Sacramental Preparation

At St Mary’s we follow the Archdiocesan Sacramental Programme ‘With You Always’.

Jesus spoke to them and said, “I am with you always; yes, until the end of time”

(Matthew 28: 20)

The ‘With You Always’ resource is for children and their parents in school year 3-5, aged 7–9 who are preparing for Reconciliation and First Communion. The programme aims to:

• engage children in sessions that are welcoming and active
• offer time for children to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ
• help children learn about the Faith and respond to God’s Word in their daily lives
• prepare children for the reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist in the primary school years.

The ‘With You Always’ session content is structured into the following modules:

• Come to the water (Sign of the Cross & Family/Baptism).
• Called by name (Names/Saints).
• Come back to me (Sign of Peace & Choices/Reconciliation).
• Reconciliation (First Reconciliation).
• A new way of living (Following Jesus & The Beatitudes).
• Teach us to pray (Prayer & Growth/Lord’s Prayer).
• Jesus brings us together (Jesus Feeds Us & The Triduum & Community/Eucharist).
• Jesus calls us to follow Him (Receiving Holy Communion & Jesus/Eucharist).

Each Session has the same structure:

• Introduction: class teachers deliver a brief welcome to the session and its themes.
• Gathering: children link the session theme with life experience.
• Sharing Scripture and Tradition: children read about Scripture (Old and New Testaments) and Catholic Tradition.
• Responding: children share an activity.
• Celebrating: the class teacher leads prayer in the large group.
• Taking out: sessions end with a task to complete at home during the month.

In St Mary's School the preparation for the sacraments take place in school and are led by the Y3/ 4 class teacher alongside Mrs Preston. However, the children and staff are fully supported by Father Godric, our two governors Mrs M Ormsby & Mrs B Halsall and the parish of St Elizabeth’s. 

The services for the Sacrament of Reconciliation are held in church during the season of Lent – a time for growth and reflection.

The children and their families are then invited to take the next step on their faith journey – the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The children’s first Eucharist will be celebrated with their families at a weekend parish mass in June or July.