St John’s, Narraweena is a Parish School. We have very strong ties to the Warringah Parish in a number of areas.
- Many of our parents have parish ministries as readers, altar servers, musicians & communion ministers.
- School and Parish often co-ordinate Social Justice projects.
- The Sacramental program is Parish based and is supported with specific units in the school curriculum. Parents from the school often take leadership roles in the Sacramental groups.
- The School hosts Saturday night Mass on a monthly basis during term time, with the children taking on a variety of ministries.
- Classes prepare and celebrate Masses during the term and attend Feast Day Masses with parishioners.
The school works closely with the Parish and supports the Sacramental Program, particularly through focused Religious Education units.
The journey of initiation into the Catholic Church begins with the Sacrament of Baptism.
The Sacramental Program at St John’s is parish based and is run in small groups of 8-10 children who each have a parent attend with them. The child works with their parent through learning material which is supplied. The program focuses on the parent sharing faith with their child. Parents usually find that this is a valuable one-on-one time with their child.
Current practice is for the children to receive the sacraments in the following sequence:
- Confirmation (confirming their baptismal promises and receiving the Holy Spirit to strengthen them)
- Reconciliation (preparation for receiving Eucharist)
- Eucharist (the child becomes a full member of the Church)
In Year 3 the children complete a unit based on the sacrament of Confirmation which is run in co-ordination with the Parish Sacramental Program.
In Year 4, there are two special units based on Reconciliation in Term 1 and Eucharist in Term 3 and again, these are run in conjunction with the Parish program.
Of course, there is no requirement for your child to receive these sacraments in these years and families are encouraged to make the decision based on their child’s readiness.
Sacramental Program information evenings are advertised in the weekly Parish Bulletin and in the weekly “What’s Happening”. Alternatively, please call the Parish Office on 9982 6536.
