Confirmation was conferred on 12 young parishioners by Bishop Seamus Hegarty on Sunday 18th April at 11.00am in Our Lady of the Wayside Church, Broughderg. You can read their reflections on this important step in their lives below.
CONNOR PATRICK BRADLEY • CÁOILEÁNN MARY CONWAY • MEGAN CONWAY • AARON BRENDAN DONNELLY
LAURYN ASHLEY HOLLYWOOD • MICHAELA SUSAN McBRIDE • MAEVE ANN McCULLAGH • NOEL JAMES McKENNA
CONAN BARRY MAGUIRE • SHAUNA MARY MORRIS • AILEEN TERESA TRACEY • JACK FRANCIS TUOHEY
CONNOR PATRICK BRADLEY •
CÁOILEÁNN MARY CONWAY
MEGAN CONWAY •
AARON BRENDAN DONNELLY
LAURYN ASHLEY HOLLYWOOD •
MICHAELA SUSAN McBRIDE
MAEVE ANN McCULLAGH •
NOEL JAMES McKENNA
When we arrived, I sat in my seat with Eilish, my sponsor. I was sitting beside Megan. We sat tensely in the front row for the ceremony to start. It started and it went by very quickly. Then it came to the readings, Maeve and Aileen were doing them. It went by and it came to the Laying of the Hands. We all had to stand in a line at the front of the altar and the Bishop lay his hands on our heads and said a silent prayer. He then confirmed us. He asked our sponsors what our Confirmation names were, and then he asked us some questions, and he made the sign of the cross with the oil of chrism on our foreheads. Then we went back to our seats. He then did the prayers of Intercession. Lauryn, Jack, Michaela and I were doing them. After that, it came to the consecration, and then communion, and then the final prayers.
After the ceremony we got a whole pile of photo’s taken, my cheeks got sore. Then we went to Broughderg community centre for tea and coffee. I got the Bishop to sign my Confirmation book, and Fr. Hasson as well. I got a whole pile of people to sign my book actually. Then I got photos with the Bishop. He was quite impatient. He was quite impatient. But we got it done in the end.. After that, we all went to the Foothills, in Gortin. Well only my family of course. When we arrived we weren’t really expecting much. But it was really nice on the inside. Daddy ordered some drinks for everybody. I got a coke. The people told us to go on ahead through to the dining room. We then ordered food. I ordered, for my starter- Soup of the Day, Main Course- Sausages, beans and chips, and Dessert- strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream. It took a while long time to come out. But it was worth the wait, it was delicious and scrumptious. I had three bottles of coke. After dessert I had a lovely cup of tea. They then took out the cake, it looked lovely. I just wanted a piece of it right there and then. But we had to go home, but some of them went back to their houses. But we still invited everyone down.
Most off them came to our house for the cake and only my godmother went home, but it was only all the same. When we got home everyone made themselves at home. We made tea and cut the cake. It was lovely. For the rest of the day we sat talking and eating cake. As the day went on everyone went home.
My favourite part of the day was the Foothills, because it was so fun and I’d love to go there again. It was the best day ever and I am now filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit… 😊😊😊
I woke up at 5:25am and couldn’t get back to sleep with all the excitement!
So I turned on my TV and eventually fell asleep during that time. I woke up again at about 6:30am and got up brushed my teeth and washed my face and went downstairs to find that nobody in the house was up only me! So I made myself cereal and I watched TV once more. Mummy came downstairs about ten minutes later and kept me company. After about an hour or two I went to get all dressed for the big day! When I was ready I went into Mummy and daddy’s room to find Matthew and daddy finally awake!
Ryan; My Godfather phoned the night before and told me he’s be over early in the morning. He arrived and had a cup of tea and then we headed of to Broughderg Chapel! I sat beside Caoileann and the Bishop was just in front of us! During the whole Mass we got, Holy Communion, oil of chrism.
Maeve and Aileen said the readings, Jack, Caoileann, Michaela and Lauryn said the prayers of the Faithful and Shauna, Conan, Aaron, Noel Connor and I brought up the gifts! The Bishop was really nice and I enjoyed the ceremony! After the mass we took a class picture with the bishop!
