First Communion
Congratulations to all those who received their First Communion this May!
The preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion run during the school year for 2nd grade children enrolled in Faith Formation. To ensure a child is properly formed for the sacramental life they must have been in a catholic school or parish faith formation program the entire previous school year prior to the school year when they begin sacramental preparation. These children also must be attending weekend Mass every week.
Our Sacrament preparation involves parents working with their child during our group meetings throughout the year. Parents get a chance to spend quality time with their children and be refreshed in knowledge of their faith as well as engage in prayer experiences that will renew their relationship with Jesus.
Questions
Is your child older than 2nd grade?
Contact the parish office to find out how to enroll it preparation for the Sacraments. steas@tampabay.rr.com or (352) 489-4889.
Are you an adult seeking the sacraments?
Contact the parish office to find out how to enroll it preparation for the Sacraments. steas@tampabay.rr.com or (352) 489-4889.
First Reconciliation
Children prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of their 2-year preparation for the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is important that each person receive the Eucharist worthily (1 Corinthians 11), and so the formation of conscience is an important part of this preparation. Each child who is ready for their First Reconciliation may do so with the pastor of the parish in a very welcoming and sensitive way, so their encounter with the forgiveness of God is a life-giving experience of God’s unfathomable mercy.
As a person matures, this same development of conscience can be nurtured by frequent reception of the Sacrament, with the counsel that the priest provides. Many great materials are available for individual reflection and examen in preparation for confession.
Confirmation
Confirmation Program
Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit – his actions, his gifts, and his biddings – in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.(Catechism, 1309)
Thank you for choosing to participate in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish’s Confirmation Preparation Program! Your willingness to commit yourself to completing the program and receiving the sacrament of Confirmation conveys to the entire faith community how much you value both your faith and your community. Your faith formation throughout the course of the two-year Confirmation preparation program will both assist you in identifying the gifts and talents you possess and challenge you to put these gifts and talents to use in our community. You will be invited to take responsibility for your own faith formation, as well as to assist others in that same endeavor.
This year our Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on April 22, 2023, as a deanery at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Inverness. Bishop Parkes will be conferring this precious sacrament at a Mass beginning at 11am. Please pray for our youth receiving the Holy Spirit’s strength, love and power in their lives for their closer walk with God and service to others!
For More Information
Please contact
Gretchen and Bob Robens at (352) 489-4889,
or email steas@tampabay.rr.com.