IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR

First Confessions, First Holy Communion and Confirmations are all on the horizon. Well, to be accurate First Confession have been and gone. The boys and girls and their parents and catechists came to church on the Saturday prior to Palm Sunday and, in a setting of the Liturgy of the Word, the children made their First Confession. Father Loughran and Father Smith were on hand to administer God’s loving mercy to these little ones.

It can be hard to gauge when is the right time for a child to make his or her First Confession. Some think that the present age is too young (and they may be right). The decision is left to the parents. The advice given is: does your child know the difference between right and wrong? If they do, then generally, they are ready for Confession.

That Saturday was a busy day, for it was also on that day that the boys and girls who are preparing for Confirmation went with their parents, catechist and Fr Loughran to the Shrine of our Lady and Fernyhalgh for a Day of Recollection. They began with Mass in the St Mary’s Church and then proceeded to the Shrine for a packed lunch. In the afternoon the boys and girls had their usual lesson with Mrs Cywinski and the parents spent time with Fr Loughran teasing out the meaning of Confirmation and other Christian topics. In the Garden Room the parents watches some of the dramatic presentations which the boys and girls had rapidly put together showing the various Gifts of the Spirit. The afternoon concluded with a Prayer Service in the Martyr’s Chapel.

So now we look forward to the great celebrations of First Holy Communion and Confirmation in May which will be one of the first engagements of our new Bishop after his installation on May 1st.