Thank you for your interest in celebrating the Sacraments at one of our Parishes. Registrations for 2024 are OPEN.
Confirmation is one of three Sacraments of Initiation which includes Baptism and Eucharist. In the Archdiocese of Sydney Confirmation is received after first Eucharist when the child is in Year 6 or older. Like Baptism, Confirmation is only received once, whereas Eucharist is received over and over every week.
Confirmation Preparation Program
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. All children will participate in a series of preparation sessions prior to the event. 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.
Preparation Dates
Info Night on Wednesday 7th August 6:30pm-7:00pm at St Patrick’s Parish Hall, Summer Hill
Saturday 17th August 4:30pm-5:30pm at St Patrick’s Parish Hall, Summer Hill
Sunday 25th August 11:45am-12:45pm at St Thomas’s Parish Hall, Lewisham
Saturday 31st August 4:30pm-5:30pm at St Patrick’s Parish Hall, Summer Hill
Sunday 8th September 11:45am-12:45pm at St Thomas’s Parish Hall, Lewisham
Retreat Day – Friday 13th September 8:40am-3pm at St Patrick’s Parish Hall, Summer Hill
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.
Confirmation Ceremony
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Saturday 14th September 11:00am at St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Lewisham.
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.
Enrolment
A copy of the child’s Baptism certificate is required as well as the permission of both parents. Please enroll by completing a Registration for Confirmation, or if you prefer, visit the parish office where your details will be entered for you.
Cost
There are substantial expenses incurred by the parish in running the Sacrament program including administration, teaching resources, print materials and postage.
The cost per child is $30, payable at the time of enrolment. No child however 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. Parish banking details will be emailed to all families in advance of preparation.
