Children in the Religious Ed Program usually make their First Penance and First Communion in the 2nd grade, however, because of Covid some children will be receiving these sacraments in the 3rd and 4th grade. If you have a child entering the 2nd grade, they will be on track to make their sacraments in the spring of 2025.
In our program, children learn that through the power of the Holy Spirit and with the action of the priest, simple bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. The children learn that by receiving the Host they receive Jesus himself. They learn to welcome Jesus into their hearts and they are united with the whole Church, the Body of Christ, through the Eucharist.
First Holy Communion scheduled - tba for 2025
Rehearsals - There will be two rehearsals for children and parents. Dates will be picked as get closer to the date.
First Holy Communion Dress Code: Boys can wear the traditional white communion suit, but this is not required. They may wear a suit of another color or dress pants, shirt and tie. No jeans, sneakers or flip-flops.
Girls can wear the traditional white communion dress with a veil, the veil is optional. Girls can not wear gloves so that their hands are bare to receive the Host.
Extra First Communion Attire – Here at the parish we do have a limited selection of First Communion dresses, jackets, dress pants, shoes, etc. that can be borrowed. Contact Joanne Campbell at 781-933-0300 x242 if you would like to see the selections that we have.
Confirmation guidelines have changed. Starting in the fall off 2024, 8th grade students who are currently parishioners of St. Charles will be allowed to join the Confirmation program. Students who are already in the program, 9th and 10th graders, will continue in the Confirmation program. In the Spring of 2025, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders will all make their Confirmation together. More information will come in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience.
What is Confirmation? In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person (baptized usually as children) is “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ. This is a very exciting time for students, parents, and the church.
Confirmation: No Date has been finalized for Confirmation.
For our great families who are striving to learn more about their faith Explaining the Mass is a great resource for formation and understanding our faith.
For our families who are preparing for first confessions, this is a 2 part series which will better help you prepare yourselves and your children for the reception of this sacrament of grace and healing:
Confession what you don't know part 1 and confession : what you don't know part 2
Dear grade 2 parents,
Grade 2 students often are preparing for two sacraments: First Reconciliation (Confession) and First Holy Communion. .
There is an excellent online resource for First Reconciliation we will be using going forward for this year at dynamiccatholic.org, under the ‘ for your parish ‘ tab and under ‘1st Reconciliation - Blessed’ tab. The link is available below for your use and you may want to bookmark it.
https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/blessed/blessed-program-view.html
There are 6 sessions in the Reconciliation model of the Blessed Curriculum: inside session 1 there are 7 short sessions videos to better explain this sacrament. They are very informative in a child friendly way.
The link for Session 1 videos: https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/first-reconciliation/blessed-program-view-first-reconciliation-session-1-1.html
The link for Session 2 videos: https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/first-reconciliation/blessed-program-view-first-reconciliation-session-2-1.html
The link for Session 4 videos: https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/first-reconciliation/blessed-program-view-first-reconciliation-session-4-1.html
There is also a workbook that can be downloaded for your review and use. It appears below the videos.
Again the link is provided: https://files.dynamiccatholic.com/home/blessed/first-reconciliation/Blessed_FirstReconciliation_Workbook.pdf
Please be praying the following prayers with your child this year : Our Father, Hail Mary ,and the Act of Contrition of your choosing. These and others are available here for your convenience.
Dear Parents/Guardians/parishioners,
Praised be Jesus Christ!
It is our goal this year to collaborate with all families in order to provide your child(ren) with a positive experience that will enhance their relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. Please continue to check the Parish website http://www.sccwoburn.org and follow us on our facebookpage facebook.com/scbpc to receive new updates.
We appreciate your feedback, patience and understanding as we navigate this difficult time in our Parish and our world and assist your family in educating your child in this treasured faith.
I look forward to seeing all of you at our Saturday 4:00pm and Sunday 10:00am English Masses in which we celebrate the source and summit of our faith- The Holy Eucharist.
Prayer and relationship go hand in hand and it our goal for families to promote prayer as a family and in the family to assure your child is preparing for a lifetime of relationship with God. Below are a few wise words about prayer that may help families.
Fr John M. Capuci, Pastor
Teaching Children How to Pray
By Dr. Joseph D. White
Perhaps the most important lesson we could teach our children is that God loves them. However, to truly teach our children about God’s love for them, we must teach them to have conversations with God. We must teach them to pray.
Praying with children can include various forms and circumstances, but there are some general principles regarding prayer that should be understood and communicated. One is that prayer is both talking and listening. In the book The Way of Prayer, Pope John Paul II states, “When we hold a conversation with someone, we not only speak, but we also listen. Prayer, therefore, is also listening.” Children should be taught that God wants to speak to them and that, while they may not hear him in the same way they hear family members and friends, God does make himself known.
Another important principle of prayer is that talking to God can take many forms. St. Thérèse of Lisieux taught us that even the littlest, everyday things we do can be offered as prayer to God. Still prayer can, and should, occur naturally within the flow of family life.
With the understanding that prayer can, and should, occur anywhere, creating a prayer space in the home can be helpful for children because it serves as a constant reminder of God’s presence and our need to connect with him. A simple home altar may consist of an end table or decorative table with a religious statue, a Bible, and a candle. You may also want to place various sacramentals, such as the Rosary, in your prayer space.
The forms of prayer we utilize with children should depend in part on their age and interests. Very young children (e.g., toddlers and two year olds) will benefit a great deal from the use of pictures and statues. They may be encouraged to say “Hi” or “I love you” to Jesus depicted in a statue or painting. They can be taught to make the sign of the cross and can be taught to sing hymns. Older children should be taught both spontaneous and our traditional Catholic prayers. Traditional prayers are valuable because they enable us to pray together, in unison, as God’s people. Traditional prayers also give us a repertoire from which to choose when we are not sure what to pray, but they should be introduced gradually as children are able to understand them.
Spontaneous prayer helps us to develop the unique relationship God desires with each of us. We should teach children to both thank God for what he has done (the blessings he has given us, etc.) and praise God for who he is (all powerful, almighty, loving and just). Other forms of prayer include petition (making our requests known to God) and intercession (praying on behalf of others). Prayers of sorrow and reconciliation are also useful for children to learn, especially when they are taught in the context of God’s unconditional love (“God always forgives us when we are sorry.”)
Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." May God richly bless your efforts to share his love with your little ones.
Free Catholic Bible Online
Patron Saint Index
Learn and Practice Your Prayers
Explore the Meaning of Prayers
Learn About the Liturgical Year and Liturgical Color