We welcome you and thank you for choosing St.Frances of Rome to help you prepare your child to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion! We are excited to journey with your family towards these sacraments of initiation.
Our two year process is designed to share the Gospel message of Jesus with the children and families of our parish so that together they can dive deeper into the incredible gifts God gives us - Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
In order to do this we have adopted a hybrid model of preparation that includes sessions at church and at home experiences called Family Meetings. This model allows for greater flexibility for schedules, meets families where they are, and allows for greater intimacy and real sharing as children and families engage and grow together. Most importantly, this model reinforces what the Church has always taught - a child’s faith journey begins at home. Our role as a parish then is to assist and support parents in the faith growth of their children at home.
We do this by first sitting down with families individually to assess their family needs. We then assign families to small groups whom they can journey with together throughout the process and interact with during sessions at the church. Once assigned, parents are taught how to lead a Family Meeting in the home and given all the materials needed to successfully do so. Along the way catechists will also accompany families to help address their individual needs and keep them connected to the parish community.
It is our hope that by shifting from focusing on “content about Christ” to “encounters with Christ as a family” and by encouraging prayer, bible time, rituals, service, and faith conversations in the home that families will encounter Jesus together and develop the faith skills needed to sustain a lifelong development of faith within the family.
To learn all the details of the process please read the 1st Communion Preparation Handbook below.