First Reconciliation will be celebrated at St. John the Apostle Church over the next two Saturdays: December 6 at 11:00 (St. John School) and December 13 at 11:00 a.m. (Monday and Wednesday RE) and 2:00 p.m. (Tuesday RE) Here are some reminders for that day:1. Please make sure your children are here 15 minutes before their scheduled penance service in the hallway outside of the Religious Ed. Office and the auditorium. We will begin promptly at your scheduled time. Your child will probably have a few butterflies that day. Please don’t make them feel nervous by bringing them late.
2. Dress code for the penance service (not Mass) is Sunday Best: Boys: collared shirts, slacks; Girls: dress or skirt or slacks with a blouse. No jeans or sneakers.
3. The children will process in and after the opening song they will sit with their families. Each family will have half a pew marked with your child’s last name. Siblings will sit together with their parents in a full pew. Each half pew holds about 7 adults plus your child.
4. During the penance service the children will receive the sacrament first; then any adults or older children who are present will have the opportunity to receive the sacrament.
5. The penance service should last about an hour and a half.
6. If you have not completed the green form (handed out at the parent meeting) which asks for how you would like your child’s name spelled on the First Reconciliation Certificate, please get us this information by noon on Tuesday December 2 (for SJS children) or December 9 (for RE children). You may return the green form or email Amy Giglio (agiglio@sjanj.net) or call the RE Office at (732) 388-1253 with the spelling. If we do not have this information by noon on December 2 or 9, your child’s first and last names ONLY will appear on the certificate. Certificate reprints will be issued only if the RE Office has misspelled your child’s name.
