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First Eucharist and Reconciliation ^6/6/09
Call Peggy Bariteau, Family Catechesis Coordinator at 408.223.1770 x 305 or email her at pbariteau@sfoasj.org

At St. Francis of Assisi, children 2nd - 8th grades prepare for the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation with the help of their families. Preparation for First Eucharist and Reconciliation takes two years. 

Preparation:

Baptized children in grades 2 through 8 are taught at home by their parents, or in small home groups.  Attendance at Generation of Faith is required.

Support is given to parents at 4 required meetings. Children attend specialized workshops while their parents meet separately at the same meeting time.

At least one parent is required to attend the 1 day Parent Retreat in October. The children are interviewed by parish catechists to be sure they are well prepared.

Mass:
Participants and their families are expected to attend to weekly Mass to learn about liturgy through participation and to hear any announcements regarding the program.

Generations of Faith and Sacrament Prep. directly relate to the Sunday Mass.

Children’s Initiation (CIC):
Sacrament preparation for un-baptized children & children baptized in other faiths who are 7—17 yrs old. These children and their families journey through a special period of preparation. When ready, they will be initiated into the Catholic family at the Easter Vigil. Contact Peggy for details

How to Register your child for First Sacrament Preparation:
1.  Pick up the registration packet for Generations of Faith from the office.
2.  Complete all the forms,, make a copy of your child’s baptismal certificate, and payment of program costs. (if payment is a hardship, please discuss with Peggy, Lisa or Julius)
3.  Return the packet to Peggy Bariteau, Lisa Nakamura, or Julius Bercasio.

Please call ahead to be sure someone is available to take your registration. (408) 223-1770 x305

 Registration Deadline is August 31st

The required costs associated with the process are as follows:

GOF family cost is $130.

GOF + 1 child in sacrament prep. = $230.

GOF + 2 children - sacrament prep.= $280.

GOF + 3 or more - sacrament prep. = $380.

Parent retreat = to be determined

Some Requirements:
A copy of the child’s Baptism certificate is required at the time of registration.

One year of religious education formation is required before your child can be included in the sacrament preparation process.  The Generations of Faith program satisfies this requirement. It is also required during the year that your child is preparing for sacraments.

About Generations of Faith: (also see more, click here....)
On the 2nd week of every month participants and their families join the wider parish community in the Generations of Faith program.  The session starts with prayer at 6:30 PM and ends with hospitality from 8 to 8:30 PM

Veritus–
This child safety program is a diocesan requirement. St. Francis requires that every child (with their parent) that is registered in our programs need to attend this class.

Dates to Remember:
*VERITUS - child safety program requirement the child and a parent are required to attend.
September 25 (Fri) 6:30 to 8pm We will meet in the Chapel.

*Parent Orientation : required for a parent of the family or any adult who will be attending Generations of Faith, First Reconciliation/Eucharist , Children’s Initiation and High School Confirmation. No children please. Lots of info will be shared and this will be too boring for the children!
September 12th (Sat) 2-4pm We will meet in the Gathering Sp.

*First Reconciliation/First Eucharist : meetings begin in January.

*Parent One Day Retreat: requirement for a parent to attend in the year the child is preparing for 1st Communion.
October 24 (Sat.) 9am until 6pm We will meet in the Chapel.

*Children’s Initiation: Meetings begin in mid-September.

You will receive a calendar of meeting dates at the Parent Orientation.

Sacramental Prep for Teens >> Back to Youth Pages

First Eucharist and Reconciliation – Teens
This program prepares high school students for the celebration of the sacrament of First Eucharist and Reconciliation. It occurs at the same time as the preparation for Confirmation but involves additional preparation sessions. Course of preparation depends in part on the individual. There is $40 fee for this program in addition to the Confirmation fee.

Confirmation – Teens

This program prepares high school students for the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation. A person must be in high school (or entering in Fall 2005) to register for this program. The program consists of group meetings at the Church on the first and second Tuesday nights of the month from 7:00-8:15 PM, and participation in Generations of Faith on the third Tuesday of the month, and occasional meetings on the fourth Tuesday. Basically the teens meet 4 times a month from mid-September through May. There is also a one day retreat in September and a three day overnight retreat in March. The cost is $50 per student for the program, $40 for Generations of Faith and $125 for the overnight retreat-payable at that time. Space in the program is limited and priority is given to current active parish members.  Download current brochure.

Youth Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 6 p.m.  Attendance at Youth Mass is expected of all Confirmation candidates.

For general information on the program please download the Confirmation Brochure.  For more information please contact Denisa Randazzo, the confirmation coordinator, at 223-1562 x340 or drandazzo@sfoasj.org.  

Sacramental Prep for Adults 
Call the parish office at 223-1562.

RCIA
A process for welcoming adult inquirers into the Catholic Church. It is designed to meet the needs of those who are:

*baptized in another faith, but want instruction and initiation into the Catholic faith;

*baptized Catholics, but have little or no Catholic teaching, and have not received the sacraments of Eucharist or
Confirmation.

We’ve started a new RCIA inquiry group on Thursday evenings from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.  Entering the RCIA process is NOT a commitment to join the Catholic Church, but is an introduction to our faith.

Interested persons may join at any time.
 

Adult Confirmation
A process for preparing adults to receive only the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Marriage
Preparations should begin at least six (6) months prior to your wedding date.  Call the office 223-1562 for an appointment. 

Our Marriage Validation Program assists couples, who for one reason or another have not had their marriage solemnized in the Catholic Church, complete their requirements for the validation of their marriage. If you know someone has not been able to have their marriage performed by a Catholic priest, our parish is sponsoring a program that will assist you in taking care of this matter. Please call the office for more information and to register.