Fulfillment of Sacraments
“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats me flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”
John 6: 55-57
In Holy Communion, prepare to meet the Lord Jesus in this special sacrament. The Rite of Holy Communion celebrates the second step toward full initiation into the Church. First Holy Communion is most often celebrated around the age of seven or eight, when the children are of the age of reason and are capable of participating in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church. For First Holy Communion, you must go to the sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion. The Eucharist is a gift that takes a whole life time to understand; it is a gift that requires a response from us, that is why we must take care that our children are well prepared.
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At your child’s Baptism you, the parents, were told that you “would be the first and best teachers of your children in the way of faith”. Parental involvement in the preparation of your child for First Holy Communion is paramount. The parish ‘helps’, but does not replace your part in the process of leading your children in the development of their faith, through the development and example of your own life. The best preparation for the Eucharist is taking your child to Mass regularly and helping your child understand what it is all about.
First Eucharist at St. Louis Parish
First Holy Communion is most often celebrated by children around the age of eight, when they have reached the age of reason and are capable of participating in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church. First Holy Communion is to be preceded by the sacraments of baptism and reconciliation. “Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1457).
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Children participating in the St. Louis religious education/faith formation program begin preparation for receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation in the second grade. In the third grade they begin a more comprehensive preparation to receive the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation and are also expected to complete an at home workbook for each of the Sacraments. Once a child can aptly express in a personal interview with the pastor or his representative that they have an understanding of the Sacrament of Eucharist and Confirmation, they may then be scheduled to receive those Sacraments at the Confirmation/ First Eucharist Liturgy.
First Eucharist at St. Louis Parish
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A child must be baptized. A copy of the certificate must be on file with the parish office.
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Each child is required to complete the First Communion Sacramental Preparation materials with their parents.
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Children and their parents are expected to attend Mass.
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Child interviews with pastor or his representative that they have an understanding of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
For more information, please contact the parish office at 303.666.6401 or by email at parishoffice@stlp.org.
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Holy Communion completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. – CCC 1322
Confirmation
“Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
Acts 2:3-4
Confirmation is the sacrament whereby God completes the graces of a person’s baptism and deepens His seal within them, marking them as belonging to Him (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13-14). When received within a life of faith, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through confirmation empowers us to live the Christian life, which we simply couldn’t do otherwise. Thus, it is not a person’s “adult choice to be Catholic,” rather it is God who chooses us, and we can then choose Him day by day.
When a person is confirmed he or she is:
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​Made a new creation, an adopted son or daughter of God, who has become partaker of the divine nature. – CCC 1265
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A member of the Body of Christ, the Church. – CCC 1267
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Freed from the power of darkness and is brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God. – CCC 1250
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Able to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues; Given the power to love and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through
St. Louis Parish cooperates with parents in offering Christian formation for students in grades 3 through 12 for preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
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As the Archdiocese of Denver has restored the order of the sacraments of initiation to their proper theological and historical order (following Baptism, Reconciliation in second grade, Confirmation and Eucharist in third grade), St. Louis Parish will follow this practice.
To find out more information on the restored order from the Archdiocese of Denver, please click here.
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For more information about Confirmation, please contact the parish office at 303.666.6401 or parishoffice@stlp.org.
“Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he had not yet fallen upon any of them; They had had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 8:14-17
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Restored Order
Restored Order at St. Louis Parish
Adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church or complete their Sacraments of Initiation are invited to participate in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) at St. Louis Parish.
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Through this process, participants receive formation in the Catholic faith, grow in relationship with Christ, and prepare to receive the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism (if not yet baptized), Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist.
OCIA is a journey of prayer, learning, and community, typically beginning in the fall and culminating in the reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
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Adults who have been baptized in the Catholic Church but have not yet received Confirmation or First Eucharist are also invited to participate in this process of preparation.
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For more information, please contact:
Sarah Salem
Religious Education Coordinator
ssalem@stlp.org
Office: 303-666-6401 ext. 0052
Cell: 720-471-5854