Sacraments at Mater Dei
For All Catholics
For Mater Dei Parishioners
For those who desire to Convert or who are Coming Back to Catholicism
For more information, contact the Parish Office at:
Main Office: (972) 438-7600
Email: secretary@materdeiparish.com
For All Catholics
Confession
The current confession schedule can be found here: https://materdeiparish.com/masses-devotions/
Confessional booths are located at the back of the chapel, and signs point to where the confessional line begins.
Extreme Unction
Contact the parish as needed. In case of emergency, call the sacramental emergency hotline: (972) 438-7600 – Press “*”.
For registered and active (Sunday Mass attending) Mater Dei Parishioners
Baptisms
Infants – For Mater Dei Parishioners who have been registered and active for at least one year. Contact the parish office at least one month before the due date of a child to make arrangements.
Adults – Please visit the Adult Sacraments of Initiation section below.
Reception – If you wish to have a small reception at the parish immediately following the ceremony, please use this form.
Agreement for No-Charge Use of Space for Small Baptism or First Communion reception
First Confession
Children – First confessions are generally made a few weeks prior to First Communion. Children who are looking to make their first confession should present themselves in the confessional AFTER they have passed their testing with a priest for their First Communion. This pertains to children being catechized at home; children in the parish First Communion class will have a predetermined time for making their first confession.
When the child presents in the confessional, he/she should tell Father this is his/her first confession right after saying, “bless me Father, for I have sinned”.
Adults – If you are working with a priest to come into the Church, he will advise you about how and when to make your first confession.
First Communion
For Mater Dei Parishioners who have been registered and active (Sunday Mass attending) for at least one year.
Parents may choose to catechize their child at home, or enroll him/her in the parish First Confession/Communion catechism class:
Effective July 2024: Mater Dei will be transitioning to a two-year preparation period for First Communion.
– Those who intend to receive First Communion in 2024 should contact the office as soon as possible.
– Those who intend to receive in 2025 or 2026 will need to register between August 1 and December 13, 2024 (whether choosing to homeschool or enroll in the parish class).
– Those who intend to receive in 2027 will be required to register two years in advance of the desired First Communion date (whether choosing to homeschool or enroll in the parish class).
A newly issued baptism certificate will be required for registration.
Children must be minimally age 7 and in 2nd grade by the age of reception.
– Homeschool Option:
Children demonstrate their readiness via an interview with a priest.
For families utilizing the Homeschool Preparation option, First Holy Communions will be held during select Sunday 11:30am Sung Masses and select Feast Day 7pm Sung Masses.
Remaining First Communion Dates in 2024:
September 29 (Full)
October 11 (Friday; Divine Maternity)
A maximum of 10 children may receive First Communion at any given Mass. There will be 5 reserved pews on each side; each family will be assigned one reserved pew, based on order of sign up.
– First Confession/Communion Catechism Class:
Enrollment in the parish First Communion class takes place in the Fall of each year and the class receives as a group on the feast of Corpus Christi of the following year. Instructions are made available to parishioners as the date approaches. This enrollment is required in addition to the sacrament registration process stated above.
Reception of the sacrament cannot be guaranteed for those who reside outside of the Dallas Diocese.
Please contact the office for more details at secretary@materdeiparish
Confirmation
For Mater Dei Parishioners who have been registered and active (Sunday Mass attending) for at least one year.
Effective June 2024, per Diocesan policy, youth may receive the sacrament of Confirmation, at the earliest, when they are in 8th grade and Confirmation preparation for youth receiving the sacrament is a two-year process, starting at the earliest, in 7th grade. Families must be registered and active (i.e. regular Mass attending) Mater Dei parishioners.
There will not be youth Confirmations in 2025; youth who are in 8th grade in the 2024-25 school year may prepare to receive the sacrament in 2026.
Email secretary@materdeiparish.com for full details and the registration link.
Holy Matrimony
Contact the parish office to meet with one of the parish priests a minimum of six months prior to proposed date; preparation program required.
Either the bride or groom must have a domicile in the Dallas diocese and be a parishioner at Mater Dei in order to have a wedding ceremony at the parish.
Please see these documents for more on facility use for weddings at Mater Dei:
Preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony and Making Arrangements for your Wedding at Mater Dei Parish
Mater Dei Wedding Fee Summary
Photography and Videography Policy Agreement
Sung/Solemn Mass Wedding Music
Low Mass Wedding Music
Funerals
For planning the actual funeral, you do not need to notify the parish office before the time of death since the parish cannot make any arrangements until that time. Do contact the Sacramental Emergency Line immediately if in need of Last Rites: (972) 438-7600 – Option *.
When a loved one dies, you should first contact the funeral home that will be handling your arrangements. The funeral home will contact the parish and will work closely with the family and the parish. The parish has worked with many funeral homes and has no preferences or recommendations.
Also see: Mater Dei Guide and Policy for Funerals
Coming Home and
Conversion to Catholicism
Adult Sacraments of Initiation
Coming Home to the Catholic Church
There’s an old saying that goes, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” Maybe you have been away from the Church for a little while or for quite some time, but now you feel a tug at your heart calling you back to the Catholic Church. Listen to that tug. It’s your Heavenly Father reaching his arms out to you, the Holy Spirit whispering in your ear, hoping to draw you home.
To begin your journey, simply speak to a priest in our confessionals, or make an appointment with a priest by contacting the parish office.
For answers to questions that many ask as they journey home to the Catholic Church, visit catholicscomehome.org.
Converting to Catholicism
If you have either been baptized in another Christian tradition or never baptized, and are seriously considering entering the Catholic Church, we welcome you!
Entering fully to Catholicism
If you were baptized in the Catholic faith and have not received all of the other Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation, Eucharist), we welcome you!
The process at Mater Dei
Taking into consideration that individuals seeking to enter, or more fully enter, the Church have varying degrees of knowledge about Catholicism, your preparation for coming into the Church is an individualized process at Mater Dei. A specific priest will work with you personally as you move towards full initiation into the Catholic Church; he will have books for you to read and will meet with you regularly to learn about and discuss Church teaching. He will work closely with you through this process and determine with you when you are ready to enter fully into the Church.
If a number of individuals are concurrently working towards fully entering the Church, it may be decided that an appropriate Adult Faith Formation class may be instituted for a season.
To start the process at Mater Dei parish of entering or more fully coming into the Church, contact the parish secretary at 972-438-7600 or secretary@materdeiparish.com.
Also see: Converting or Coming Back to Catholicism