The First Reconciliation and First Eucharist Program at St. Ignatius Parish is a Parish/Family/Catechetical based program. Children who attend our Parish Faith Formation classes, as well as those children in Catholic Schools who worship at St. Ignatius, come together to prepare for their First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. The Preparation is a one year program. A child registering for our parish preparation program should meet the following criteria:

• Family must be registered at St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish.
• Child must be baptized. (A copy of the Baptismal Certificate must accompany the registration form.) (Children not baptized who are 7 years old or above should contact the Director of Faith Formation for more information.)
• Child must be concurrently registered in The Faith Formation Program. (They must be in the Faith Formation Program and the Eucharist/Reconciliation Preparation Program at the same time in that same year they are preparing for their First Eucharist/Reconciliation.)
• Child must be in the 2nd Grade or above. (No First Graders)
• The child must have attended the previous year’s Faith Formation Program here at St. Ignatius or another Catholic Parish or School. (A total of two years of Faith Formation is required before a sacrament can be received. In other words a child attends the 1st/2nd Grade or 2nd/3rd Grade, etc, even if coming for the first time in 7th Grade; it would be 7th/8th.)
• Family must be willing to be actively involved in their child’s preparation. You must attend the Parent/Child Eucharist and Reconciliation Preparation Sessions with your child. (See the schedule below.)

Our Parish program for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist includes the following:

• Attendance in the weekly faith formation classes or a Catholic school.
• Four Parent/Child formation sessions. (These are held on Saturday Mornings)
• Three Liturgical Rites. (These are held during the Weekend Liturgies)
• Home study materials, activities and projects to be completed by the child and parent at home.
• Regular Sunday Mass attendance.

If you have any questions, please call Burt Smith, Children’s Faith Formation Director, at (925) 778-1631.

The First Eucharist Liturgies
This year, we will have smaller, more personal First Communions during the regular Sunday scheduled liturgies. This will give you more choices and flexibility in arranging your child's First Eucharist. You may schedule with the Faith Formation Office your child's and family's choice for First Eucharist for any weekend liturgy (5:00 p.m. Saturday or 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. or 12:00 n.n. Sunday beginning on Pentecost, May 8 through June 12, 2011). The number of candidates for First Eucharist may not exceed more than 5 - 6 children at any one liturgy.