Preparation for the Sacraments is far more than an intellectual pursuit. The whole person — mind, body, heart, and spirit — must be addressed.
Therefore, the process of preparation is placed in the context of a journey. Journeys are full of surprises. Preparing for the sacraments may lead us and our children to search, to affirm, to better appreciate, and to struggle with questions about our faith. It is likely that we will experience all these surprises at some point during the journey.
Experienced travelers realize that the journey itself is as important as the destination. We need to undertake journeys with our eyes, ears, and hearts open so as not to miss the wonders along the way. Being an open-minded traveler brings added meaning to the experience of the final destination. All journeys require that choices be made. The first choice a traveler makes is to go on the journey. Then the traveler decides where to go, how to get there, where to stop along the way, who to go with, and what to bring with him or her.
We all have many choices to make on our journey as parents and children. The sacrament of Baptism unites us to Jesus and his Church and makes us adopted children of God. Confirmation is a call to continue to name ourselves “Catholic”, confirming what was begun at Baptism. Eucharist nourishes us so that, united to Christ and one another, we can do Jesus’ work in the world. It is the centre of the Church’s life, for in the Eucharist the Church and all its members are associated with Christ’s sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Reconciliation gives us the opportunity to start afresh when we have taken a wrong turn on the journey.
To receive the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation, your child needs to be baptized. If your child is not baptized please contact the parish office. We will only have your child for a relatively short time in preparation for the sacraments but we would like to make a contribution to that child’s spiritual journey. As a people of God, we are all gifted, and we invite you to share this by assisting us with our journey and its preparations.