• The First Reconciliation Retreat for in-person students is January 24, 2021 in the Atrium from 2-4 p.m. First Sacraments candidates do not have to attend morning classes for Christian Formation scheduled on that day.

• The Student Workbook is due at the retreat.  Please have your child bring their teal backpack as well as their completed Student Workbook. 

• We have a tentative date of Saturday, February 13, 2021 for First Reconciliation and will be confirmed by the retreat. 

Church of the Holy Family uses Encounter with Christ, a curriculum published by Our Sunday Visitor (OSV). Below you will find ways to help you prepare your child for First Reconciliation as well as tips on how to maneuver the digital resources found at sacraments.osv.com.  

Books and Materials 

• Children's Materials
  • 2nd grade received their backpacks with the Encounter with Christ Student Workbook and My Mass Book during their Christian Formation class on November 15th. 
  • 3rd-5th Grade: Children's backpacks with materials were distributed directly to parents at the November 15th parent meeting.
• Parent Materials: The Parent Guide for Encounter with Christ and Preparing Your Child for First Reconciliation were distributed at the November 15th parent meeting.

Timeline for Workbook Completion

We have provided a suggested timeline for completing the home study program.  Click HERE for the suggested timeline. 

As you follow the suggested timeline for completing the student workbook, Encounter with Christ below is information and helpful tips for each session as you work with your child in preparing for First Reconcilation. 

Introduction to Encounter with Christ

• Page 2: In This Book
• Page 4: Our Parish
• Page 6: My Family
• Page 8: About Me

Session 1: We Are Made in God's Image

• Jesus is fully human and fully divine and the Second Person of the Trinity.  When God became human in Jesus, this is known as the Incarnation. 
• Jesus is the perfect image of God, the perfect human being.  He is our model for who we are called to be because we are also created in the image and likeness of God. 

Session 2: We Live in Covenant with God. 

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation restores us to the state of grace we received at Baptism? Through the absolution of the priest, our sins are forgiven just as original sin was washed away at our Baptism. 
• Jesus is called the New Adam? Adam ( just as we are) was created in the image and likeness of God.  When he sinned he failed to live fully to what God created him to be, so Jesus was sent to redeem Adam and humankind, to show us the way we should live according to God's word. Jesus was both fully human and divine; he is God Incarnate. 
• a new Paschal Candle is blessed each year at the Easter Vigil? The Paschal Candle is the large candle lit during solemn liturgical celebrations during the Easter Season and during baptisms and funerals.   Outside of the Easter Season, it is kept in the baptistry near the baptismal font.  When you go to Mass, see if your child can locate the Paschal Candle.

Session 3: We are Called to Forgiveness

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a sacrament of healing; thus on page 31, under Meet Jesus, Jesus is  called The Healer.  He not only healed people physicall but healed people emotionally and spiritually.  People who were physically or mentally disabled were ostracized.  When they were healed, their healing also allowed them to return to their communities. This is important because God created us to be social beings and to never be alone. 
• Did you know that the Cathechism of the Church teaches that listening to a well-informed conscience is listening to the voice of God (CCC 1777)?  Session 3 is about making good choices. We learn about Church teaching so that our choices reflect what God would want us to do, especially when we have to make difficult choices. 

Session 4: We Come to Reconciliation

• The Rite of Penance. In this session, children will learn about the rite and what it will entail including the steps to confession. 
• How can a priest forgive sins? Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is ordained into sacramental ministry.  When he celebrates the sacraments, he is acting in the person of Christ, persona in Christi, and forgives sins in the name of Jesus.  Whenever a priest celebrates a sacrament, you will notice he wears a stole which can vary according to the liturgical color.  Because purple is the color of repentance, he will wear a purple stole during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 
• Will my child have to memorize the Act of Contrition?  Your child is encouraged to memorize the Act of Contrition.  The best way is just to make it part of your bedtime prayers.  Close the day by praying the Act of Contrition together. 

Session 5: We Confess and Do Penance

• Why did people during Jesus' time dislike tax collectors?  Tax collectors collected taxes for the Roman Empire, and many were known to abuse the system and collect amounts higher than what they were supposed to collect. Because they worked for the  Roman Empire  who oppressed the Jewis people and often collected more than necessary, they were despised.  In this session, you will read about Zacchaeus, the tax collector, who Jesus praised because he changed his ways and promised to give half his wealth to the poor. 
• When given a penance, what does this mean?  The priest gives us a penance at the end of confession to make things right.  It can be in the form of prayer or action. 

Session 6: We are Forgiven and We Forgive

• What absolution gives us. Absolution does not only give us forgiveness, but in the Prayer of Absolution the priest says the beautiful phrase, "May God give you pardon and peace."  The Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us just that when we are truly sorry and allow God to heal us where we are broken. 
• Can a priest tell anyone what I have done?  Under Canon Law (Canon 983), a priest cannot disclose sins confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  He would break the "sacred seal of confession" and be subject to the penalty of being excommunicated.  

Helpful Tips for Each Session

• At the beginning of the session, when reading God's Word, read it twice to your child. 
  • The first time, ask your child to listen to the Scripture.
  • The second time, ask your child, what are they hearing, seeing, feeling as they hear the Scripture again. 
• Holy Spirit Stickers. In sections where your child reads about the Holy Spirit, have them select a Holy Spirit sticker from the back of the book and place it in the section that discusses the Holy Spirit. 
• At the end of each session, is the My Family in Our Parish, is an important activity that applies their learning.  They can connect what they have learned to something tangible in the church.  The best time to do this is before or after Mass.  

Parent Information and Tips for Digital Resources

• Suggested Timeline for Completing the Encounter with Christ Student Workbook

• Creating a parent log-in  For Encounter with Christ web site (you will need your parent guide to register)

• How to use the Parent Guide for Encounter with Christ

• Accessing Session Videos

• Catechism of the Church