A LETTER TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS







Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Faith is our constant companion.  We live in faith all the days of our life.  It begins with our Baptism and moves with us through our life on earth and into eternity.  With love, it is the only thing that we can take with us to heaven.  The life of faith is not on a time table.  Every individual grows at their own rate.  The Church gives us graces along the way to help in our journey.  These graces are embodied in the sacraments.  Each person should partake of these graces when they have the proper foundation in faith to move to the next step.  The Diocese gives us a rough timeline for the reception of the sacraments:
 
            Reconciliation – grade 2
            Eucharist – grade 3
            Confirmation – grade 10 or 11

Most children can move within this time frame with little difficulty, although readiness is always discerned before the reception of any sacrament by the parents, catechists and Faith Formation staff.  The parents are the first and primary teachers of the faith for their children.  Please practice your faith by worshipping regularly so that your children do not become confused about God.  The catechists are “echoers of Christ”.  Their function is to share the gospel with your children at an age appropriate level so that they can grow in love and faith.  The Faith Formation staff and volunteers are a resource for your family.  As you live your faith daily through action and worship, we are your support and help.  We are here to aid parents as they build strong faith foundations for their children and to guide adults to a deeper personal faith life.

If for some reason your family has been away from the Church for a time – do not panic!  There is no catch up in the life of faith.  Bring your children back into the Church with regular Mass attendance.  Bring them to Faith Formation classes for instruction and integration into the community of their peers.  There are a number of different options available to you for their formal religious education.  We will work with you to develop your children’s sacramental readiness.  It is a process.  Please remember that our faith is eternal and there is no need to rush.  It is better to build a strong base before adding the building.  You would not expect a one month old baby to walk.  They must first lift their head, roll over, sit up, crawl and then walk.  The actions before walking prepare the child to be mobile while strengthening their body for what is to come.  Each child moves through the steps at their own pace.  The same is true with faith.  Let us not rush through the sacraments and then let our faith lie dormant.  Instead, let us enjoy each step along the way – building a life of faith that is alive and active beyond Confirmation and into eternity.


Yours in Christ,
Pat Birmingham