Sacramental Program
The Parish Sacramental Program covers the process (Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation) whereby children in both Catholic and Non-Catholic Schools become a fully-fledged Catholic.
Browse below for information on the significance of these.
Click here for a letter from Fr. James.
Click here for an enrolment form.
Reconciliation
This sacrament is one of the two sacraments of healing (the other is the Anointing of the Sick).
Also known as Confession, Reconciliation is seen as an opportunity for renewal and can be done as often as needed. Some Catholics participate weekly before receiving the Eucharist, whereas others may seek the sacrament only during the seasons of Lent or Advent.
The penitent is not confessing to the priest, but to God. The priest is there to be a ‘conduit’ between you and God.
Reconciliation is a means of obtaining pardon from God for sins for which the sinner is truly remorseful, and brings the sinner back into communion with God and the Church. The sacrament is an opportunity for self-reflection and requires that the person take full responsibility for his or her sins, both those in thought and in action. During the rite, sins are recounted privately to a priest, who is seen as a healer aiding the process and assigns acts of penance, such as specific prayers or acts of restitution, to complete in the following days.
A prayer of contrition is offered at the end of the confession and the newly absolved Catholic is urged to refrain from repeating those sins.
Go to the Mass Times page for details about reconciliation times at St. David’s.
In preparation for the Easter and Christmas seasons, additional reconciliation opportunities will be listed in the Parish bulletin.
Click here for common questions about Reconciliation. (Opens in a new window)
Eucharist
The sacrament of Eucharist brings to completion the Christian process of initiation. It is the central rite of Catholic worship.
In this sacrament we remember what Jesus did for us in his life, death and resurrection. We remember particularly the Last Supper, that final meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal Jesus gave us the Eucharist so that we could remember him in a special way. When we receive Communion, we believe that we receive the person of Jesus into our very beings. We become one with him, and we become one with each other. As a community we become ‘the body of Christ’.
Special lay ministers (non-priests) called Extra-ordinary Ministers of the Eucharistic are trained to help the priest distribute communion to the congregation during Mass.
Both priests and special ministers also bring Holy Communion to the sick and the homebound so that all Catholics can participate.
A person may receive the Eucharist daily, or as often as they feel the need.
NOTE : If you are sick and would like to receive holy communion, please contact the Parish Office.
Click here for common questions about the Eucharist. (Opens in a new window)
Confirmation
Confirmation is the second of the three sacraments of initiation. It is a Catholic Sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts.
The Sacrament of Confirmation completes the Sacrament of Baptism. If Baptism is the sacrament of re-birth to a new and supernatural life, Confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age.
Confirmation is a sacrament of empowerment. It gives the strength to follow Jesus and to become involved in the mission which Jesus left to the Church.
Children must be at least 7 years of age. For adult converts, it is performed during the final stage after completion of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program.
It includes the laying on of hands in prayer and blessing and the anointing of the forehead with Chrism (holy oil) with the words: “Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” In doing so, the person is ‘sealed’ as a member of the church.
The outward rite of confirmation signifies the inner presence of the Holy Spirit who is believed to provide the strength to live out a life of faith.
At confirmation a Catholic may symbolically take the name of a saint to be his or her patron.
Click here for common questions about Confirmation. (Opens in a new window)