Growing Up Catholic Sacramental Preparation
Prepare your families for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist through a two-year extended process or in just six sessions per sacrament using our dynamic, evangelizing resources.
Sacraments
First Eucharist: Inspired by the Eucharistic Revival and Pope Benedict XVI's suggestion, this resource examines the Mass through the lens of the dismissal, connecting Eucharist to missionary discipleship.
First Reconciliation: This resource takes an engaging approach to help families appreciate how we were all created to love others, how we can make better decisions, and how the Sacrament of Reconciliation can help.
Extended Preparation Process & Schedules
It is becoming more common for dioceses and parishes to require a minimum two years of catechesis before children receive First Reconciliation and Eucharist. This is often the only catechesis that children will receive until they (hopefully) return for Confirmation.
We offer a two-year option to include kerygmatic sessions (drawn from our Faith Stories curriculum) in addition to immediate preparation for the sacraments.
Sample Schedules
| First Eucharist | First Reconciliation | Faith Stories: God Calls | Faith Stories: Jesus Lives | Parish Sessions | Home Sessions | Total Sessions | Total Cost/child (print) | Total Cost/child (eResource) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two Years | 20 | 9 | 29 | $34 | $15 | View Schedules | ||||
| Two Years (Intensive) | 29 | 17 | 46 | $46 | $21 | View Schedules |
Features & Options
Editions
Each session is made available in a variety of formats to meet your ministry needs.
English Language
We offer a general English edition and a Commonwealth edition for our friends in Canada, the U.K., Australia, and beyond.
Spanish Language
Our bilingual edition has parent text in Spanish and child text in English. All-Spanish is also available.
Age Levels
Family handouts are available in editions for ages 7-9 or ages 10-14.
Print Options
Parishes can purchase the full-color printed booklets or licenses to print themselves.
Settings
The curriculum is designed to work well wherever your families will be using it.
Parish-Hosted
We highly recommend hosting the sessions in the parish where you can coach families and hold them in community.
At Home
Families can follow the sessions at home, with the support of booklet prompts and videos.
Hybrid
Some parishes send home every other session or let families who miss a session complete it at home.
Components
The only required component is the family booklet, but we provide a number of options to offer a richer experience, whether at home or in a parish setting.
Family Handouts
These color booklets are the core of the curriculum, with parent instructions, activities, and question prompts.
Leader Guides
Thoughtful facilitator instructions guide you through how to best host sessions at the parish or prepare families for a home experience.
Prayer Songs
The prayer celebrations feature prayer songs, often with simple hand motions. Optional sing-along videos are provided.
Presentations
Optional Powerpoint presentations help you to lead in-person sessions with a little bit of flair.
Videos
Short, publicly available videos help parents prepare, enliven the prayer songs, and step families through the process at home.
At-Home Website
Families can follow a scannable link to a web page with resources to help them with their at-home goals for the week.
Anatomy of a Session
Every session has a similar format and rhythm that families will come to know and appreciate.
Introduction
We kick off each session with a short thought-provoking teaching related to this part of the Mass.
Activities
Interactive activities will prompt families to explore topics in a creative way.
Scripture Reading
Families will read a Bible story, learn how to find it in their own Bible, and discuss the story together.
Parts of the Mass
Each session will focus on one or more parts of the Mass, and how they help us on our mission in the world.
Prayer Celebration
Families will pray together through spoken word, song, movement, and writing to Jesus on prayer slips.
The Flock
Sheep cartoons throughout the sessions bring in some humor and keep us from taking things too seriously.
At Home This Week
The last page of each handout prompts them to work on at-home goals for the week, supported by the website.
Holy Child Blessing
Each session ends with parents giving their children a "hands-on" blessing.
Doctrinal Conformity and Review
The Subcommittee on the Catechism, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has found the General English, Bilingual, and Spanish Editions of Growing Up Catholic: First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, copyright 2024, to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
View Declaration of Conformity
Ordering & Pricing
- Leader Kit. Start by purchasing this resource, which includes a general leader guide, leader access to all versions of family booklets, facilitator guides all sessions, and more. The downloadable leader kit is $20/parish for a lifetime license.
-
Family Booklets.
Once you begin using the program with your families, you will need to purchase a license or booklet for each
child using the program each year.
- Physical, full-color booklets cost $11 for a set of 6 for one sacrament, for use by one child.
- A license to reproduce the booklets costs $4.50 for use by one child.