This year the Sacraments will look a little different due to the current restrictions imposed on the Church under the NSW Public Health Act.
St Columbkille’s Church is permitted to hold a maximum of 90 worshippers at any one time (45 under 4sqm rule / 90 under the 2sqm rule) and thorough cleaning is required before and after each use of the church as per Work Safe Australia guidelines. Therefore, we will be using the School Hall for the Sacrament which allows us to accommodate for slightly higher numbers.
There is a limit of 4 people per family (Candidate, Sponsor and 2 parents/carers) to attend the Sacrament of Confirmation with their child. Hopefully, there will be a slightly higher limit for First Holy Communion.
Any changes to the NSW Health regulations will be updated and you will be notified via the Compass App or email.
# If your child was baptised in a non-Catholic church, they will need to be received into the Catholic Church before continuing with the program.
^ If your child has not been baptised, they will need to be baptised before receiving any of the sacraments prepared by these programs.
* If your child was baptised in an Eastern Catholic Church (such as the Maronite, Melkite or Ukrainian Churches) your child would have received all of the sacraments of initiation (baptism, confirmation and communion) during their baptism liturgy. The sacrament of confirmation cannot be repeated. Your child is welcome to be part of the program, but they will receive a blessing instead of Confirmation.
If your child was not baptised in the Northern Illawarra Parishes (Bulli, Corrimal, Thirroul and Helensburgh), a copy of their certificate will be needed. Please upload a photo or scan of the original certificate below. The Catholic Church recognises as valid baptisms that have been celebrated with pouring or immersion in water, while a minister recites the words of baptism: "I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
If you don't have the scan available now, you can submit the form. A copy will be sent to your email address, with a link to return to the form later on to make any changes.
Choosing a Sponsor and Confirmation Name
Parents should select the baptismal sponsor or godparent of the candidate as the sponsor for the Sacrament of Confirmation. If the baptismal sponsor cannot bepresent then a proxy should act on their behalf. The role of the parents is to present their children for Confirmation - not act as a sponsor.
“Sponsors must be at least 16 years of age, be confirmed themselves, be living a life of faith, and not under canonical penalty”. Canon 893, 894.
The Name chosen as Confirmation Name must be after a saint. If the child's baptismal name is a saint's name, that name may be retained for Confirmation.
Key Dates
Candidate Mass - for candidates only
Wednesday 12 May, 7pm
Workbooks due by Wednesday 26 May.
Confirmation: Reconciliation and Practice
Wednesday 9 June, 9:30am - 3:00pmat St Columbkille's Hall, 101 Princes Hwy, Corrimal
Please select your preferred Confirmation Ceremony. Please note that there is a limit 20 candidates for each ceremony, so we may not be able to honour your first preference.
Please check that you have completed all form fields and that you have not made any spelling mistakes. You will receive a copy of this form sent to the email address that you have provided. You can make changes to the form data at any time.
Registrations close: 8pm, 17 March
No registrations will be accepted after this date.
Compulsory Requirements
Confirmation Social Night - 6:15pm Wednesday 24 MarchReconciliation & Communion Social Night - 6:15pm Wednesday 14 July
You will receive the program materials, including workbooks, at this fun, social Movie night.
You will need to attend at least 2 different Masses as a family (one Saturday or Sunday Mass and one Weekday Mass). Masses at St Columbkille's, Corrimal are as follows:
Select the Masses you wish to attend here. You can change your selection later - but only 4 families will be able to attend any Mass (to allow room for parishioners to also attend). Monitors will record your attendance.
You will also receive a link for the online classes.
Confirmation ENROLMENT COMMITMENT:We desire to enrol our child into the Parish Preparation Program for the Sacrament of Confirmation.We recognise that we are their first teachers in the ways of faith and that we are doing our best to provide for our child a true pattern of Christian living. In particular, we acknowledge a commitment to the celebration of Sunday Mass and of family prayer.We are aware that our child must be carefully prepared for full and active participation in the Sacramental life of the Church, and that the responsibility for this preparation is primarily our own.We rely on God’s help and the continued support and encouragement of God’s people in the Church to faithfully accept these responsibilities.
Reconciliation and CommunionENROLMENT COMMITMENT:We desire to enrol our child into the Parish Preparation Program for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.We recognise that we are their first teachers in the ways of faith and that we are doing our best to provide for our child a true pattern of Christian living. In particular, we acknowledge a commitment to the celebration of Sunday Mass and of family prayer.We are aware that our child must be carefully prepared for full and active participation in the Sacramental life of the Church, and that the responsibility for this preparation is primarily our own.We rely on God’s help and the continued support and encouragement of God’s people in the Church to faithfully accept these responsibilities.
Program Cost
There is an enrolment fee which covers the workbooks, certificate and gifts. Enrolment fee of $25 (per child) to be transferred electronically into parish account.
Account Name:BSB:Account Number:Reference:
Collection Notice and Privacy Policy
The Parish Collection Notice and Privacy Policy is available to view here and to download here.