IRELAND: In Ireland, churches are set to move children's preparation for the sacraments from classrooms to parishes

In Ireland, churches are set to move children's preparation for the sacraments from classrooms to parishes. The Catholic Church is set to move children's preparation for the sacraments from the classroom to the parish after a survey by the Archdiocese of Dublin found a "clear desire for radical change" among parents, priests and school principals.

7 Sacraments

The results of a consultation launched in 2018, when the Council of Priests felt it was "time to review" the Church's approach, were published on the Dublin Archdiocese website this week. The online survey received 1,800 responses from parents, clergy and school principals.

National Catholic schools will continue to teach about the sacraments while the new decision takes effect, but families will eventually have to register directly with parishes. The new decision is to "put a strong focus on working together in families, parishes and schools," rather than taking over most of the preparation for Holy Communions and confirmations.

 

Dear All,

I am writing to present the new Policy Statement for the Sacraments of Initiation in our Archdiocese. This new Policy Statement seeks to affirm, strengthen and develop the many years of consultation about the Sacraments of Initiation in the Archdiocese.

This process of consultation began in 2018 when the then Priests’ Council felt that it was time to review our approach. This resulted in establishing the Sacraments Review Group in 2019, which developed an online Survey to connect with the experience of parents, parishes and schools. Eighteen hundred people responded, including eight hundred parents, one hundred priests and one hundred school principals. What emerged from this consultation was a clear desire for substantial change and innovation, coupled with the challenge of finding ways of responding to the complex reality of faith in family life.

Subsequently, a Sacraments Implementation Group was formed in 2020 to follow up on what a new approach in the Archdiocese would look like. This group met regularly throughout the pandemic and engaged further with parents, parishes and schools. In this deeper engagement it became clear that new patterns were emerging that could strengthen the partnership between family, parish and school. Foundational to these new patterns were direct registration of families with the parish for sacraments, smaller group celebrations and engagement with parents in a family friendly way.

There is now need for a new Policy Statement in light of these emerging new practices. This will enable these practices to develop in every parish of the Archdiocese. The key features of this are an emphasis on accompanying families towards the celebration of the Sacraments in a sustainable way, a stronger focus on Baptism as the beginning of a life long journey of faith, and clarity about the roles of family, parish, school and Archdiocese working in partnership.

I wish to thank all those who have contributed to this work and gave so generously of their time, especially the Priests’ Council who began the project, members of the Sacraments Review Group and the Sacraments Implementation Group, as well as all those who took part in the online Survey and the further consultations of 2020 – 2021.

As our Statement of Mission makes clear ‘we are called to develop new ways to accompany the people of our time. This will require a new thinking and a shift in mind-set in everyone.’

This Policy will take time to develop into local parish practice. It will, I pray, provide a supportive structure to accompany families.

With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,

+Dermot Farrell
Archbishop of Dublin

Catholic schools will continue to provide sacramental education for children through junior infants and sixth grade, however, "direct registration" of families in parishes for the sacraments will take place in the future rather than registration through schools.

The policy document stated that "small group celebrations and engagement with parents" would become "foundational" in the new approach to sacraments. 

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