Religious Education
CONFIRMATION Family Faith Sharing Afternnon
On Tuesday our school community came together for a very special Family Faith Sharing Afternoon with our Year 6 students and their parents, as they continue their journey towards receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
We began with prayer, listening to a reading from the Acts of the Apostles about Pentecost—the moment when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, filling them with courage and strength to go out and proclaim the Good News. This powerful passage reminded us that the Spirit is still at work in our lives today, guiding and inspiring us, just as it did for the first disciples. Pentecost is often described as the “birth of the Church,” which was a fitting place to begin our reflection together.
Our next focus was on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Parents and students shared how they could see these gifts—wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, and wonder and awe—in each other’s lives. It was uplifting to hear such thoughtful insights spoken aloud. Brave volunteers stepped up to the microphone and shared with the larger group how they had witnessed these gifts in their families, their friendships, and even in their own personal growth. Their reflections were honest, inspiring, and gave us all a sense of the Spirit alive among us.
The students also spoke about the saints they had chosen for their Confirmation name, explaining why they were drawn to those particular role models of faith. Their stories revealed how carefully they had thought about this important decision and how they hoped to live out the values of their chosen saints in their own lives.
As a former student of St Patrick’s myself, I was able to share the story of how I once saw a saint walking in our school yard, recalling the visit of Mother Teresa of Calcutta to Melbourne in 1973. This sparked a sense of wonder and connection, reminding us that holiness is not something distant or unreachable but something that can touch our lives in very real and personal ways.
Together, we turned our attention to the Apostles’ Creed, the great statement of our Catholic beliefs. We took time to reflect on its meaning before joining in the renewal of our Baptismal promises, just as the Confirmation candidates will do next week when Fr Justin leads them through this part of the ceremony.
Families were then invited to think about what their own family creed might be—what they believe in and what values they stand for. Each family wrote their promises on a scroll to keep as a lasting reminder of their commitment to live out their faith together.
We concluded the afternoon with a prayer that reflected on the gifts of the Holy Spirit as lived out in the life of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. Her example of faith, courage, and trust in God provided the perfect inspiration as our students prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
It was truly a faith-filled and uplifting afternoon. Students, parents, and teachers left with a deepened sense of connection to their faith, to the Church, and to one another.
Faith is not something we walk alone. It is nurtured in families, celebrated in our parish, and supported in our school. That is why this afternoon was such a blessing — a chance for students and families to pray together, to reflect, and to share openly about the role faith plays in our lives.
May this be a time of joy, of connection, and of growth as we support our students in preparing to say their “yes” to God in Confirmation.
Kathryn Ady
Religious Education Leader