First Holy Communion & Reconciliation

Our Faith Formation team is excited to partner with you in forming Saints! We provide weekly instruction beginning in the first grade. If not enrolled at All Saints Academy, children should attend these classes in all grades for first through eighth grade. If you homeschool, your child must still go through our program in order to be properly prepared to receive the Sacraments. Because community is important in our Christian faith, we do encourage all children to participate in person so they grow together with their St. Jude peers and are able to take advantage of on site learning activities that occur in the church and on the campus of St. Jude.

Preparations for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion begin at home. Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children, and overwhelmingly have the largest influence on the faith life of their children. Please attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days with your children to establish a firm foundation. Attending Mass in person every Sunday and on Holy Days is one of the “precepts of the Church” (minimum requirements to be considered a practicing Catholic).

Besides weekly classroom preparation, students and their parents should attend scheduled meetings or other events, if scheduled. These events provide additional formation for your child so they are fully prepared to celebrate the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.

The parent meetings are for the parents of both public school and ASA students.

A special note to ASA parents:

• Sacramental prep is the responsibility of the parish. Often times when a parish also has a school, Sacramental prep is done at that school at the direction of the parish. ASA is a somewhat unique case since it is a conglomeration of four parishes. As a result, while the children are receiving a religious education at the school, Sacramental prep is still done by the parish.
• Registration, paperwork, and record keeping is done by the respective parishes, not the school.
• The children will receive their first Reconciliation and first Holy Communion at a Mass in their respective parishes, not through the school.
• In order for your child to be properly prepared to receive the Sacraments, parents should attend the St. Jude parent meetings and children should attend any extra classes (there aren’t many).
• Though not required, you are welcome to enroll your child in our Sunday evening classes, so they can receive additional formation in the faith, get to know other children from the St. Jude community who are not attending ASA and take advantage of on site learning activities that occur in the church and on the St. Jude campus.