First Reconciliation & First Communion

“This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”

 

The sacrament of Holy Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is a sacred and joyful occasion not only for the child receiving it, but for the entire parish community. At Old St. Mary’s, First Communion is celebrated within a Sunday Mass because, as with baptisms, the whole community has a role in welcoming our young people to the Table of the Lord.

The following information regards children who are preparing for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. If you are an adult who has not yet received First Communion, you can find information here.

 

In our Sunday Faith Formation program and at Old St. Mary’s Catholic School, children spend their 2nd Grade year preparing for First Reconciliation and their 3rd Grade year preparing for First Communion. The Archdiocese of Chicago requires that students be enrolled in faith formation classes for two consecutive years (usually Grade 2 and Grade 3) before receiving First Communion. If you are enrolling your student late or expect to have difficulties with attendance, contact Elise Flick to make sure all sacramental requirements are met.

 

In addition to a child’s regularly scheduled classes, preparation for each of these sacraments requires a parent meeting and two short retreats. You can find the parent meeting, retreat, and sacrament dates for the current school year linked below in green – please note that there are separate calendars for Sunday Faith Formation and OSM School.

If your student attends a public school or non-Catholic private school, you will find a link below to enroll them in our Sunday Faith Formation program (which includes First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation) for the 2026-27 school year.

 

If your student attends Old St. Mary’s Catholic School, you will still need to opt-in for First Reconciliation and First Communion because not all students are Catholic. You can sign your student up for sacramental preparation in the 2026-27 school year by completing the form linked below.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. Details about Sunday Faith Formation classes – find information here: www.oldstmarys.com/sundayfaithformation
  2. Children who started sacramental preparation at another parish – we can often accommodate students transferring between parishes without delaying their sacraments. If this is your situation, reach out to Elise Flick as early as possible. To count previous classes toward your child’s First Communion requirements, we will usually need a signed and sealed letter from your last parish specifying which requirements have been met.
  3. Older Students preparing for First Communion – if your student did not receive their sacraments on time in Grades 2 & 3, we can help. Our exact approach will depend on your child’s current age and whether they are missing any other sacraments – we try hard to keep them with other students their age. To get the ball rolling, reach out to Elise Flick and let her know what grade your child is starting, whether he/she has been baptized, and what previous religious instruction he/she has had (such as attending a Catholic school or participating in a Sunday School program). 
  4. Children raised in a non-Catholic religious tradition – we’re excited that you would like to bring your child into the Catholic Church! If your child was baptized in another Christian tradition, we’ll make sure that baptism was done properly and then move on to First Communion as if the baptism happened in a Catholic Church. If your child has not yet been baptized, we can work with that too! If the child is under the age of 7, you can start the process here – Lauren Huelster will be your primary point of contact. If your child is older, he/she will need 1-2 years of religious education before he/she can be baptized – reach out to Elise Flick for next steps.