SACRAMENTS

 
The Parish Sacramental Program is the responsibility of the parish not the catholic school though our parish is extremely grateful for the support provided by Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School and Aquinas College.
Each year in Term 3 children 7/8 years old (Year 3) are prepared for Confirmation.  
This preparation begins with a parent education evening, dates and times will be advertised through the parish newsletter, the Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School newsletter and on the parish webpage (Sacraments – Sacramental Programs).
 

Wish to enrol for the sacramental program please complete the below form and email parish.southport@bne.catholic.net.au
 

https://www.bpoint.com.au/payments/southportparish?BillerCode=1586452&Amount=130.00

After this meeting, the children work through their Confirmation preparation booklet at home with their family.  The parents and children then come together for a preparation and rehearsal evening, prior to celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Once Confirmed, these children are prepared the following year for Reconciliation, and First Holy Communion.
 

 
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of Christian initiation—alongside Baptism and Eucharist—and it holds a powerful place in Catholic tradition.  
· Spiritual Strengthening: Confirmation deepens the grace received at Baptism.  The Holy Spirit comes upon the person in a special way.
· Receiving the Holy Spirit: Through the laying on of hands and anointing with chrism oil, the bishop (or priest, in some cases)  invokes the Holy Spirit to bestow His seven gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
· Mission and Witness: The sacrament empowers the confirmed to live out their faith boldly and to be active witnesses of Christ in the world.
· Unity with the Church: It binds the person more closely to the Church and affirms their role in its mission and community.
 

Reconciliation—also known as Confession or Penance—is one of the two sacraments of healing in the Catholic Church.  It’s a sacred moment of grace where we encounter God’s mercy and are restored to spiritual wholeness.
· Healing and Forgiveness: It offers forgiveness for sins committed after Baptism, especially grave ones that separate us from God.
· Reunion with God and the Church: Sin wounds our relationship with both God and the Church. Reconciliation mends that bond.
· Personal Renewal: It’s a chance to reflect, repent, and resolve to live more faithfully.
🛐 The Four Key Parts
1. Contrition – Feeling genuine sorrow for your sins and a desire to change.
2. Confession – Honestly naming your sins to a priest.
3. Penance – Accepting a spiritual task (like prayer or an act of kindness) to help repair the harm.
4. Absolution – The priest, acting in Christ’s name, declares your sins forgiven.
 

First Holy Communion is a deeply meaningful sacrament in the Catholic Church—it’s the moment when a person receives the Eucharist (the body and blood of Christ) for the very first time.
· Spiritual Milestone: It marks a child’s full participation in the Mass and deepens their relationship with Jesus. 
· Sacred Ritual: During Mass, the child receives consecrated bread and wine, believed to be the real presence of Christ through transubstantiation.
· Traditions: Families often celebrate with special clothing—white dresses and veils for girls, suits for boys—to symbolize purity. There may be parties, gifts like rosaries or prayer books, and lots of photos.
 

Note: Re Baptism:
Children who wish to be prepared to receive the Sacraments must be Baptised before enrolment.  One of the parents/guardian needs to be a baptised catholic.  Your sponsor also needs to be a baptised catholic.
If children are not already baptised, please speak with the parish priest.
 
The PARISH is responsible for establishing and running programs for sacramental preparation and for the celebration of the Sacraments.
The FAMILY is where the faith is learned and lived.
Parents, the first educators of their children, share with them the catholic faith and the experience of belonging to the Church.  They are best placed to discern readiness for the Sacraments and make the formal request of the parish for their child’s admission to sacramental preparation.
Christian Initiation draws us into the life of Christ and unites us with God’s people.
Through Baptism, we are adopted as children of God and become a new creation, reborn through water and the Holy Spirit.
In Confirmation, we are sealed with the gift of the Spirit and strengthened to live fully in Christ, continuing his mission in the world.
At the table of the Eucharist, we are nourished by the body and blood of Christ and, together with the whole Church, participate in his saving sacrifice on the cross.
Through the celebration of Sunday Mass, those who have been initiated are continually shaped by the Word of God and affirmed in their place within the Church—the Body of Christ.
Guardian angels Primary School  and Aquinas College provides both education about the sacraments through the classroom teaching of religion and also the experience of the faith through its own religious life.
 
These occur at each year level, before, during and after the periods of sacramental preparation.