While Baptism is the gateway into the Catholic faith, the Sacrament of Confirmation affirms each baptised person's commitment to their faith. During the sacrament, confirmands renew their baptismal promises and are supported by a sponsor. The sponsor is a Catholic chosen by the confirmand to guide them in their faith and help them to prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is typical for baptised children to be confirmed in Year 3, which the Church considers the age of reason. In this way, the sacrament is often likened to a rite of passage.

The timing of First Holy Communion and Confirmation has changed in recent years, so if you’re over 30 years old, you might have done it differently. The current order of the Sacraments of Initiation reflects the intended purpose from ancient times, which has always been to renew your baptismal promise before First Holy Communion.

Surfers Paradise Parish offers a parish-based Children’s Sacramental Program that begins with preparation for Confirmation. The program involves periods of focused learning and preparation across two calendar years for Confirmation, First Holy Communion and Reconciliation. The program is a shared responsibility and commitment between parents and the parish. 

The Confirmation component of the program usually takes approximately five weeks, starting early in Semester Two of the first year of enrolment in the sacramental program. With the guidance and support of the Surfers Paradise Sacramental Team, parents are required to assist their child through the discussions, prayer and associated learning tasks provided. The Catholic Church does not charge for the sacraments, but we do propose an administrative fee to cover the cost of practical resources used in preparation. The admin offering for the entire sacramental program, including Confirmation, First Communion, and Reconciliation, is only $150 per child. No one is ever denied a sacrament due to money issues, so please consult with us if this proposed admin fee is a problem.

Parents are invited to enrol baptised children who are in Year 3 or greater by completing the steps above.

Once parents have submitted their child’s sacramental enrolment form, they will be sent an enrolment acknowledgement email. Six weeks prior to the commencement of the program, the Children’s Sacramental Coordinator will email each enrolled family to further clarify requirements and arrangements.Our Surfers Paradise Sacramental Team strives to understand and work to respond to the needs of each family and, where necessary; the needs of individuals within families. If you wish to discuss your particular circumstances or you have questions about any of the sacraments through which God can communicate his abundant grace and love, please email our Children’s Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson an********@**************et.au to start the conversation.

Sacramental information is often included in our Surfers Paradise Parish Newsletter so please click here and subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Note: for adults 17 years and older, please refer to Becoming Catholic, our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) here.