Since the family is intimately involved with the formation of the child’s moral conscience and ordinarily integrates the child into the community of the universal Church, parents should be involved in the sacramental preparation of their children so they can affirm and reinforce frequent participation in the sacraments. They orient the child toward God and encourage continual growth in the understanding of God’s mercy and love.

During preparation for the reception of First Penance, students learn to:

• Acknowledge God’s unconditional love for them
• Turn to Christ and the Church for sacramental forgiveness and reconciliation
• Recognize the presence of good and evil in the world and their personal capacity for both
• Recognize their need for forgiveness, not only from parents and others close to them, but from God
• Explore the meaning of the symbols, gestures, prayers, and scriptures of the Rite of Reconciliation
• Understand how to celebrate the Rite of Reconciliation
• Understand that sacramental Confession is a means offered to children of the Church to obtain pardon for sin

In addition, St. Michael School offers the following to prepare students for First Penance:

• Daily instruction in the classroom
• Making felt banners as a family 
• Participation in practice “confessions”