Sacramental Program

In keeping with the Archdiocese of Adelaide’s guidelines for the Sacraments of Initiation for Children, the Sacramental Program that St Ann’s Catholic Church and St Thomas More Parish offers is family-centred, parish-based and school supported.

Our Catholic parishes coordinate a family-centred, parish-based and school supported Sacramental Program for the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Penance), Confirmation and Holy Communion (Eucharist). Essentially, this program is a partnership in which families and the parish / school community work together in the preparation and celebration of these Sacraments. Children in this context learn what it is to be a Catholic.

The program offers a combined individual and group preparation program. This culminates with a session with the parish priest, Fr Pat, to ensure all candidates are satisfactorily prepared and then a rehearsal before receiving their sacrament.

Reconciliation (Penance)

Reconciliation is one of the Sacraments of Healing. It recognises our sinfulness and celebrates our need to be at peace with God, others, and ourselves. It contains three elements: conversion, confession, and celebration. In it we find God's unconditional forgiveness; as a result, we are called to forgive.

Confirmation

Confirmation is the second Sacrament of Christian Initiation. It is the sacrament which ‘seals’ or ‘reaffirms’ our baptism before we take the final step in becoming a full member of the Catholic Church and sharing in Holy Communion for the first time. During this sacrament, the child asks a sponsor to help them on their journey of Catholicity and they also seek to take on a saint ‘s name that they resonate with them. In receiving the sacrament, the child commits to the promises made by their parents during baptism and receives the gifts of The Holy Spirit - which enables them to make a mature statement of their faith.

Holy Communion (Eucharist)

Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God. Communion is offered during Mass and only those who have completed the above sacraments are invited to receive.

The requirement and the role of a Sponsor.

The sponsor brings the candidate to receive the Sacrament, presents them to the minister for the anointing, and will later help them to fulfil their baptismal promises faithfully under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

The Church says a sponsor should be spiritually qualified and mature, should belong to the Catholic Church and should have been initiated in the three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. When choosing a sponsor, there are some requirements/considerations to keep in mind:

• Is the person a Confirmed Catholic?
• Are they over the age of 18 years?
• Are they a witness to the Christian faith?
• Will they be able to participate in at least some of the program as well as the celebration?
• Will they continue to be a part of your child's life as they grow up?
• If the child's godparent/s is available this would be a preferable choice for a Confirmation sponsor as Confirmation completes our Baptism.

Parents cannot be sponsors! They have the unique and primary role of raising their child in the faith of the Church and discerning their readiness to prepare to celebrate the sacraments of initiation.

This year, 2021, we have 10 Catherine McAuley students enrolled into the Sacramental Program. They will have completed the Reconciliation sacrament by mid-June and will then prepare for their Confirmation and Eucharist sacraments. Please keep these students in your prayers as they journey to become fully initiated members of the broader Catholic family.

I’d like to take this opportunity in thanking all our families for their support and guidance as they journey, with their child, through this program. It is wonderful working alongside you and a joy to witness the Catholicism of each student and their adoptive sacramental outlook on all of life in the world. The challenge for them now is to recognise the blessing they bring to the Church and to honour and celebrate it.

In the words of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889), “The world is charged with the grandeur of God!”

God Bless.

Linda Caldinez

APRIM