Baptism does snatch us from the power of sin and death and brings us into the new life of the children of God, but it does not free us from human weakness and the inclination to sin. That is why we need a place where we can be reconciled with God again and again. That place is confession.
[226, YOUCAT Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2011, Ignatius Press].
Holy Eucharist is the sacrament in which Jesus Christ gives his Body and Blood—himself—for us, so that we too might give ourselves to him in love and be united with him in Holy Communion. In this way we are joined with the one Body of Christ, the Church.
[208, YOUCAT Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2011, Ignatius Press]
Children prepare for First Penance and First Holy Communion during the first two years of our Religious Education Program. They receive First Penance and First Holy Communion during the spring of the second year of our program.
To prepare for First Holy Communion, children learn about how Jesus instituted the Eucharist, about how we celebrate the Eucharist, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and about how receiving Holy Communion changes us by uniting us to Christ. They learn that participation in the Sunday Eucharist is a serious Christian duty and they learn how to participate during Mass.
To prepare for First Penance, children learn that we are God’s children and that God gave us a free will and a conscience. They learn that through our faith and the sacraments, God gives us the grace to live holy lives. They learn about how Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance and that when we go to Confession, God forgives our sins and gives us the grace to choose and do what is right and good.