Confirmation 2023 at Pymble Catholic Parish (SOLD OUT)

Welcome to Pymble Catholic Parish Confirmation Program 2023

Please read the information provided PRIOR to registering. 

This will allow you to better understand what the expectations of the parent(s) and candidate for the program.

The Pymble Catholic Parish Sacramental Program is open to families who are members of Pymble Parish.  Families who are members of different congregations and / or live out-of-area are welcome to join if written permission is granted from their resident Parish Priest.

At Baptism your child began a life-long journey and a way of life.  At Confirmation, the graces received in Baptism are sealed with the reception of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  This sacrament enables your child to better participate in the worshipping and apostolic life of the Church.  The words that Jesus shared with His disciples at Pentecost apply to each one of us at Confirmation, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come down upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

Confirmation is open to children, referred to as “candidates”, who are in Year 3 or above (aged 8 or older) and have been baptised Catholic. 

• When choosing whether or not to embark on this program, please consider the age and maturity of your child: if you feel your child would benefit from partaking in the program at an older age, then do so. 
• Candidates who have been baptised in other Christian denominations must make a Profession of Faith prior to partaking in this program.

Registrations for this program open on 1^st March at https://www.trybooking.com/CFBZT .  Due to the timetabling of events in preparation for this sacrament, late registrations cannot be accepted.

Candidates are required to provide a baptismal certificate, choose a sponsor and a Saint name for Confirmation.

• Before registration can be confirmed, a baptismal certificate must be emailed to sacraments@pymblecatholicparish.org.au.
• Candidates choose one Catholic sponsor.  A sponsor must be at least 16-years of age and a fully initiated Catholic.  Sponsors act as a spiritual guide for your child, and should be practicing Catholics.
• A Saint name is chosen to act as your child’s “Saintly friend”.  A Saint can be someone whose life journey resonates with the candidate and / or has some significance to them.

The Confirmation program consists of the following obligations which a parent and the candidate must attend for successful completion of the program.  The candidate’s sponsor, when possible, is encouraged to attend these as well.

• Three formation sessions, one of which includes the Parent and Candidate Welcome Meeting,
• Presentation mass,
• Confirmation practice,
• Confirmation celebration.

Parent and Candidate Welcome Evening.  This is Session #1 on Wednesday 26^th April, 630pm - 8pm, at Sacred Heart Church, Pymble.  Parents and candidates are requested to attend.

Preparation Program: Two additional formation sessions over 4-weeks in April & May with either a nominated home-based group or the parish-facilitated group.

• Home-based family group is parent-driven, run and orchestrated, with other families that are typically from the candidate’s school.  The dates, times and locations are determined by the group.
• Parish-facilitated group is orchestrated by members of the Pymble Sacramental Team at the Parish Office at Sacred Heart Church, Pymble.  The dates are as follows:
  • Session #2 options: Saturday 29^th April at 2pm or 4pm, Sunday 30^th April at 1030am, or Wednesday 3^rd May at 4pm.
  • Session #3 options are: Saturday 6^th May at 2pm or 4pm, Sunday 7^th May at 1030am, or Wednesday 10^th May at 4pm.

Presentation Mass: This Mass presents the candidates to the greater parish-community and celebrates this milestone over the weekend of Saturday 6^th / Sunday 7^th May, any Mass, at either church.

Confirmation practice: Practice for the celebration is on Thursday, 18^th of May at Sacred Heart Church, 4pm and 5pm.  Attend the practice that best suits you and your family.

Confirmation celebration: Sunday 21^st of May at Sacred Heart Church, 1130am and 130pm.  You will be prompted to choose the celebration that best suits your family when registering.  Please note: candidate capacity at each service is limited.  The duration of the Confirmation celebrations are 75 to 90 minutes.

If your child has additional needs, please contact the office so we can work with your family to find the best way to support you and your child during preparation for the sacraments.

INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED TO PROVIDE FOR ENROLMENT:

• The name of the candidate making their Confirmation. Therefore, enter your child's name in the Candidate's First Name and Candidate's Last Name section: not your name. Ensure your child's name is spelt correctly and as you want it to appear on their certificate.

• A Confirmation name: as above: a Saint name.

• A copy of your child's baptism certificate. Please e-mail a copy of this to sacraments@pymblecatholicparish.org.au prior to the Welcome Evening. If your child was baptised in a non-Catholic Christian denomination, they will need to make a profession of faith prior to Confirmation.

• Have the postal address of the parish where your child was baptised. This is a very important piece of information: due to canon law of the Catholic Church we ARE REQUIRED to send a letter confirming your child has made their Confirmation to the church where your child was baptised. Ensure you fill in all of the fields properly when booking in on-line: this may seem tedious but it is necessary.

• A Catholic sponsor for your child: as above.

• If you are hosting or facilitating a group, have the time, day and location of the group you intend to offer. Remember, depending on availability, the church does have rooms for group preparation sessions.  If you know of others participating in Confirmation, please reach out to them prior to enroling to organise a group.

HOW TO ENROL:

• When booking in, please book only 1 ticket per child making their Confirmation.  If you have more than one child making their Confirmation, book each child individually.  This is to ensure we have all of the necessary details for each participant.

• The cost for the Sacrament of Confirmation program is $75 per child.  This charge is not for receiving the sacrament: the Parish needs to make a charge for each sacramental program to cover the costs of providing books and resources.

If you are experiencing financial hardship or require assistance, please contact the Sacramental Team for a confidential correspondence at sacraments@pymblecatholicparish.org.au.

The information provided is collected and handled in accordance with the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay’s Privacy Policy available on the Diocese and Parish website www.pymblecatholicparish.org.au

During the preparation for Confirmation, as well as at the Confirmation mass itself, photographs of participants and attendees may be taken, and may then be used on either Pymble Catholic Parish's website or the Parish's social media.  The use of photos will be done so in a strictly ethical and respectful way.  Any questions regarding this, please contact the office.