Sacramental Journey 2024
Our Sacramental Programme takes place when children are in Year 3 (or older in some cases) and ensures that our baptised children can continue their journey to being full members of the Catholic Church.
Children are provided with support to make the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. We hope that their involvement with the sacramental programme will help them feel welcomed into the wider Church family.
The Sacramental Programme is the means by which baptised children can make their own personal commitment to God and continue on their spiritual journeys into full membership of the Catholic Church. Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation. The programme begins with the children learning all about the journey they are making and then presenting themselves to God and the parish to say that they are now choosing to continue on their sacramental journey. At the sacrament of Baptism, parents/guardians made the decision for them and now it is up to them. The children then go on to receive the sacrament of 'First Forgiveness' and they later receive first Holy Communion – a public declaration that they are now fully a part of this community, this “Communion” of God’s family.
The programme itself strives to help them grow into this community, and feel a real sense of belonging to the wider Family of God.
Prayer friends (volunteers from the parish) are invited to be Prayer Friends for the children throughout their Sacramental journey. The school and parish facilitate this and after First Holy Communion school organises a ‘Prayer Friends Tea Party’ to thank the prayer friends for supporting and praying for our children.
The Sacramental Programme runs in parallel with the Year Three RE Syllabus in Catholic schools of the Salford Diocese. Whilst most of the children who attend our programme will be in Year Three at SSMJ we do also welcome children from different schools who live in this parish, and we will adapt the programme to the needs of older children.
Each part of the programme is important, as it forms a part of the child’s experience of God which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We hope this will be a very positive experience, and we trust that parents will support them on every step of the journey.
