

First Holy Communion Preparation
The process of First Holy Communion Preparation at St. John Paul II is focused on equipping the parents as primary educators and evangelists for their children.
For this reason, the bulk of the sessions are for parents only.
Preparation at St. John Paul II normally lasts one year, beginning in 2nd grade (or when the child is ready).
2020-2021 Preparation:
Parent Expectations
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Pray for your children every day.
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Pray with your children at least once per day.
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Attend Mass weekly as a family.
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Begin going to Confession once a month.
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Talk about your faith with your children.
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Attend Monthly Parent Sessions & Family Check-ins
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Engage with the Home Formation Assignments.
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Attend a Parent Retreat (Dates TBD).
Parent Retreat
All parents of children registered for Sacrament Preparation will attend a one-time retreat. This retreat is meant to be a gift to you, where we can each reflect on our own faith and how it informs our vocation as parents and primary evangelists of our children. This retreat is an opportunity to briefly step away from our busy lives, and to grow closer to Christ, who continually calls us to follow him!
We will hopefully offer this retreat several times during the Spring of 2021, in order to accommodate schedules. Only one parent needs to attend at a time (although both are welcome!).
Monthly Parent Sessions
These sessions are for you. As you grow deeper in your faith through these sessions, we ask that you share that faith with your family, especially your child who is preparing to celebrate their First Reconciliation and receive Holy Communion for the first time.
The sessions will cover some of the basics of our faith, particularly in regards to the sacraments. But more than that, they will deal with the why of our faith. Why are these things important, and how are they relevant to our daily life as spouse, parents, and children of God?
We will give you tools, videos, and activities to use with your children during the month following our session. There will be additional expectations discussed at these sessions as we progress through the preparation process. We are here to help and support you as evangelists – please do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions, concerns, or any other needs as you seek to live out your vocation!
Virtual Family Check-ins
Once a month, we will do a brief virtual check-in with your family (around 30 minutes). The purpose of these check-ins is to engage with you and your child more personally regarding the Faith, answer questions, and pray together. Scheduling these sessions will be done on an individual basis.

First Communion - What to Wear?