Shortly after that we were invited back to Broughderg hall for tea and snacks and we got the chance to take family pictures and pictures with the Bishop. But sadly I had to leave early because we had booked a table at An Creagan.
Jack booked a table there too so we played about and his cousins Gemma and Claire were there to so I played with them. We played at the park and ran about up in the forest! We got dinner and my cousin Jamie ate my dessert! It came to the end of the day and I was really tired so we went home and it was a really good day and I’m glad I could have it with all of my family and friends there with me!
The ceremony lasted very long actually. I got confirmed about 45 minutes into the mass and after that I brought up the gifts with Conan, Megan, and Noel. Aileen and Maeve said the readings.
I only got two photos of myself but that was because I and my family and friends were late for our dinner in the Greenvale. I didn’t get a picture with the bishop and I was the only one not to.
After that my family and cousins and I went to the Greenvale hotel in Cookstown and it was very nice and I had a really good time.
The funniest moment was when Megan started talking to me in front of every one and didn’t know what to do and when I told her to go down to her seat she ended up going to the wrong row, it was very funny =o) Overall I had a brilliant day, one of the best days of my life, I was very happy.
When the mass was over we stayed in the church to take pictures on the altar.
It was a great day.
I woke up at eight o’clock I got a bit of breakfast and then I watched TV. At half past eight I got dressed and woke up my mummy. When it came to nine o’clock I went down to the hair dressers to get my hair done, I got my hair curled. When the hairdresser had finished with my hair it was ten past ten but then my mummy had to get her hair done. It was another five minutes so we didn’t get up to the house until quarter past ten. We were in a really big rush so much that we didn’t any time to pay the hairdresser. When I arrived up to my house my sponsor was already there.
Then I had to get my dress on. It was hard to get my dress on because I didn’t want to get my hair a mess then I had to get lots of hair spray in my hair because if I didn’t it would fall out. After that I had to help my mummy get ready to she had to get her make-up on and her dress on and then I nearly for got to put my jewellery on. When we were going to the chapel I for got my Confirmation books. We had to go back to the house so we didn’t leave the house until twenty five past ten.
When we got to the chapel it was half past ten. My Godmother and I had to sit together away from our family. We had to sit in the second row. First we had the readings. Maeve was reading the first reading and Aileen did the second reading. For the psalm, the choir sang it and Bishop Seamus Hegarty said the Gospel. Later in the mass Bishop Hegarty said a few words about getting the Holy Spirit at Confirmation. Then he asked Father Hasson to call out all the names that were making their Confirmation to stand up. The Bishop said he would say a few words and we would say I do in reply. After that we had the Laying of the hands and he put his hands on our head and said a little prayer. Then he called up all of are sponsors to come up behind us they had to put their right hand on our right shoulder and make the sign of the cross with the oil . My sponsor had to say my Confirmation name which is Bernadette. Then it came to the prayers of the faithful. I was doing one of the prayers of the faithful. After the prayers of the faithful was the gifts and after the gifts was the Holy Communion and then the Bishop said a few words. At the end of mass all the p.7 pupils had to go up to the altar to get pictures.
After, we went back to the community centre to get some tea and biscuits and to get the Bishop to sign our books. When we got there we got tea and biscuits then we went to the Bishop to get our books signed. I was around the last one to get it signed. Then we were going to get pictures taken, we got four pictures altogether. One with my family and one with my godmother one on my own and one with my granny.
Then we went back to the house and I got a big party all for me and lots of food and lots of sweet things. I got lots of money about £150 and I still have more to get.
Something really happened in the middle of the chapel Megan turned around twice and then went into the wrong row so it was funny.
I had lots of fun on Sunday.
We were the first people in the church then other people started coming and the mass started. Aileen and I read the readings, and then we got confirmed. The bishop put the sign of the cross on my head with the oil of chrism. The prayers of the Faithful came next. The readers were Caoileann, Lauryn, Jack and Michaela. Megan, Shauna, Aaron, Conan, Connor and Noel brought the gifts to the altar. After that it was communion and then the final blessing.
At the community centre I got crisps and juice. The bishop signed my book and flicked through it. When that was all done we went down stairs and got a picture taken with the bishop.
