Sacramental Preparation
At St. Rita Catholic School, preparing children for the Sacraments of Eucharist, Confirmation, and Reconciliation involves a partnership among families, parishioners, catechists, and staff. As primary teachers and models of the Christian faith, parents are called on most notably in the sacramental preparation of their children. To support you in this experience, we encourage parents to participate in informational meetings and retreats that present a theological basis for the Sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation, and Eucharist. Any baptized child attending St. Rita Catholic School has the opportunity to prepare for these sacraments.
Reconciliation
Our 2nd grade students experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in November each year. This Sacrament has three elements: conversion, confession, and celebration. In it, we find God’s unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others.
Eucharist
The Eucharist, or Communion, is the sacrament in which Jesus Christ gives his Body and Blood—himself—for us, so that we too might give ourselves to him in love and be united with Him in Holy Communion. In this way, we are joined more deeply with our community—the one Body of Christ, the Church. Second graders participate in their First Communion in April each year.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a Catholic sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of the baptismal gifts of the Holy Spirit. Any baptized person who freely asks for and receives this sacrament receives, through the Holy Spirit, the strength to witness to God’s love and might in word and deed. Our 8th graders prepare throughout the school year and are typically confirmed by the Archbishop at the Cathedral of the Assumption in March.