Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be Thy Name. 
Thy Kingdom come. 
Thy Will be done, 
on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 
And lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
 

PART 1: RITE OF WELCOME

During the First Communion  Rite of  Welcome:

• The children (Candidates) are presented to the Parish community
• The community commits to supporting the Candidates during their preparation process
• Parents specifically are asked for their commitment to providing the spiritual and moral support needed by the Candidates during their preparation time
• A connection is made with Baptism by the renewal of Baptismal Promises
• Candidates are invited to make a commitment to personal prayer, to community prayer by attending Mass, to take seriously all the preparation for First Communion in the parish, and at home and finally to do their best to be kind of person that Jesus would want them to be. We also invite their parents and guardians to witness this commitment and to promise to help and encourage their children in their endeavors.

The Rite of Welcome will take place on  Sunday, March 14 at the  11:45 AM Mass. Check-in with us in the Gathering Area.

Part 2: SIGN UP FOR FORMED.ORG
Throughout these 4 sessions, we will be using Formed, an online streaming service like Netflix. As a member of our community, you can access Catholic movies, shows, and books for free.
To register for your own account, click here. Enter St. Therese of Lisieux.  Click Next and enter your full name and email and click Sign Up. That's it! You are in.

You can also watch by downloading the Formed app to your phone, or searching on Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast. If you ever get signed out, head to Formed.org and click on Sign In. By default, there is no password, just an email verification if you use a new device. If you want to set a password, click here.

 
PART 3:THE MASS: A LIFE GIVING PRAYER
CLICK HERE or login to your Formed account, and search for "Brother Francis, The Mass: A life Giving Prayer.

We have some discussion questions to go along with the video. 
 

1. The Mass is about someone. Who?
2. How should you enter the church for Mass?
3. What are the 2 major parts of the Mass?
4. What does “Amen” mean?
5. Do you know the Creed?
6. What does Eucharist mean?
7. Do you know the words to the “Holy, Holy, Holy”, “Our Father” or “Lamb of God”? If not, see to the left.

Part 4 CHRIST OUR LIFE CRAFT

GET CRAFTING
This craft is a little sticky! Having a damp cloth nearby to wipe your child's hand might help.
Before you begin, consider having a washable placemat in place to help make clean up easier.

1. Start by mixing your glue to be about 2 parts glue one part water in a disposable cup or bowl. You won't need much, a little goes a long way. Stir till mixed.

2. Turn the clear cup upside down on a washable placemat on the work surface and paint the outside of the cup in sections with the glue mixture. Stick the tissue paper on it as you go, so the glue doesn't dry.

3. Try overlapping the tissue paper, as it makes different colors.
4. Once the cup is all covered with the tissue squares, paint over all of the tissue paper with the glue mixture to make it smooth. 

5. When the glue is dry, add the label provided.

6. Put the candle inside and let your light shine! The effect of the candle behind the tissue paper will be similar to stained glass.

WHY A CANDLE?
The candle reminds us of Jesus' love for us and how he is a light for us on our faith journey. Jesus asks us to be a light for others. Consider lighting this candle each time you begin your First Communion Preparation; at meals and during bedtime prayers. (If you don't do bedtime prayers, no judgement, but this might be a good time to start!)

The candle is lit as a symbol of the light of Christ burning in our hearts. Ask your child where a good place for them to keep it in their room is. You'll be surprised at how often they will ask you to light the candle.