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First Reconciliation

FIRST RECONCILIATION
Children who 1) have completed 2 consecutive levels of religious formation and 2) whose readiness has been discerned are welcome to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 
Parents of children enrolled in Catholic School should discern their child's readiness to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in grade 2 or grade 3 and contact the parish Director of Religious Edcucation PRIOR TO the start of the school year in which the child will receive the sacrament. 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CHILD'S SACRAMENT REGISTRATION 

PARENT MEETING (students encouraged to attend for special activity)
Sunday, September 10th  6:00 pm  Rectory Meeting Room

 



PREP Families, PRIOR TO each in-person session, view the Blessed: Reconciliation video segments view with your child. 
Follow along in the book and complete the prayer and review pages at the end of each chapter. 

CLICK HERE to view the videos for each session ("Seasons 1-6"). Note: Each "Season" contains 7 short videos referred to as episodes. 

If you missed an in-person session, please review the recorded session (2021-2022).

Chapter 1~CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING     

Chapter 2~CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING

Chapter 3~CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING

Chapter 4~CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING

Chapter 5~CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING

Chapter 6~CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING

FIRST RECONCILIATION VIRTUAL RETREAT

Welcome! The following activities will help your child to prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. Complete the activities over a couple days or at the same time. Enjoy!

PART I: Parable of the Prodigal Son

Introduce the video by saying, “The Prodigal Son is one of the most famous stories in the entire Bible. It is about how God the Father always rejoices when we return home to him.”

CLICK HERE to watch the video.

Discuss:

  1. The son in this story is called the Prodigal Son. Prodigal means “careless and foolish.” We are all careless and foolish at times.
  2.  When we sin we are being careless and foolish. But, when we come to Reconciliation we are like the son returning home to his father. 
  3. How do you think the son felt when his father welcomed him home? Was the son happy, relieved, humbled, grateful, all of the above?
  4. What does the Parable of the Prodigal Son teach us about God, our Father? (He is always ready to welcome us home when we are sorry for our sins and ask for forgiveness.)

PART II: Parable of the Good Shepherd

Introduce the video by sharing a time when you were lost as a child (for example, in a store or park) or as an adult (for example, on a road trip). Ask your child when (s)he was lost. How did you feel when you were found?

CLICK HERE to watch the video.

Discuss:

  1. What does a shepherd do? (Cares for flocks of animals by providing food, water, shelter, treatment for injuries, protection from predators, etc.)
  2. Who is the Good Shepherd in the parable? (Jesus)
  3. Who are the lost sheep? (Each of us when we sin and turn away from God)
  4. How does the shepherd in the parable remind you of Jesus? (Jesus feeds us in the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist and heals our wounds of sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He celebrates when we confess our sins and return to him. He laid down his life to protect us from sin and death.)
  5. We show our love for God and others when we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In our everyday lives, how do we show God and others that we love them?
    {We say, "I'm sorry" and "I forgive you." We look for the good in others and offer affirmation. We obey our parents, grandparents and teachers. Etc.)
  6. What does the Parable of the Good Shepherd teach us about Jesus? (When we are lost, Jesus will always search for us and bring us back to our Father when we are sorry for our sins and ask for forgiveness.)

Part III: Good Shepherd Game

CLICK HERE to print the board game. Option: Open the board on a laptop or cast it to a smart TV.

Place a button or other small object in the "Sheepfold" for each player. Option: Open the digital copy and use a small post-it note to keep track of your movement on the screen.

Each player takes a turn rolling a die and moving the number of spaces on the board. Follow the instructions on the square. Option: flip a coin to determine how many spaces to move--Heads=1; Tails=2.

Continue playing until all players have re-entered the sheepfold.

Part IV: A Walk Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Watch Msgr. Zemanik and Mrs. Smalley walk through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Part V: Examination of Conscience

It is important to spend time thinking about the sins that you need to tell the priest. Praying the Stations of the Cross (video included below) can help you to remember sins that need to be forgiven. You can write your sins on a piece of paper and bring it to First Reconcilation. Be careful not to show your list of sins to anyone else.

Part VI: Closing Prayer

Part VI: Participation Form

Let me know about your experience! Complete the survey to let me know you “attended” this Retreat! Thank You!

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Monday, March 25th @ 6 pm--Service with Individual Confession

Immediate family members are invited to accompany the child. Please note that all Catholics are welcome to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at this time. 
Non-Catholic families members are welcome to enter the confessional to seek a blessing from the priest.