The welcome to the holy table of the Lord seals the intimate bond which baptism establishes between Jesus Christ and his disciples.  For those baptized as infants, the earliest years of life are nourished in the faith, hope, and love of the Christian family.  The family, in turn, is rooted in and sustained by the parish community, the local embodiment of the whole people of God.

In time, and especially through participation with the family in the celebration of Mass, the young Christian becomes more and more aware of the wonderful encounter with Christ in the Eucharist, and their role as a member of the liturgical assembly, their larger family in the Lord.

Toward the end of early childhood, around the age of seven, the young disciple, whose baptismal faith has been enriched through catechesis, is presented to the Church for admission to the sacrificial meal of the Body of Christ.  Before they come to Eucharistic communion, candidates are to celebrate sacramental confession.

At Archangel Gabriel Parish, immediate formation for the reception of the Sacraments of First Penance and First Holy Communion takes place outside of, and in addition to, regular catechesis/religious instruction (parish faith formation,  Catholic school, or home school).  This "track" prepares candidates to receive God's forgiveness and Jesus' Body and Blood for the first time.  The track is "family-based," meaning a parent/guardian accompanies the child through preparation and participates in the sessions with them.

For a family to be eligible for the sacrament preparation track, the candidate (child) must be baptized, have reached the age of reason (generally the age of seven), and be in at least his or her second year of formal catechesis/religious instruction, not counting Kindergarten.  This means that preparation is a two year process, and second grade students are eligible only if they attended formal catechesis/religious instruction in first grade and are now attending in second grade (See Sacrament of Initiation: Policies for the Diocese of Pittsburgh 119 and 128).
 
If your family is not registered at Archangel Gabriel Parish as parishioners and you want your child(ren) to receive the sacraments at AGP, you’ll need to ask your home pastor for a letter authorizing this.  Please mail the letter to the following address:
 Faith Formation Office
 Archangel Gabriel Parish
 5718 Steubenville Pike
 Robinson Township, PA 15136-1311

2. Submit Baptism Certificate by January 31, 2026

3. Select a date for your child's First Penance

4. Select a date for your child's First Holy Communion

PLEASE NOTE: all events listed below are for the child and a parent/guardian. 
 

• To be completed independently by child and parent/guardian during the week of February 15

• To be completed independently by child and parent/guardian during the week of February 22

• To be attended by child and parent/guardian on Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 PM through Zoom

• Thursday, March 12 at 6:00 PM at Saint Malachy Church
• Saturday, March 14 at 10:00 AM at Holy Trinity Church

• To be completed independently by child and parent/guardian during the week of March 22

• To be completed independently by child and parent/guardian during the week of March 29

• Saturday, April 25 at 4:00 PM at Saint Malachy Church
• Saturday, April 25 at 6:00 PM at Saint Mary, Help of Christians Church
• Sunday, April 26 at 8:00 AM at Saint Malachy Church
• Sunday, April 26 at 11:00 AM at Saint Mary Help of Christians Church
• Saturday, May 2 at 1:00 PM at Holy Trinity Church
• Saturday, May 2 at 5:00 PM at Holy Trinity Church
• Sunday, May 3 at 12:30 at Holy Trinity Church

• Selection is scheduled to open in early December.
• When selection opens, please choose ONE of the dates by clicking on the button and completing the form. 
• Please note, each of the celebrations has a limited number of spots.  Selection is accepted on a first come, first served basis.
• DO NOT complete the form more than once.

• Selection is scheduled to open in mid-January.
• When selection opens, please choose ONE of the dates by clicking on the button and completing the form. 
• Please note, celebrations at regularly scheduled Mass have a limit of eight (8) spots.  Selection is accepted on a first come, first served basis.
• The 6:00 PM celebration on April 25 will not have music (that is the weekly quiet Mass).
• The 1:00 PM celebration on May 2 does NOT have a limited number of spots for First Communicants.  However, due to an expected large volume of First Communicants, their is a limit of six (6) guests per First Communicant for this celebration.
• DO NOT complete the form more than once.