Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage each require special preparation appropriate to the individual seeking the sacrament.

For Baptismal preparation, expectant parents should contact the parish office before the baby is born to arrange for preparatoin.  In other circumstances, as much advanced preparation as is practical is desired.

Prerequisites

St. Christopher's Church is committed to ensuring that every child receives a comprehensive religious education and is fully prepared to received the Sacraments of the Church.  Religious Education, just like secular education, is a building processes designed to prepare children for life.  

If a child has missed a year or two religious instruction then they need to be brought up to speed before moving forward.  We offer a variety of options to help students catch-up.

Reconciliation and First Communion preparation are integrated into the second grade curriculum. Please check pre-requisites. An additional time commitment is necessary during the preparation year for retreats, meetings and special events. It is strongly encouraged to attend Mass weekly.  Keep this in mind when planning your child's extra-curricular activities for these particular years.

Confirmation binds us more closely to our faith, strengthens our gifts of the Holy Spirit, and makes us full members of our Church. Students may enter the Confirmation Program starting in 8th grade.  They must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and First Communion.  Students must complete 6th, 7th and 8th grade religious education before entering our preparation program for Confirmation. Students who have not completed these classes at St. Christopher's Church should provide record of attending these classes at another parish.

Students must make a dedicated time commitment for this Confirmation program. Faithful attendance at Mass weekly is a MANDATORY expectation of all students and families.

If several years of religious education have been missed, students are required to take a survey to determine if knowledge of their faith is sufficient to begin Confirmation Preparation. Please contact the Director of Religious Education with any questions/concerns regarding our Confirmation program.

SACRAMENTS IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Students who have missed receiving a sacrament, first Eucharist, Reconciliation and/or Confirmation, or who have missed a year/several of religious education may need to attend our Catch-up class. This provides one-on-one education tailored to meet a student's specific needs.