No, parents do not need to attend the Sacramental preparation meetings. Students should be choosing these sacraments for themselves, and so it is their meeting time. Families do, however, need to be encouraging a sacramental life by living out the sacraments and attending mass as a family. 

There are 6 confirmation meetings that are separate from the regular catechesis meetings. Those can be taken in the fall semester or in the spring semester. There are 5 first communion classes that will happen throughout the fall and spring semester separate from regular catechesis. RCIA-AT will be year long from October through March and is also separate from regular catechesis meetings.

There is no cost for any of the sacramental preparation classes. However, there is a cost for regular catechesis classes which all students are required to sign up for and attend prior to sacramental prep classes.

We understand that life is busy and unexpected events may occur.  We ask the teens and families to make every effort to prioritize and attend all sacramental preparation sessions as it will greatly contribute to your teen's readiness to receive the sacraments. Make-up classes for Communion and Reconciliation will happen throughout the year, but a student cannot make up more than one missed class as there are few classes. If a teen misses more than 1 Confirmation class, they can restart the process the following semester. RCIA-AT absenses are seen on a case-by-case basis. If a pattern of absence is established, your teen may be asked to wait until the following year when the Sacraments can be prioritized.

For teens doing RCIA-AT, they will receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil Mass. For teens doing Eucharist and Reconciliation preparation, they  may choose between attending a communal celebration of First Communion which will occur in May, or independently scheduling a First Communion at a regularly scheduled weekend Mass between May and July. Reconciliation will follow a similar schedule. For teens doing confirmation preparation, the office of the bishop will let us know the date of Confirmation. In the past it has been the last week of April or the first week of May. Confirmation mass will be in the middle of the week, not on a weekend.