Preperation Of Children For First Reconciliation
At St. Rose of Lima sacramental preparation is in accord with the Sacramental Norms of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Children are prepared simultaneously for the two sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. For reconciliation, we follow the programme “Celebrating God’s Love” in preparing our young. Children who have not been baptized as well as children who attend public or private schools are also required to participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC).
The basis for this preparation is not so much the state of sin in which a child may be but rather the formative and pastoral aim to educate to the true Christian spirit of penance and conversion, to growth in self-knowledge and self-control, to the sense of sin, to the necessity of asking for pardon from God and above all to a loving and confident abandonment to the mercy of the Lord. (Norms for Sacramental Preparation, Archdiocese of Toronto, 78, 80)
Requirements :
You are a regular worshipping member of the parish community at St. Rose of Lima.
The candidates must present a copy of their Catholic Baptism certificate, or provide documentation showing they have been received into full communion with the Catholic Church.
What’s Involved How Does It Work?
Parents are required to attend an information meeting in the parish hall.
Parents must also attend a Catechetical Session on the Sacrament of Reconciliation helping them to better understand this sacrament so they might enter more fully into its meaning.
Parents are required to attend a Family Gathering with their son/daughter where they participate in various activities aimed at deepening their understanding of God’s mercy and love, available in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Children along with their parents will be expected to attend an Enrolment ceremony during one of the Sunday Masses.
For more information, please contact the Parish Office at 416-438-6729.
Through the three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist) we enter into the new life of Christ, but we carry this life in earthen vessels and remain vulnerable to sin. Baptism for the remission of sins is the foundation of our Christian life, but the Lord has given us the Sacrament of Reconciliation to forgive sins committed after Baptism.
It is impossible to be a disciple of Jesus without an openness to on-going repentance and conversion, and the constant effort to cooperate with God’s grace. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are able to experience the love and mercy of God, turning away from our sin and towards God, beginning anew to walk in the footsteps of Christ.
All Catholics are encouraged to go to confession at least once each year, and as often as necessary when conscious of serious sin. The Church has always recommended frequent confession, even of less serious sins, as an important aid in the lifelong struggle to be conformed to Christ.