Holy Communion

1st Communion for Children

Sacramental Preparation registration is now closed for this school year. Registration will be open only during August 1 to August 31, 2023.

Is your child ready?

There is no rush to get started if your child or your family isn’t ready. We can always take the year to ease into it. What does it mean to be “ready” for Sac. Prep?

• Your child has good attendance last year in faith formation through one of the following: Home Study, Children’s Faith Formation classes, or Catholic School
• Your child was BAPTIZED in the Roman Catholic Church, and you can produce the baptismal certificate at time of registration (along with your child’s birth certificate).
• Your child is at least 7 years old at the time Sac. Prep begins on October 1^st.
• Your child desires the sacraments of Holy Confession and Holy Communion.

Is your family ready?

There are no conveyor belts to Heaven or the sacraments! Just because your child meets the above requirements, this year is not the right year for your family if you cannot answer “YES!” to the following questions:

• Do you attend Holy Mass every single Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation?
  If you attend occasionally or even monthly, then you are not ready to start the process for First Holy Communion for your child. Jesus commands us to Keep Holy the Sabbath and to worship God in Holy Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. It is a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sundays. 

• Do you go to sacramental Confession at least once a year?
  The Church requires yearly Confessions of all her members. Too many high school students (over 60%) have not gone to Confession since their first time. This is a tragedy, but one that we cannot blame on the kids.

• Do you pray regularly at home?
  Jesus Christ is not a teacher, wise man, or prophet. He is our Lord and Savior. What is the purpose of Holy Communion if we do not have living faith in Jesus at home?

• Are you able to attend the monthly Family Sessions alongside weekly faith formation and our Holy Communion Catechism lessons taught at home?
  Sometimes our schedules get crazy depending on the year and what activities our kids are involved in. Sac. Prep is a priority over sports, band, and other things. If this year is too full that you cannot make it a priority, then let’s look at next year.

If you answered “No” to any question above, then let’s devise together the best way forward that meets the needs of your family and upholds the dignity and power of the Sacraments. Jesus Christ desires you to know and love Him, to receive His free gift of salvation through faith, and to be not only in touch with Him, but in communion, in holy intimacy with Him. That alone is the end game for our Sac. Prep family ministry here at Saint Anthony of Padua.