The service will begin at 5:00 pm and is expected to last about an hour.

 The candles that the children made will be on tables as you arrive in alphabetical order.  Please stop and get your child’s candle when you arrive, there will be someone there to assist you.  If any of the students were absent when the classes made their candles we have made extras, so candles will be ready for them at the service with their names on them.

 Your family should arrive by 4:50 pm and sit together anywhere they would like.  There will be priest(s) located at various locations for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Someone will retrieve your child(ren) and usher them to the priest and back to their seat while families remain in their pews.

 If your child is doing a reading, you will be contacted with the appropriate information.   Please plan to arrive at the ceremony by 4:45 pm to practice.

 To maintain the solemnity of the ceremony, please be aware that pictures may not be taken once the service has begun.  No pictures or video cameras are allowed during the ceremony. 

After practice, the children will bring home a card which you should review with your child.  It describes what the children will do as they celebrate their first Reconciliation.  When you review this card, please help your child prepare what they will say to the priest.  Feel free to write it down on the back of the card, so there is no concern about memorization. Most importantly, Reconciliation is a conversation with the priest, and children should not worry about what they do or do not remember from this card.  The priest will prompt them if they forget anything or need assistance.

 Religious Ed staff and volunteers will be on hand to direct your child when it is time for them to see the priest.  Please have your children remain seated in the pew until he/she is asked to come up.  Once they are finished with the priest they will return to the pew to complete their penance, then they will bring their candle to the front to get lit.  You are free to leave once your child gets his/her candle lit.  As you quietly leave the pew, please take all belongings and programs with you and be respectful of the children who are still waiting to receive the Sacrament. As you exit the church, please extinguish your candle.

 There is one scheduled ceremony for First Reconciliation.  In the case that a child is ill and/or cannot attend the scheduled ceremony, the Religious Ed team will follow up and arrangements will be made after the scheduled ceremony for a child to receive the sacrament.