St. Mark Catholic Parish
"…The seed is spouting and growing…" (Mark 4:27)
Category Archives: Sacraments/RCIA
2019 First Holy Communion (Gr. 2’s)
Posted by on September 25, 2017
A letter and blank form is sent home with each Grade 2 student attending St. Mark’s and St. Dominic’s Schools in November. If you did not receive this package, or if your child attends a different school, please pick up a package from the parish office.
November 2018
Dear Parents:
Grade 2 is commonly the time, around age 7, when a person is eligible to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation (First Confession) and First Eucharist.
The Sacraments are sacred mystery and they are at the very root and life of the Church. Our faith teaches that through Sacrament, God becomes present to His Church in a unique way that imparts a grace, and to be considered a full member of the Catholic Church, a person must have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. For this reason, this is a very important moment in the faith development of your child because it imparts a Catholic identity.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life that unites us to one another, to the Church and to Christ Himself, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” As Catholic parents, I encourage you to take an active role in ensuring that your child has a sufficient age-related understanding and is ready to receive their First Confession and First Holy Communion. Attending Sunday Mass on a regular basis is the single-most important thing you can do as a parent in the Sacramental and Faith Development of your child. Through weekly participation in the Sunday Eucharist and yearly celebrations of the Seasons, we experience a living faith and enter into the life of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.
The parish-based program will consist of five meetings (see dates below) and will follow the Diocese of Hamilton’s Sacramental Guidelines for the Christian Initiation of Children (which can be found on their website, http://hamiltondiocese.com, by following the link Pastoral Offices and Catechesis).
To request and enroll for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, all candidates should attend one of the Masses on the weekend of December 1st and 2nd, the First Sunday of Advent:
Enrollment Ceremony Mass:
Sat. Dec. 1 at 5:00 p.m. OR Sun. Dec. 2 at 9:30 a.m. OR 11:30 a.m.
During this Mass, Candidates will be asked to come forward after Communion
and present their completed form requesting the two Sacraments.
Preparation Meetings:
Candidates are expected to attend sessions 2 through 5. Parents are expected to attend three sessions (Jan. 9, Feb. 20 and April 24). There will be no opportunity to make-up missed sessions.
| Session: | Date: | Time: | Meeting for: |
| 1 | Wed., January 9 | 6:30 pm | Parents only |
| 2 | Wed., January 30 | 6:30 pm | Candidates only |
| 3 | Wed., February 20 | 6:30 pm | Candidates and Parents |
| 4 | Wed., April 3 | 6:30 pm | Candidates only |
| 5 | Wed., April 24 | 6:30 pm | Candidates and Parents |
The Sacrament of First Eucharist:
Sunday, May 26, 2019 2:00 pm for St. Mark’s students
Sunday, June 2, 2019 2:00 pm for St. Dominic’s students
Peace,
Fr. Steve Murrin
St. Mark’s Parish
2019 Confirmation (Gr. 7’s)
Posted by on September 25, 2017
A letter and blank form is sent home with each Grade 7 student attending St. Mark’s and St. Dominic’s Schools in November. If you did not receive this package, or if your child attends a different school, please pick up a package from the parish office.
November 2018
Dear Parents:
Grade 7 is the time, around age 12, when a person is eligible to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Sacraments are sacred mystery and they are at the very root and life of the Church. Our faith teaches that through Sacrament, God becomes present to His Church in a unique way that calls the person receiving the Sacrament into relationship with Him. To be considered a full member of the Catholic Church, a person must have received the three Sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. For this reason, this is a very important moment in the faith development of your child because it imparts a Catholic identity.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life that unites us to one another, to the Church and to Christ Himself, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” Therefore, if you are requesting the Sacrament of Confirmation for your child, as Catholic parents, I encourage you to take an active role in ensuring your son or daughter will have a sufficient understanding and be ready to receive the Sacrament next spring. Attending Sunday Mass and receiving the Eucharist is the single-most important thing you can do as a parent, and, in doing so, we enter into the life of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.
The parish-based program will consist of five meetings (see dates below) and will follow the Diocese of Hamilton’s Sacramental Guidelines for the Christian Initiation of Children (which can be found on their website, http://hamiltondiocese.com, by following the link Pastoral Offices and Catechesis).
To request and enroll for the Sacrament of Confirmation, all candidates should attend one of the Masses on the weekend of December 1st and 2nd, the First Sunday of Advent:
Enrollment Ceremony Mass:
Sat. Dec. 1 at 5:00 p.m. OR Sun. Dec. 2 at 9:30 a.m. OR 11:30 a.m.
During this Mass, Candidates will be asked to come forward after Communion
and present their completed form requesting the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Preparation Meetings:
Candidates are expected to attend sessions 2 through 5. Parents are expected to attend three sessions (Jan. 9, Feb. 3 and March 3). There will be no opportunity to make-up missed sessions.
| Session 1 | Wednesday, January 9 | 7:00 pm at the church | Parents only |
| Session 2 | Sunday, January 20 | following 11:30 Mass | Candidates only |
| Session 3 | Sunday, February 3 | following 11:30 Mass | Candidates and Parents |
| Session 4 | Sunday, February 17 | following 11:30 Mass | Candidates only |
| Session 5 | Sunday, March 3 | following 11:30 Mass | Candidates and Parents |
The Sacrament of Confirmation:
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 7:00 pm with Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, D.D.
Peace,
Fr. Steve Murrin
St. Mark’s Parish
CONFIRMATION GOWNS:
All Grade 7’s will wear a red gown (robe) for Confirmation. St. Mark Parish will rent the gowns and distribute them in the parish hall 30 minutes before the Confirmation Mass. Please return the gown after the Mass (or after the photograph with the Bishop). We would kindly ask each family to contribute $10.00 to the parish to help defray the cost of these gowns. Donations can be sent to your child’s classroom teacher (cash, or cheque made payable to St. Mark’s Parish) or brought to the parish office, no later than March 1, 2019.
