments.
There are two types of preparation for sacraments, initial and immediate.
1. Initial (ongoing Religious Education) preparation encompasses:
- Sunday worship;
- Prayer in the family;
- Education in a Catholic School system (or equivalent formation in the parish in Catholic doctrine and life-style);
- Daily living of a Catholic life-style appropriate to one’s age and spiritual development
2. Immediate preparation is the responsibility of the parents and parish and encompasses:
- Sunday worship;
- Prayer in the family;
- Specific sacramental catechesis on the sacrament being anticipated;
- Daily living of a Catholic life-style appropriate to one’s age and spiritual development.
Children will be prepared to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the parish where they worship, even if this is different from the parish with which the school they attend is affiliated. If parents would prefer their child receive the sacrament with their school community then they will require a ‘letter of permission’ from the parish priest.
Children to the faith of the parents are like sponges to water. At baptism the point about the parents' and godparents' responsibility to pass on the faith of the Church is clear as day in the symbol of the lighting of the candle from the paschal candle at Baptism. The Church involves parents in the faith of their family from the start, because parents are called to be "the first preachers of the faith" to their children.
[1] The parents "are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their off-springs", [2] as St. Augustine once said that parents are called "not only to bring children into the world but also to bring them to God". [3] For these reasons the Church calls the Christian family "the domestic church" (CCC: 1655-1658; Compendium: 350), as Pope John Paul II reminds us in the words of Pope Paul VI: [4]
The family, like the Church, ought to be a place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel radiates. In a family which is conscious of this mission, all the members evangelize and are evangelized. The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their children, but from their children they can themselves receive the same Gospel as deeply lived by them. And such a family becomes the evangelizer of many other families, and of the neighbourhood of which it forms part.
While there is absolutely no fee associated with the Sacrament of Eucharist, our parish families help cover such expenses as program materials, refreshments, and so on, through voluntary donations.
Please contact our Lay Pastoral Assistant, Christine Francis at christine.francis@stpatrick.on.caor call the Parish Office at (905) 294-5955.
Yes, but please speak to our Lay Pastoral Assistant, Christine Francis at christine.francis@stpatrick.on.ca or call the Parish Office at (905) 294-5955. to get information about their preparation for First Communion.
The pastor will be able to speak to your particular situation. [5] Validly baptised non-Catholic children between seven and fourteen years should be enrolled in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children of Catechetical Age.
No. Eucharistic communion is reserved to those who are in the fullness of ecclesial communion with the Catholic Church.
First Holy Communion is usually the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Because baptised children from these ecclesial communities normally received First Communion along with Baptism and Confirmation, these children do not usually celebrate First Holy Communion again. Orthodox children are usually not presented for First Communion even if they are enrolled in Catholic schools.
Speak to your pastor about your particular situation, especially if the child has a Roman Catholic parent or if the parents would like to be received into the Catholic Church.
[1] Lumen Gentium, 11.
[2] Gravissimum Educationis, 3
[3] Lumen Fidei, 43.
[4] Familiaris Consortio, 52; cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 71.
[5] For common examples, see the Archdiocesan resource Invited to the Feast, especially pp. 21-22.