Due to the Main Street Festival taking place on Saturday, June 4, all families and friends planning to attend First Communion should follow these directions to avoid festival traffic.

Directions to rear of St. James

In order for a student to receive First Communion or Confirmation in our parish they must have the equivalent of two years of faith formation before our program begins. Exceptions are made only through an interview process with our ministry leaders to determine a family's readiness to engage in the sacrament preparation program and willingness to be active participants.

January 24 - January 31
Registration is open
 

February

PARENT FORMATION for Reconciliation (three 30-minute online sessions)
Parents have the entire month to complete the three sessions and submit a reflection form. This will take the place of a 2-hour in-person Reconciliation workshop that would typically be held for parents. There is a Spanish option for these online sessions.

Saturday, February 5 - Zoom Parent Meeting and FORMED tutorial, 9:00-10:00am
Link will be emailed 30 minutes before meeting begins
February 6 - Family Mass at 10:00am in church
No 9:00 classes for children; all First Communion families are required to attend this Mass
Sunday, February 13 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria
Sunday, February 20 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria
If families are out of town for the long weekend, children can attend a Makeup class on February 27.
Thursday, February 24 - In person Parent Gathering in the Parish Center, 7:00-8:oopm*
Sunday, February 27 - In person Parent Gathering in the Parish Center, 9:00-10:00am*
Sunday, February 27 - Makeup class for children who missed our February 13 or 20 classes, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria. Religious ed. students who do not need a makup class can report to their regular class in the school gym. St. James School students who do not need a makeup class do not need to report to class on this day.


*Parents need to attend only ONE Parent Gathering in February. We have listed two dates so parents can choose the one option that best fits their schedule.

March

PARENT FORMATION for Eucharist (three 30-minute online sessions)
Parents have the entire month to complete the three sessions and submit a reflection form. This will take the place of a 2-hour in-person Eucharist workshop that would typically be held for parents. There is a Spanish option for these online sessions.

March 6 - Family Mass at 10:00am in church
No 9:00 classes for children; all First Communion families are required to attend this Mass
Sunday, March 13 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria
Sunday, March 20 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria
Thursday, March 24 - In person Parent Gathering in the Parish Center, 7:00-8:00pm*
Saturday, March 26 - FIRST RECONCILIATION in church, 10:00-11:30am
Children will receive the sacrament first. If time permits, parents may go to confession afterwards. Students must have attended three classes prior to going to confession. THIS DATE IS FLEXIBLE - if you are not able to bring your child on this day, they can make their First Reconciliation another day.
Sunday, March 27 - In person Parent Gathering in the Parish Center, 9:00-10:00am*
Sunday, March 27 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria


*Parents need to attend only ONE Parent Gathering in March. We have listed two dates so parents can choose the one option that best fits their schedule.

April

April 3 - Family Mass at 10:00am in church
No 9:00 classes for children; families are required to attend this Mass
Sunday, April 10 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria
Sunday, April 17 - NO CLASS
Sunday, April 24 - In person class for children, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria

We will not hold a Family Retreat in April, as previously scheduled.
 

May

May 1 - Family Mass at 10:00am in church
No 9:00 classes for children; all First Communion families are required to attend this Mass
Sunday, May 8 - Makeup class for children who missed our March 27, April 10 or April 24 classes, 9:00-10:00am in the school cafeteria. Religious ed. students who do not need a makup class can report to their regular class in the school gym. St. James School students who do not need a makeup class do not need to report to class on this day.
Sunday, May 15 - Religious ed. students return to classes in the school gym; St. James School students do not need to continue reporting to class, but are invited to attend Ministry Day with our religious ed. students in the school gym from 9:00-10:00am if they would like to.
Sunday, May 22 - St. James School students are invited to attend Ministry Day with our religious ed. students in the school gym from 9:00-10:00am if they would like to.

June

First Communion Masses

Saturday, June 4 is our new date for First Communion. Families will be scheduled at either an 11:00am or 1:00pm Mass. This is the same day as the Main Street Festival, so special instructions will be provided regarding travel and parking. THIS DATE IS FLEXIBLE - if you are not available on this day, they can make their First Communion at another Mass.

Rehearsal for First Communion - Friday, June 3 at 6:30pm in church.
 

All First Communion families are invited to attend 10:00am Mass on Sunday, June 19 for a very special feast in our Church, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). This is a beautiful celebration where our First Communion children come back together, wearing their First Communion outfits, and are acknowledged by the congregation as one class.


DRESS CODE FOR FIRST COMMUNION
Traditionally, girls wear white dresses and boys wear a suit of any color or nice pants, a collared shirt and nice shoes. White dresses are not required, nor are suits, especially since these incur added expenses for some families. We simply ask that boys dress neatly and girls dress neatly and modestly.