Welcome to All Saints' 1st Sacraments Ministry for 2019-2020!  This Virtual Meeting takes the place of the info and catechesis we used to do by gathering everyone in the Church on the same date at the same time.  Modern family life and schedules make it difficult to gather in the traditional fashion.  Our hope is that the convenience of this Virtual Meeting will make engaging with the catechesis and info about our parish celebration of the sacrament easier and more enjoyable for you and your son/daughter!  Our focus in this meeting is on 1st Reconciliation.

PRAYER

The Act of Contrition is the central prayer for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The children will say this prayer with the priest after confession.  It does not have to be memorized (each child takes a card with this prayer on it to confession), but each child should be familiar with it through school, PREP and at-home discussion.   Pray the Act of Contrition together at night before bed as a way to examine the day and talk about ways to do better tomorrow.

CATECHESIS

The most frequent thing I hear many Catholics report is that they remember learning about the catechism, but it's gotten rusty.  The video below (and the FORMED assignment detailed further down this page) are meant to be refreshers for adults and reinforce current learning for the children preparing for 1st Reconciliation.  The videos are modern and relevant, and you will gain something from engaging with them, I promise!  Please watch the video below with your child.  It's under 5 minutes in length.

FORMED

FORMED is a streaming service like Netflix...no commercials but ALL Catholic content.  Fr. Dennis purchased this subscription so that every parishioner can access the content FREE!  Click on the FORMED image below to register for your free account.  You may also like the FORMED app.  Once you register you can access FORMED from your PC and/or mobile device. 

Once you register, please visit the "Community" tab and check out the Featured Content titled Brother Francis: Forgiven as well as Penance and the Anointing of the Sick.  The Brother Francis: Forgiven video (approximtely 26 minutes in length) is for you to watch with your son/daughter.  Penance and the Anointing of the Sick - Part I and II (approximately 11 minutes total) is for the adults in your home to view (it's not inappropriate for kids, your kiddo might like it too...or it might be a little over-a-child's-head).  These two sacraments (penance and anointing of the sick) are often discussed together as they are referred to as the sacrements of healing.   

Click on the image in the fetaured content boxes to access the video content. 

Please make it your family's goal to complete the FORMED part of our Virtual Meeting as soon as possible!

Your child should know that God loves him or her.

Your child should be able to tell the difference between right and wrong.

Your child should understand that sin harms or breaks our relationships with others and with God.

Your child should know the stories of the father's love for the prodigal son, Jesus' friendship with his disciples and his teachings to love one another and forgive our enemies.

Your child should experience forgiveness as a regular part of family life.  Forgiveness in the family lets a child see that reconciliation is a normal part of every relationship.

Your child should know that this sacrament offers God's forgiveness and healing and that the priest as confessor is standing in for Jesus.  The priest is not the one doing the forgiving. 

Your child should understand that he/she must be sorry for his/her sins.

Your child should be able to tell the difference between ordinary, everyday faults and serious sin.

Your child should understand that the Sacrament of Reconciliation restores our relationship with God and renews our Baptismal promises.

Your child should know how to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Parents, need a refresher?  Click here for some help from Busted Halo.)

QUESTIONS?

Please contact me, Emily Mulvey, Director of Faith Formation, at 792-4603 or [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.