St. Stephen the Martyr Religious Education                   

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  St. Stephen the Martyr Sacrament Preparation
 

First Communion and First Communion Breakfast
First Communion will be held Sun., April 22, 2008 at 9 am, 12 noon, 2 and 4 pm.  Fr. Mike Swanton and Fr. Andrew Sohm will be visiting with the 2nd graders on April 15/16th. Please keep these 250 students, their families and catechists in your prayers as they quickly approach their First Holy Communion day.  Parish 2nd graders and their families are invited to join us for a special Mass and breakfast honoring our communicants on Sat., April 26th at 9 am.  RSVPs for the Breakfast are due April 15, 2008.  Please see the 'First Communion Parent Information letter' at the bottom of this page for more information. 

Parents can help their children prepare for Holy Communion by praying daily with their child and attending weekly Mass together.  Students were given 'With Jesus Always- A Reconciliation, Mass and Prayer Book'.  It contains the Order of the Mass, Catholic Prayers and Practices, and lots of information to help your child get ready to receive Reconciliation and Eucharist.  If you have questions, please contact Mary Maguire at 896-5683 or m.maguire@stephen.org.

Confirmation
Confirmation Reflections will be held April 22/23rd during R.E. class times.  Fr. Jim Tiegs will address the candidates, parents and sponsors.  Confirmation will be celebrated May 6th, 7th and 8th, 2008 at 6:30 pm.  We are grateful to have Archbishop Elden Curtiss presiding at the three Confirmation Masses at St. Stephen's.  Information about Confirmation preparation, sponsors, patron saints and Confirmation Mass assignments are on the links at the bottom of this page.  Please contact Confirmation Coordinator Deborah Sheehy at d.sheehy@stephen.org or 861-4510 if you have questions regarding Confirmation.

Sacrament Information
Students receive special, intense preparation for Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.  This is done is in cooperation with the parent/guardian.  Students in both the Parish School and Religious Education celebrate reception of the sacraments jointly.

Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a 2-year program, beginning in first grade.  The sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist are received for the first time in the second grade.  Confirmation preparation is also a 2-year program, beginning in the seventh grade.  Candidates in both seventh and eighth grade are required to participate in  retreats, special events and complete Stewardship (service) hours.  The sacrament of Confirmation is received in the eighth grade.  All candidates for sacraments (Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation) must provide a copy of their baptism certificate to the Religious Education office by October 31st.  Baptism certificates can be faxed directly to our office at 402-861-4590 by the parish where your child was baptized.

Parent meetings are scheduled during the year so that parents may review the content of the preparation and deepen their own understanding of the sacrament being received. The Religious Education department welcomes any questions concerning preparation or celebration of the sacraments.

Children in the third grade or above who have not received Baptism, Reconciliation or Eucharist can receive preparation through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children.  This is provided free of charge.  Children who have been baptized but have not received Reconciliation or Eucharist prepare for the sacraments by attending regular religious education classes and also receive individual preparation with their parents.  Please contact the Director of Religious Education at m.maguire@stephen.org  if your child needs special preparation for the sacraments.

First Communion/Reconciliation
  First Communion Parent Information Letter
  First Communion Breakfast Invitation and RSVP
 First Communion/Reconciliation Sacrament Assignments
 
Reconciliation Parent Information

Confirmation
  2007-08 Confirmation Mass Assignments
 8th Grade Calendar Overview 2007-08
 
Confirmation Parent Meeting Information
 
Stewardship Reflection Form
 
Journey of Faith Form
 

   

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16701 "S" Street, Omaha, NE 68135
Parish Office: (402) 896-9675 School Office: (402) 896-0754
Rel.Ed Office: (402) 896-5683 Fax: (402) 896-1990
Youth Ministry Office: (402) 861-4509
Kidzone Office: (402) 896-4316

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