Sacrament of Confirmation
Confirmation is one of three Sacraments of Initiation which includes Baptism and Eucharist.
“Those who have been baptised continue on the path of Christian initiation through the Sacrament of Confirmation. In this way, they receive the Holy Spirit, conforming them more perfectly to Christ and strengthening them so that they may bear witness to Christ for the building up of his body in faith and love.” (Rite of Confirmation, nn. 1-2)
In the Archdiocese of Sydney Confirmation is received after First Eucharist when the child is in Year Five (5) and Year Six (6) or older. Like Baptism, Confirmation is only received once, whereas Eucharist is received over and over every week.
People normally receive their Sacraments in the Parish where they live. However, requests may be made for Confirmation at Mary Immaculate Church, Waverley. Confirmation of those who do not live within the Waverley Parish requires permission of the Parish Priest of their local Parish. Your child cannot complete this Sacrament without permission from your local Parish.
Prerequisites:
- Candidates are in Year 6 or above at school.
- Attend Mary Immaculate Church on a regular basis.
- Candidates have been baptised and celebrated their First Reconciliation & First Eucharist. A copy of all celebrated Sacraments provided with enrolment form if not completed at St Charles Borromeo Parish.
- Attendance at the Information Night by the Candidate and at least one parent/carer is mandatory.
Key Dates for 2023
Parent Information Night: Wednesday, 3rd May @ 6.30pm via Zoom. Link below.
Commitment Mass: Saturday, 6th May @ 5pm at Mary Immaculate Church
Confirmation Spirituality / Training Day: Wednesday, 14th June @ 9.15am-12.30pm
Sacrament of Confirmation: Sunday, 18th June @ 2pm (St Charles Primary) & 5pm (Waverley Boys/Parish) at Mary Immaculate Church
Enrolment
Enrolments closed.
A copy of the child’s Baptism, Reconciliation & Eucharist certificates are required as well as the permission of both parents. Please note, students at St Charles Primary School may enrol and pay through the School office.
If you do not attend Mary Immaculate Church on a regular basis or you attend another Parish, you will need to contact the Parish Office. We cannot guarantee a place for your child. Permission from your local Parish Priest is required with enrolment.
The cost per child is $30. Please pay through the enrolment form link. No child will ever be denied the opportunity to receive the Sacraments due to financial limitations. Families in difficult financial circumstances should contact the parish office to discuss their situation confidentially.
Parent Information Night
Parents and Candidates are introduced to the Sacrament and are briefed on working together through the resource material provided. The Sacraments are a wonderful gift to us from God inviting us into deeper intimacy. So that children can gain the full benefit of the experience, the preparation is vitally important. Children who attend St Charles’ Primary School will attend preparation classes during school hours.
If your child has extracurricular activities on the days for the preparation classes, please be sure to give the various coaches/instructors notice well ahead of time that your child will be attending the Sacrament Preparation classes on those days. If you have an unavoidable commitment, please contact the Sacraments coordinator so that alternative instruction can be arranged.
Sponsors
The Sacrament of Confirmation requires the candidate to choose a person to be their sponsor. This person cannot be their parent, must be at least 16 years of age and a confirmed Catholic who is a witness to the faith. As Confirmation is linked to Baptism, ideally the sponsor would be one of your child’s godparents. If this is not possible, another sponsor may be chosen.
The Confirmation Ceremony
The Confirmation Ceremony takes approximately 1.5 hours and is followed by a group photograph with the Bishop. Families are then free to leave to celebrate further.
Children are not required to buy special outfits for the Sacrament, however they are required to dress appropriately. A general guide is how they would dress to attend a family wedding. Boys should be in long trousers (not jeans), dark shoes (not runners), collared shirt. A tie is appropriate but not essential. Girls should be in a knee or ankle length dress or slacks (not jeans), with hair neatly arranged. No runners.
Please contact the Parish Secretary on (02) 9369 9399 or [email protected] if you need any more information otherwise St Charles’ Primary School on (02) 9387 3845.