Preparing to receive the sacraments is a unique and spiritually enriching time in a person’s life. Full of meaningful moments, the experience creates special opportunities for the entire family to affirm and celebrate their faith. The Most Precious Blood Formation Team has developed programs and uses resources to encourage and guide our parents as they prepare their children for the sacraments. We see ourselves as partners in the journey of faith!
Sacramental Preparation
”The saving words and deeds of Jesus Christ are the foundation of what he would communicate in the Sacraments through the ministers of the Church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by the Lord. They are the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Penance/Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Marriage and Holy Orders). Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier”
USCCB.org
Children’s Sacramental Preparation
The Church has long held that parents/guardians are the primary educators of their children. Parents, with the support of the pastor and the Faith Formation team, are responsible for preparing their children for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and Confirmation & First Communion in the Restored Order. This is a time of obvious growth in faith for children, but also an opportunity for parents to renew and deepen their personal faith as they engage in this process with their children.
Don’t worry, we won’t leave you on your own! During the mandatory parent meetings, we will offer some basic sacramental understanding as well as resources and experiential rituals to guide your child through the sacramental preparation. We also believe that our daily family life experiences are the basis for sacramental formation – we experience the graces of the Sacraments as part of the “domestic church”.
The Restored Order
In accordance with the mandate from the Archdiocese of Denver, MPB has transitioned into celebrating the Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation. This means that children celebrate their First Reconciliation in the fall of the first year (typically in the second grade). In the spring of the first year, children will begin preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, followed by preparation for First Eucharist in the second year (typically in third grade). In the spring of the second year, the Rite of Confirmation precedes the celebration of First Communion within the same ceremony.
- Families register for FAITH and for the two-year Sacramental Preparation program.
- In the fall of Year 1, baptized children prepare for and celebrate their First Reconciliation.
- In the spring of Year 1, families will begin working through the Confirmation component of the in-home study program.
- For detailed information for 2020-2021:
- Families register for FAITH and continue with the Sacramental Preparation program.
- Children and their families will continue working with confirmation while beginning their study on the Eucharist in preparation for their First Communion & Confirmation Mass in the spring. The exact dates for those celebrations are determined by the Archdiocese and should be available to us by early fall.
- For detailed information for 2020-2021:
All questions regarding children’s sacrament preparation may be directed to Kristen Kraus (kkraus@mpbdenver.org), a member of the Faith Formation Team.
