This year at Sts Peter and Paul, we are all called to ‘Let Your Light Shine”

Confirmation – Year 6

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in our Parish this Term. Children who have already celebrated their First Reconciliation and First Eucharist and are in Year 6 or above may be enrolled.

To enrol your child, please

1. Download the Qkr! App
2. Search for ‘Woden North Transfiguration Parish’
3. Click on ‘Parish Payments and Sacraments’
4. At the top, Click on ‘Sacrament’
5. Then select ‘Confirmation’
6. Fill out the Enrolment form and pay the $40 (This helps to defray the cost of a workbook, commemorative certificate, medal and administrative costs. If you have difficulty meeting the offering, please contact the parish office for a confidential discussion.)

The Enrolment Form asks for your child’s confirmation name and sponsor.  If your child has not yet decided on a confirmation name or sponsor, you should still return the form by Friday 29 April and provide this information when it becomes available.  (A confirmation name is the name of a saint who inspires the candidate to follow Jesus).  The sponsor assists the candidate to grow in their Catholic faith.  The sponsor must be a confirmed Catholic normally not less than 16 years of age, living a life of faith consistent with that role, having a good relationship with the candidate and being neither parent nor sibling of the candidate as they are sponsoring on behalf of the wider family of faith. 

Preparation for this Sacrament will be done through a Family-Based Program

The Parish Family-Based program affirms the direct participation of parents in their child’s faith journey with the prayerful support of the Parish community.  The program compliments but does not replace the religious instruction given at Catholic schools or through a School of Religion.  Parents have found the program to be a graced time with their child and that in turn has made the celebration of the Sacrament all the more meaningful.  Home-based family groups will be discussed and allocated at the Parent Information Night (PIN).

Hosting a Family Group

The program is dependent on the generosity of some parents to host or to co-host a family group.  The role of a host is not difficult, with session notes and guidance provided.  N.B. Hosts will be required to attend an Online Information Session at 5.30pm on Tuesday 3 May, please contact me if you would like to discuss further.

All hosts must have, or have applied for, a Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) card. There is no cost involved in applying for a WWVP card for volunteers.

What does the program involve?

The program includes:

• An Information Session for hosts of a family group at 5.30pm, Tuesday 3 May, via Zoom.
• An Introductory Night for all parents to receive an overview of the family sessions at 6 pm, Tuesday 3 May, via Zoom.
• Four Family Group Meetings for parents and children.
• Presentation Mass. Each family must attend either of the Saturday 4 June 6pm, Sunday 5 June 9.30am or 5:30pm Mass, at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin.
• Parent and Child Stole Night, in Week 7 (date TBC), in the Holy Trinity School Hall, 18-20 Theodore Street, Curtin.
• Pending COVID-19 restrictions, a children’s Retreat Day and practice, Friday 17 June, 9.15am-2.15pm, in the Holy Trinity School Hall.

What next?

If you would like your child to celebrate Confirmation this year, you must complete enrolment and payment to the Parish Office by Friday 29 April 2022.  Enquiries can be made to the Parish Office (9am – 3.30pm Mon, Wed and Fri, 6281 3999, or email to wodennorth@cg.org.au)

Please note: The Sacrament will be celebrated in the Parish of the Transfiguration, North Woden, on Tuesday 21 June 2022 at 6pm and Wednesday 22 June at 6pm. 

Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

 Scholars suggest that the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John is a later addition to the Gospel, especially given the finality of the language at the end of chapter 20. The style of chapter 21 is much more church-oriented than the earlier chapters. The barbeque breakfast on the beach takes on a Eucharistic feel and the passage is at pains to portray Peter as the leader of the disciples and the one chosen by Jesus to provide leadership into the future. We must remember that the Gospel of John was written almost 70 years after the death of Jesus and if this final chapter is indeed an addition, then it is likely written sometime in the 2nd century. It was only in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries that the church began to adopt a structure of bishops as leaders of communities, and it was important to clearly establish the authority of Peter as the first leader of the Church and the authority of his successors. Obviously, a scriptural reference to Jesus’ choice of Peter would have cemented the case and so this later addition to the Gospel of John may have been constructed to serve this purpose.

Regardless of its original intended purpose, this passage provides a wonderful account of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to his disciples. Like other post-resurrection accounts, the disciples do not at first recognise Jesus and it is not until the miraculous catch of fish that the beloved disciple declares, ‘It is the Lord’. In a beautifully everyday touch, the risen Jesus prepares breakfast on the beach for the disciples and blesses the simple food in the same way as he did the bread and wine at their last supper.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Blessings for the week ahead

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator