RCIC - Information on the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist for Children

In the spring of last year Christ the King Parish was chosen to be one of four parishes in the city of Regina (one of 11 in the Diocese) to pilot a Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation for children. As of this fall all parishes in the Regina Archdiocese will be using this process of initiation for children.

Since June of 2009 information regarding some of the reasons for this change has been made available to our parishioners through the parish bulletin, website and facebook page.

The Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation involves changes to the order in which we, as a Church and a parish community celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist with our children. Where formerly the parish would baptize infants who would later receive First Eucharist and then later still be Confirmed (at around age 12), parishes around the world, at the behest their Bishops and Pope Benedict XVI are moving to restore the originally intended order of these Sacraments so that Confirmation follows Baptism and Christian initiation is completed with the first reception of the Eucharist. Effectively, for those children who were baptized as infants, this means that Confirmation and Eucharist will be celebrated in a single celebration some time after a child has reached seven years of age.

This has required a change in practice, in formation methods, in how we conceptualize the Sacraments of Initiation, and in our own personal commitments. The formation process for children seeking to complete the process of Christian initiation and for the parents who accompany them and who are, as the Church teaches, the first and primary teachers of the faith to their children, requires a deeper commitment of time and an openness on the part of parents to deepen their own faith and their personal relationship with Christ.

In order to ensure that these challenges are met, the parish of Christ the King will be holding a series of meetings seeking to address the issues of the hows and whys of this change in practice, as well as the need for deeper formation of parents and families beginning this fall in preparation for the start of the preparation program itself which will begin in January of 2011. For your convenience, two options are being offered for the initial information evenings; Wednesday September 15th, 2010 at 7:00pm OR Saturday September 18th at 10:00am both in the Parish Hall. These initial information and registration meetings are open to all parents of children in grades two and seven who would have been preparing for the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation in the coming year, as well as to the teachers and religious educators of St. Pius X and Deshaye Catholic Schools and any other interested parishioners of Christ the King.

If you wish your child to complete their Christian Initiation through the reception of Confirmation and Eucharist in the coming year, your attendance at ONE of these initial meetings is mandatory. If you are unable to attend you must plan on your family participating in this formation process at a later date. If you have any questions or concerns prior to this first meeting please do not hesitate to contact me at the parish office.

We look forward to journeying with you and your families in this exciting endeavor in the coming year.

Peace and God Bless

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Anointing of the Sick This Saturday May 8, 2010

"Are any among you suffering? They should pray...Are any among you sick? They should call upon the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord." (James 5:13-14)

We will be inviting all members of our parish who feel they are in need, to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick during our evening mass. This will be done at the 5:00pm celebration this Saturday May 8, 2010.

A little about the sacrament;
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood of all sacraments in the Catholic Church is that of the Anointing of the Sick. Often (mistakenly) called the 'Last rights', our most common mental image is that of a priest hovering over the bed of a person at death's door, mumbling strange Latin words we do not understand.

This is unfortunate because this is most certainly not a sacrament for the dead, but for the living, whereby we are able to experience the healing ministry of Christ within our own lives. Calling upon our Lord to strengthen us and to help us to endure the trials and afflictions that affect us all whether young or old. In addition, it gives us the chance to have our family of faith pray for us at those times when we most need their support.

Are you going into the hospital for planned (or unplanned) surgery? Are you struggling with a chronic health condition? Do you feel concerned about your health and do not feel as though you can wait until the next parish celebration?

In any of these situation, you can always call the parish office to arrange for a celebration of this sacrament in the home with family and friends or in your hospital room. This is also a good time to remind you that, upon being admitted to the hospital, you must indicate to admitting that you are Roman Catholic if you would like to have the Roman Catholic Chaplain visit you.

One last thing, as St. James acknowledges in his letter illness does not just affect the life of the individual or the family, but indeed, the whole community. If you or someone you know is ill and in need of spiritual support or even some company or hospice care, please contact the parish office. We have a number of individuals in the parish who visit with the sick and their families on a regular basis. With your permission, we would also like to include you or your loved ones in our Prayers of the Faithful shared during our weekend Masses.

If you would like more information about the sacred encounter with the Christ who heals us check out the following links;

Catholic Answers - Anointing of the Sick

Wikipedia Article - Anointing of the Sick

Peace and God Bless

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