24th August 2024

Dear Parents / Guardians,

I write to you at the beginning of this school year in relation to the Registration & Request of your child for the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2025. The Home, the School, and the Parish, have vital roles to play in the faith formation of your child. Only children Baptised as Roman Catholic can celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. We recognise that children may be Baptised in another Christian Church / Denomination or have received Baptism and Confirmation together as an infant and will not be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.

To put the Sacrament of Confirmation in context: it is another step of commitment as one declares and accepts belief in our loving God as members of the Roman Catholic Community. While all who have been Baptised in the Roman Catholic Faith and have received First Holy Communion are invited to make a Registration & Request for the Sacrament of Confirmation, we do not assume that this is your choice, or the choice of the young people concerned, and should not feel obliged to present for Confirmation simply because they are in finishing Primary School. I ask you to consider if your child wishes to present for the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2025.

All Registrations & Requests for the Sacrament of Confirmation are now made online by means of the Registration & Request Form directly to the parish. I wish to thank Scoil Treasa, for sending this letter to you, with the link to the Registration & Request Form. In some family situations, both parents / guardians may wish to ‘Submit’ a Registration & Request Form with your contact details. Please ‘Submit’ the Registration & Request Form immediately or at the very latest by 20th September 2024. (Link at bottom of this page.)

Your Child’s Baptismal Certificate from the Parish of Baptism will be needed, as evidence of Roman Catholic Baptism. If you do not have a copy of the Baptismal Certificate, please contact the parish of your child’s Baptism for a Baptismal Certificate immediately. For children Baptised in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Firhouse, we will check the Baptismal details of all children Baptised in Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Firhouse.

Please do not give the Baptismal Certificate to the class teacher in Scoil Treasa but directly to me by email attachment or drop it into the Parish Office between 9.30 am – 4 pm. If you wish to email me the Baptismal Certificate, use the email address firhouseparishsaf@gmail.com to send a scanned copy or a photo of the Baptismal Certificate to me directly please. As the Registration & Request Form requires you to give me a contact email address, I will be able to contact with you by email if I need to.

In our parish school of Scoil Treasa the class teacher will be covering the Religious Education Material in the ‘Grow in Love’ Religious Education Programme, which has been ongoing over the years, and I encourage you as parents / guardians to journey with your child in this ‘Grow in Love’ Programme, and whatever else you may be able to do in helping your child to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

We are asking each family to contribute a donation of €20 to meet the running cost of the parish and administration involved in preparing for the celebration of the sacraments. If this request causes any hardship, please email firhouseparishsaf@gmail.com all will be dealt with in confidence.

I will be in touch with you in due course about a Preparation Meeting for all parents / guardians of those who have submitted the Registration & Request Form for their child /children preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2025. I encourage you, either in your own Parish or another Parish, to partake in Saturday Evening or Sunday Mass as your family, with your child, prepares to celebrate their Sacrament of Confirmation.

Please complete and submit the Registration & Request Form on this link:

2025 Firhouse Confirmation Registration Form Scoil Treasa

With every good wish.

Peter J Reilly

Fr Peter Reilly PP