The season of Advent is upon us. It is time to once again prepare our hearts, our minds, our families and homes to celebrate the birthday of Jesus and His presence in our lives.

The time to begin preparing our children for the sacrament of Holy Communion is also near. There are two Parent meetings scheduled.

Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 7pm in the Church
Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 9am in the auditorium.

These meetings are not optional. If you want your child to receive Holy Communion in the Spring of 2011, you must attend one of these sessions. If you are not present for the required meeting, your child will not receive the sacrament this Spring, but rather he/she will be invited to participate actively next year.

In the fall of 2010 we offered two Reconciliation parent meetings and 2 abbreviated meetings and still 15-20 people failed to attend. Please be considerate. Cooperate and partner with us by attending one of the two scheduled meetings on the 6th or 9th. If you have an emergency that prevents you from attending one of these scheduled meetings, contact Laura Feurer by Jan. 10th at 410 647-4892.

Special Notice - Having said this, we have a special offering for parents who have attended Eucharist meetings in 2007, ’08, ’09 or ’10. An abbreviated meeting will be held for “repeat parents only” on Monday, Jan. 10th at 2:15pm in the Gathering Space Meeting Room and Thursday, Jan. 13th at 6:30pm in the Youth Room. Email Laura Feurer at lfeurer@stjohnsp.org if you fit in this category.

I will provide information at the meeting that is relative to the procedure, curriculum and guidelines that will be used to support and enhance your at-home preparation for this great Sacrament. You will also learn the roles of catechists, parents and the parish in the preparation. I will provide a schedule of activities that lead to the reception of Eucharist. You will also find much of this information on our parish web site, www.stjohnsp.org.

Please note that the celebration of the sacraments is central to the life of one’s parish community. Archdiocesan guidelines remind us that children are to receive the sacraments for the first time in the parish where parents are registered and worship. The above noted meetings are for parents registered at St. John’s Church. If you are receiving this letter but belong to a neighboring parish, please contact the Director of Religious Education or Pastor of your home parish for information about their sacramental programs. If you would like a more detailed explanation of this Archdiocesan Guideline, I will be glad to meet with you.

The communion Registration form is posted here. Please print and complete this form and return it to our office directly or bring it to the parent meeting with the Sacrament materials fee.

I look forward to seeing you on January 6th or 9th. Please mark your calendar now. I am at your service if you have questions or need clarifications about the Eucharist preparation process. (410 647-4892).

I pray that you enjoy a prayerful Advent season and a Blessed Christmas.

Sincerely,

John F. Poland
Director of Religious Education

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