If you are parents seeking baptism for your child, please introduce yourself to the pastor after Mass. He wishes to meet you in person before making an appointment for baptism preparation.
If you are seeking baptism for yourself, please see Rite of Christian Initation for Adults, below.
Children usually prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the fall of second grade and celebrate the sacrament on a Saturday in Advent.
To prepare for First Holy Communion, children engage in a two-year process of instruction on the sacrament of the Eucharist. Preparation is simultaneous with the child’s weekly grade level religious education or Catholic school classes (ordinarily first and second grade). We help parents prepare their own children for First Holy Communion and offer a few special sessions for you. Most importantly if you want your child to understand this great sacrament and the significance of joining the Table of the Lord, you must take your child to Mass every Sunday and holyday.
Each spring children anticipating their First Holy Communion will spend a day in retreat at St Gabriel’s Retreat Center (near Clarks Summit). Local schools allow release time for the retreat, which parents and grandparents may attend. The day of celebration, the retreat date, and practice for the rite appear in the parish calendar.
For the First Communion liturgy, girls wear a white dress and veil (no gloves or purses during Mass); boys wear dress pants, a long sleeve white shirt, white tie, and dress shoes. The parish will arrange for a photographer. A small fee helps defray the cost of preparation materials, the retreat, and photos.
In accord with diocesan guidelines, our parish accompanies seventh- and eight-grade students during a two-year preparation period for Confirmation. During that period we offer twenty-four required sessions pertaining to the sacrament and our Catholic faith. Please read our description page of Confirmation timing and preparation and the pastor's letter for parents. The schedule will be updated when additional dates are known.
To help impress upon the candidates that they will be confirmed in the faith, we expect them to participate in Sunday Mass. We provide a retreat to foster further spiritual preparation for this sacrament. Because community and service are very important to our parish and we want our youth to know the rewards that come from faith-based engagement, we expect Confirmation candidates to volunteer some time with a parish activity, such as helping with Catholic Kidz Camp, working in a Chicken Barbeque booth or cleaning up after the event, or preparing food for or bussing tables at the Harvest Festival.
Dates for Confirmation, practice, and parent meetings are posted on the parish calendar as they become available. The current year's class schedule, here, tells how to make up a missed session. A fee helps to defray the cost of materials and the lunch that is served during Confirmation preparation sessions.
Are you interested in becoming a Catholic or completing the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist)? If you're a Catholic seeking a deeper understanding of our tradition, you also are welcome to join in on RCIA sessions. The RCIA process is an opportunity for learning and spiritual transformation. Our group meets weekly. We also have a process for older children and teens who wish to enter the Catholic Church (RCIC) or who missed receiving Eucharist or Confirmation at the usual age. Please give our Director of Religious Education a call (570-254-9502) or send her an email message ([email protected]).
Our pastor invites engaged couples to make an appointment with him at least six months prior to setting a wedding date. Couples are most welcome to call as soon as you decide to marry, or even while you are still considering whether to go forward toward marriage.