SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM
HOLY FAMILY PARISH SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION PROGRAMSFaith is primarily nurtured in the family. The Church recognises that parents are best qualified to decide their child’s readiness and participate in the process of preparation.
The Parish Sacramental Preparation Programs are pastoral activities involving the family and parish communities. The school has a shared responsibility with the parish and is supported through the school’s Religious Education Curriculum P - 12.
Parents participate actively in their child’s sacramental preparation. Parents are intimately involved in their children’s lives and it is in the home where they live love, forgiveness, faith and hope. These experiences form the basis for all sacramental preparation. The immediate preparation in the months before the celebration is an opportunity for faith to be shared in the family.
The Holy Family Parish has a particular role in providing suitable resources, support and encouragement for families in the immediate preparation of children for the sacraments. The sacramental preparation is co-ordinated through the parish office. A team along with the Parish Priest assists with planning, parent meetings and arranging the celebrations which are held in the parish.
In September 2015, the Third Edition of the Sacramental Policy of the Archdiocese of Brisbane was published. The changes are as follows:
· In the year when the children turn eight (Yr 3), they are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
· In the year when the children turn nine (Yr 4), they are welcomed to the Lord’s Table and receive First Holy Communion (Sacrament of Eucharist).
· The Sacrament of Penance is a two – step process.
1. A simple celebration of the second rite of the Sacrament of Penance in preparation for First Holy Communion.
2. In the year when the children turn ten (Yr 5), they prepare for the Sacrament of Penance with individual confession and absolution (the first rite).
Notification of the Holy Family Parish Sacramental Preparation Program is published via the School Newsletter and the Parish Newsletter. Parents are asked to carefully consider the seriousness and commitment involved in the preparation of your child/children to become fully initiated members of the Catholic Church.