Nearly everyone was at the house now except for one of my uncles and auntie and their daughter and boyfriend. We had soup first then lasagne. Mum did a bit of washing of the dishes and daddy asked me if I wanted to play table tennis in the house out the back. I said ok and we headed up the back and I opened the door and there was a baby LAMB. I hugged daddy and said thank you a million times. When we went back to the house dessert was ready. They were yummy. After that a lot of people went home. We got to open some chocolates (yum). When everyone went home me and daddy went out and feed the lamb. By this time I was absolutely wrecked so I went to bed thinking that this was one amazing day.
When we got to the chapel we sat in the seats that were reserved for us. About forty five minutes later we were confirmed by the Bishop. He made a cross on our forehead with oil and our sponsors put their right hand on our right shoulder and then He/She would say what our confirmation names were.
In the Community centre I went up the stairs and when I got up I went over to my family at a table. Five minutes later I got the Bishop to sign my Confirmation book. Then I went up to a table where there was crisps and juice. I went back down to my family. After sometime I went down the stairs to get a photograph taken. There was a very long queue waiting for a picture. We got a family one first and then I got one of me and my own with the Bishop.
After that we went back to my Granny’s bar and there was a bouncy castle there. When we got back I had to get pictures taken with my aunties and parents. We were taking them for about a half an hour. When I got into the house I got changed and went on the bouncy castle. My cousins were there and it was good Craic!
The ceremony was around 2 hours long. Maeve and Aileen re.ad the first reading and the second readings. Caoileann, Michaela, Jack and Lauryn said the Prayers of the Faithful. Megan, Conan, Aaron, Noel, Connor and I brought up the gifts. When we where going up to the altar Aileen stood on the back of my shoe and it fell off. I had to walk back to get it. Everyone was looking at me it was so embarrassing. At the end of the Mass the Bishop was walking down the aisle the Bishop stopped to talk to my little brother Ciaran he said “I bet you thought that was a long ceremony” and let a big wink out of him. When the Bishop and the Priest and the altar servers left all the P.7 class had to get like lots of pictures.
After Mass we went to have tea at the Broughderg community hall. When I went into the hall I got juice, crisps and biscuits. Then we had to line up to get our books signed by the Bishop.
We went into the chapel. Nuala and I sat beside each other. The mass started about twenty minutes later. The Bishop said the first part of mass. My friend Maeve Mc Cullagh said the first reading and I said the second reading. The Bishop said the gospel .After the that the Bishop talked a little. When he finished he took us up to get the Sacrament of Confirmation. I stood in a line across the altar. My sponsor Nuala put her hand on my right shoulder. When it was my turn Nuala told the Bishop my Confirmation name. The Bishop said “Martha be sealed with the gift of the holy spirit” he put the oil of chrism on my forehead. I said “Amen” he said “peace be with you” I said “and also with you.” We sat down. Caoileann Conway, Michaela Mc Bride, Lauryn Hollywood and Jack Tuohy said the prayers of the faithful, they were very good. Then the gifts were brought up by Megan Conway, Shauna Morris, Noel Mc Kenna, Connor Bradley, Aaron Donnelly and Conan Mc Maguire. The Bishop said some more words and the mass was over. We had to stand on the altar and take pictures.
After the mass we went to the Community Centre to get some tea and juice. When we got there my Granny, Granddad, sponsor and my great auntie were having tea. I got a drink of juice and a packet of crisps. When the Bishop came to the hall I asked him to sign my book. He told me that my reading was very good. When I went back to the table Fr Hasson said that my reading was very good and that I should be proud of it. Nuala and I went down stairs to get our picture taken. We got our picture taken and then we left to go to Corrick House Hotel.
We got to Corrick House about thirty minutes later. I had a lovely dinner.
When we got to the chapel we saw the Bishop. We sat down and then in an hour it was all over.
Everyone went to the community centre after that. We got tea and biscuits and the Bishop signed my book then I got my photograph taken. After that I went to Creagan for some food. Ceiran, Matt, and Jamie played football outside with me. Then we went to the play park. After that I went to the shop and got a mars ice cream then I walked back to the park in Creagan and went inside. The funniest time was when I was to get up to read a Prayer of the Faithful and I forgot to get up. Mrs. Mc Cann had to nudge me.
The happiest bit was when I played football up at Creggan