First Reconciliation/ First Eucharist

The Sacrament of the Eucharist | a sacrament of initiation

The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1322)

To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us. (CCC 1382)

The Sacrament of Reconciliation | a sacrament of healing

Holy Communion is a sacrament of initiation. Reconciliation (aka confession or the sacrament of penance) is a sacrament of healing. What is the proper place of reconciliation in sacramental preparation? The sacrament of reconciliation orients us towards the Eucharist.

Reconciliation places us in right relationship with God, so that when we receive him in the Eucharist we are open to that union. . . . The child preparing for Confirmation and Eucharist is working to develop a life of discipleship. Without the grace of reconciliation, it is difficult to fully live out the Christian life he is called to by the sacraments of initiation.

(Mikki Scuba - A Parent’s Guide to Restored Order)

Our own Bishop William Wack teaches us more on the importance of frequent reconciliation in his pastoral letter, Reborn, Anointed, Nourished: Faith & Formation for Life:

In Catholic tradition, the age of discretion is associated with the awakening of conscience, that ability to distinguish right from wrong.

Therefore it is the practice of the Church to prepare children who have reached this age for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which offers them the grace to nurture virtues, overcome sinful tendencies and enlighten their consciences.

The regular reception of this sacrament before the reception of any other sacraments does much to dispose children to the grace God wishes to lavish on them.

Children should be accustomed to confession/reconciliation before they receive Confirmation & holy Eucharist.

What does sacrament preparation look like for this 2025 - 2026 year?

Baptized children in St. Paul Catholic School will prepare in a similar way as years past, receiving catechesis during the school day and formation with their parents at sacramental retreats.

Baptized children who do not attend St. Paul Catholic School will prepare for the sacraments through a family catechesis model that meets once a month on select Wednesday evenings.

* Please note that sacramental preparation is a focused pathway. It is not intended to teach all Catholic beliefs or offer a comprehensive education in the Faith. It presupposes that a child is receiving a well-rounded catechesis through Catholic school, a qualified homeschool curriculum, or the parish Faith Formation program.

* Weekly worship at Holy Mass on Sundays is an indispensable part of being formed in the Catholic Faith; without it, any other preparation for the sacraments is incomplete.

All baptized children preparing for first Communion during this 2025 - 2026 school year are expected to receive first Communion in the spring of 2026. We hope to offer them preparation for Confirmation very soon afterwards.

Transition to Restored Order

As promulgated by Bishop Wack in 2025, the new sacramental discipline for our diocese will be to confirm children at the same Mass in which they receive their first Holy Communion.

We anticipate that at St. Paul Catholic Church we will be ready to implement this restored order in the spring of 2027. That is, baptized children who are prepared and at least 7 years old are expected to receive Confirmation and then first Holy Communion during the same Mass in 2027.

These sacraments can be administered as soon as a child has reached the age of reason (7 years old) and is sufficiently prepared. Sacramental preparation will depend on the parents’ sense of readiness in their own child; it will not “default” to any particular grade level.