Baptism is the life-giving Sacrament instituted by our Lord, Jesus Christ, through which we become daughters and sons of the Father and brothers and sisters in Christ. In Baptism we receive the grace of salvation won for us by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and have life in the Holy Spirit. As the doorway into God’s Church, Baptism enables each of us to grow in holiness by receiving the other sacraments throughout our lives.
Catholic Canon Law recognizes that when children have reached the “age of reason” (around 7 years), that they are capable of speaking on their own behalf. As parents and as a parish, we continue to guide them in the Faith, but unlike the baptism of infants, where parents speak on behalf of the child, they must speak for themselves when preparing for and celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism.
All who are unbaptized, from the “age of reason” through adults, are prepared for Baptism through a process called the Catechumenate. This preparation process is adapted for children and leads to the combined celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. This coincides beautifully with the practice of the Restored Rite which is the norm in the Archdiocese of St. John’s To honor each person’s individual journey of faith, we must discern how best to apply the preparation process to meet the child’s needs and the needs of the entire family. For more information, contact Anna Paolo at our Faith Formation Office.
God is love. And it is through the Father’s love that each one of us comes to know how blessed we are. In the sacraments we live, celebrate, share and grow in the love that God desires to pour into each heart. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we come to experience in a profound and transforming way, the faithful and merciful love of the Father.
In our preparation program, children will discover how they have been created by a loving God who has made them to love and for love. The program is designed to draw children closer to Christ and firmly root them in a friendship with Jesus. Children will also learn about making good choices, forgiveness and healing. They will also be introduced to the prayers that help us grow in God’s love for us and the practice of going to Confession.
The Sacramental life of the Church ritualizes and celebrates the experience of God present in our lives. All faith formation and sacramental celebration should immerse us into the life of God and is intended to bring about an encounter with Jesus Christ. Confirmation celebrates the sustaining presence of the Holy Spirit, given to us at Baptism with an outpouring of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. All of this is meant to strengthen the Confirmed in discipleship and witness to the Lord in the world.
In our preparation program, children will remember, along with their families, the gift of their own Baptism and learn how Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace. They will discover who the Holy Spirit is and how the Holy Spirit lives within each of us, sharing with us the divine life, incorporating us more firmly into Christ and strengthening our relationship with God’s family – the Church. Children will explore what it means to be Confirmed: to follow Jesus, to become disciples, and to be sent on mission to witness to and spread God’s love in the world.
In the Eucharist we come to the “heart and summit of the Church’s life.” First Communion is one of the holiest and most important occasions in a Roman Catholic’s life. It means that person has received the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Body, and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. When we receive the Holy Communion, we are nourished by Christ’s own being, present to us in the bread and wine.
In our preparation program, children enter in a deeper way, the gift of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. They will learn the beauty of the Mass and the prayers that give life and meaning to our relationship with God. They will explore what it means that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and what that means for our daily lives. Children will be invited to discover how we are nourished and grow in love and understanding for God and for each other through this sacrament of love.
Children’s preparation for the Sacraments begins in the home. The family has the most important role in communicating the Christian and human values that form the foundation of a child’s understanding of the sacraments. Children who participate with their family in the Mass experience the Eucharistic mystery in an initial way and gradually learn to join with the liturgical assembly in prayer.
Divine Mercy Parish takes seriously the role of parents as the primary catechists of their children. In doing so, the parish is committed to supporting parents throughout the entire process of preparing for the sacraments and feeding the faith of the whole family.
Our Sacramental programs are set up to incorporate both at home preparation and Family Catechetical Sessions at the Parish. Normally this happens on an alternating weekly schedule. Each program is 6 weeks long.
Here is our current schedule:
Baptism Preparation for Children 7 and above: on a case by case basis
Reconciliation: Begins October 19, 2024
Confirmation: Begins January 18, 2025
Eucharist: Begins March 8, 2025