Sacramental Preparation for Baptized Children

Below are the sacramental preparation calendars for Penance & Holy Communion and Confirmation for the 2022-2023 spiritual year. The sacramental preparation calendars are updated each June for the coming year.  A child should be in religious education each year and announced previously, we require a child to be in a formal religious education program for at least the year before a sacramental year for first Penance & holy Communion or Confirmation, so the child’s 1st and 7th grade religious education years. Children should be in religious education each year, ideally beginning in Kindergarten and ending after a year or two of high school sessions.

If your child intends to present himself/herself for these sacraments, please place these important dates on your calendar now. It is expected that the child and their parent(/s) attend these sessions (unless they are for parents only in the case of penance and holy communion prep). If there is a serious conflict, it is your responsibility to contact the sacramental preparation director in advance of the session. Please communicate this information to any extracurricular programs your child may be involved in – especially the weekend Confirmation Retreat to eliminate any difficulties immediately before important spiritual events.

Some Important Information, please read each closely as some my apply to your family or situation:

General Sacramental Preparation Head’s-Up: First Parent Sacramental Prep Session – Sunday, 11 September, 10-11 am in the spirit center
For St. Mary Parish Families who have had a child in religious education via St. Mary School (or another Catholic School), St. Mary PSR/CCD, or Homeschool Catholic Religious Education program, for at least one year and the child is now beginning his/her 2nd or 8th grade year, and able ot begin sacramental prep for to begin receiving celebrating the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, or in 8th grade and able to complete Christian Initiation with the sacrament of Confirmation, Parents, please plan for one of you to attend this initial sacramental prep parent session on 11 Sept from 10-11 am in the spirit center. Questions, concerns, or if your child has not been receiving formal religious education, or not prepared for and received a sacrament(s) and is now older and you’ve returned (or would like to return) to the active practice of the faith and sacramental life and would now like for your child to prepare for and receive a sacrament(s) that he/she missed, please contact Michael O’Donnell (modonnell@stmarylancaster.org) who will be coordinating sacramental preparation this year so he and Father Eilerman can speak to you question, or talk with you about your situation and together determine a way forward. Please reach out before the 11 September meeting so a conversation can begin and, if possible this year, plan to attend that first parent session and be on track for this year. Thank you.

Religious Education for Homeschooled Children or Children who attend a Catholic school other than St. Mary School and Sacramental Preparation
If you are a registered family in St. Mary of the Assumption parish, have a child that is homeschooled and uses a catholic religious education curriculum for religious education, or if your child has been attending a Catholic school other than St. Mary, and your child is in 2nd grade or 8th grade, had religious education last year, and could begin preparing for the sacraments of penance and holy Communion or Confirmation, please email the name of your child, how he or she is/has been receiving religious education, and family contact information to modonnell@stmarylancaster.org.

A Note to St. Mary School Families and Sacramental Preparation
Since the young people who make up the student body at St. Mary School come from many different parishes, there may exist some confusion on where the sacraments of first holy Communion and Confirmation are to be celebrated. These Sacraments of Initiation are to be celebrated in the parish church where the person receiving the sacrament is a parishioner. If there is some extenuating circumstance, it is then the responsibility of the child’s family to speak with their parish pastor so he can make a decision as to how best to proceed with the child’s reception of a sacrament. The parish we belong to is our spiritual home and the community where our faith is nurtured and supported. In a parochial school setting where the student body is made up of parishioners from different parishes, it is important that the host parish does not assume a role that it doesn’t have. Here at St. Mary School, we will always respect the relationship that our students have as parishioners at their own parishes.

Questions?
Please, Contact the Parish Office (740.653.0997)
or Sacramental Preparation Coordinator for 2022-23
Michael O’Donnell

Since the young people who make up the student body at St. Mary School come from many different parishes, there may exist some confusion on where the sacraments of first holy Communion and Confirmation are to be celebrated. These Sacraments of Initiation are to be celebrated in the parish church where the person receiving the sacrament is a parishioner. If there is some extenuating circumstance, it is then the responsibility of the child’s family to speak with their parish pastor so he can make a decision as to how best to proceed with the child’s reception of a sacrament. The parish we belong to is our spiritual home and the community where our faith is nurtured and supported. In a parochial school setting where the student body is made up of parishioners from different parishes it is important that the host parish does not assume a role that it doesn’t have. Here at St. Mary School, we will always respect the relationship that our students have as parishioners at their own parishes.