First Communion Program

First Communion Studies. Our parish First Communion program requires two years of religious education studies, in accord with diocesan standards. These academic requirements can be fulfilled either by the first and second grade DRE online home study program, or by the daily religion classes at the Catholic Academy. Older students complete their current DRE grade for their first year of studies, and then take the second grade DRE program in their second year.

Baptismal Certificates. Copies of these certificates must be on file with the parish office in preparation for this sacrament. If a student was not baptized in the Catholic Church, there is a separate private ceremony that is required for their acceptance into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. If you have not already done so at the time of registration, please click here for information about providing your baptismal certificate.

First Communion Year. In addition to the two-year First Communion studies, there are special preparations for the First Communion year. In their second year of First Communion studies, there are two important parent-student meetings. The fall meeting is in preparation for First Confession during Advent. The spring meeting is in preparation for First Communion during Easter time. Please mark your calendars with the dates listed below.


Important First Confession / First Communion Dates
  • First Confession Parent-Student Meeting: Sunday, November 5, at 6:00 p.m. in church
  • First Confessions: Saturday, December 2, at 12:00 noon in church
  • First Communion Parent-Student Meeting: Sunday, February 4, at 6:00 p.m. in church
  • First Communion Rehearsal: Friday, April 26, at 6:00 p.m. in church
  • First Communion Mass: Saturday, April 27, at 12:00 noon in church
Instead of the First Communion Mass for all the students together, families may choose to celebrate their child’s First Communion individually at a weekend Mass sometime after Easter Sunday. If you are interested in this option, please contact the parish office for available dates and times.

Mass and Confession. Weekly attendance at Sunday Mass, and Confession during Advent and Lent, are core spiritual activities for Catholic Christians. As students preparing to complete their sacraments of Christian Initiation, they should be practicing their faith fully each day. For the parish Mass and Confession schedule, please click here. For information about the Eucharistic Revival in our country and in our parish, please click here.

Prayer Pamphlets. For a pamphlet with the Mass responses, please click here. For a pamphlet with the special Confession prayers for children, please click here. For the regular Confession prayers for older children and adults, please click here. For the pastor’s Catechism of the Heart, please click here for an essential overview of our Catholic Christian beliefs and values. Please also check out the pastor’s special website, CatholicChristian.org.

Recommended Videos. As part of the pastoral presentations on Confession and Communion in preparation for these sacraments, here are two insightful videos to be shared. For Confession, please click here for a very touching video on the theme of forgiveness and accountability.  For Communion, please click here for a inspirational video about what really happens at Mass. These videos appeal to the hearts and souls of Christian believers.

Continuing Religious Education. If students do not attend grades 3-6 of our faith formation programs, additional testing and catch-up work may be required before they take their Confirmation studies in grades 7-8 which, in some cases, may delay the sacrament of Confirmation into the students’ high school years.  So, please attend our entire eight-year program for a complete religious education in our faith! And, for any new students coming into our parish faith formation programs, additional assistance will be provided to help them catch up with our parish sacramental program requirements.

Saint Dennis Church is looking upward in faith, moving forward in hope, and leading onward in love to new life in Christ. As a faith community of prayer, learning, and service, we invite you to join us as intentional disciples of Christ. For more information, please check out the many spiritual resources provided at the CatholicChristian.org website. Together, let us embrace faithful Catholic Christian lifestyles for the new apostolic age of church history.

“O Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

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