As baptized members of God’s family, our tri-parish children who are in second grade or above are invited to continue on their path of initiation into the Catholic Church by receiving Jesus in their First Holy Communion, preceded by receiving Jesus’ forgiveness and healing through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To help prepare them to receive these sacraments for the first time, we offer First Sacrament Preparation where both child and parent will be actively involved.

In conjunction with First Sacrament Preparation, child(ren) must be active participants in a faith formation program:

• If your child attends Bishop Leibold School (BLS) or another Catholic parochial school, they will participate in religion class that provides education on the sacraments.
• If your child attends a public or non-Catholic private school, they will also need to be enrolled in either classroom catechesis (PSR) or family catechesis (GIFT) in our tri-parish community.
• If your child is homeschooled for faith formation, please contact the Assoc Dir for Sacrament Preparation (see bottom of page) to share which Catholic curriculum you use for teaching on the sacraments.

PSR and GIFT families register their children for First Sacrament Preparation through the respective registration processes for those programs. 

BLS/parochial school and homeschool children enroll in First Sacrament Preparation using the following steps:

1. Complete the online registration form for each child or youth (2nd grade and older) who will be receiving First Sacraments. The sacrament preparation fee is $30 per child (paid online after registration).
2. Print the All 2nd Grade First Sacrament Schedule which lists the major events where children of all grades making First Sacraments participate together. This schedule lists dates and individual parish locations.
3. If your child is beyond 2nd grade and making sacraments, a custom preparation schedule will be tailored to individual circumstances. Contact the Assoc Dir for Sacrament Preparation (see bottom of page).
4. If your child was not baptized at Our Lady of Good Hope, St. Henry, or St. Mary of the Assumption, please submit a copy of their baptism certificate.

CONTACT: Jen Sens Associate Director of Sacrament Preparation [email protected]