Family Catechesis - the celebration of Confirmation and First Holy Communion for our children

As you are aware, this year sees the launch of a new sacramental programme in the Archdiocese entitles ‘With your Always’. This of course is the promise of the Lord Jesus to his Church as recorded at the end of Saint Matthew’s Gospel

“I am with you at all times, even to the end of the ages”

Confident that the Lord is faithful to his promise, the Church celebrates His presence through prayer and the Sacraments.

The vision of ‘Family catechesis’ is that it is not only the duty but also the privilege of parents in the parishes to help prepare the next generation for the worthy celebration of the Sacraments. Therefore we invite the Parents/Guardians to also be part of this process by coming along to all the Preparation sessions together with your children, so that as a Family you can prepare for the Sacraments.

The catechists and Clergy will be there to help structure the Sessions, to provide the material which is to be looked at – and to attempt to answer any questions that families might have.

Registration Forms: We invite all parents/guardians of children aged eight years (School year 4 ) attending local schools to please pick up a Registration Form from Saint Mary’s Presbytery, Hill Street, Douglas (telephone 675509). Please return these completed forms to the Presbytery by Monday, October 1^st

Children of Year 4 who attend Saint Mary’s School will automatically be enrolled for these Preparation Sessions, and further information will be sent out to all families in the next days.

Structure of the Preparation Sessions: There will be seven one hour Sessions, spread through the months from October to April. Each session will be held of an evening, from 6.30 to 7.30 pm, but you have a choice of two venues;

Saint Anthony, Onchan on a Monday evening

OR
Saint Mary’s School, Douglas on a Wednesday evening.

Preparation will be for the Sacrament of Confession, which will be celebrated in Advent and Confirmation and Holy Communion (Both Sacraments will be celebrated in the One Mass) which will be celebrated in May.

 
Naturally you need to attend only one venue; we will ask you to state your preference on the Registration Form.

Parents’…. will be the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith. May they also be the best teachers bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do”

Rite of Baptism

These sessions are not only for the Children. Parents/guardians are asked to be an active part of the process and to take part in all the Sessions. This differs from years past, when parents often dropped-off the children and then collected them later in the evening. This is not the intention from this year forward.