While the Sacrament of Baptism is the first Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Church and makes us Children of God, the Church follows Christ’s teachings by providing two additional Sacraments for children – the Sacrament of Reconciliation (not a Sacrament of Initiation) and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist (a Sacrament of Initiation). In the Diocese of Des Moines, children traditionally celebrate First Reconciliation (also called the Sacrament of Penance or Confession) and First Holy Communion (Eucharist) in second grade.

Sacred Scripture (The Holy Bible) clearly demonstrates Christ’s intention to give His Church the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, in John 20:21-23, and other references when He stated, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” “…And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Second grade or above children prepare for First Reconciliation in the first semester and celebrate the Sacrament with their class and the parish priest usually during the Advent Season. In addition to being reconciled with God and neighbor, another reason for providing this wonderful Sacrament of Healing is that the Church asks that we approach the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist in a “state of grace” – free of mortal sin.

In the Catholic Church, the Holy Eucharist is the “Source and Summit of the Christian life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1324). All the other six Sacraments are critically important and are “bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.” Preparation for First Holy Communion is emphasized during the second semester of the second grade year and our children receive their First Holy Communion in early May.

For these very important and wonderful Sacraments, we strongly encourage parents and families to fully engage and participate with their second grade children in learning, sharing, and practicing the Catholic faith through active and weekly Mass attendance, prayer, and sharing the faith at home. Parents must provide the parish office with a copy of the child’s Baptism certificate. Finally, and just like the other Sacraments, parents and children are reminded that no Sacrament is a ‘graduation’ or a completion. Instead, all Sacraments are important and beautiful milestones and gifts on one’s life-long faith journey. It is critically important to establish a loving heart and attitude toward God, others, and the life-long practice of the Catholic faith.