Confirmation
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Confirmation preparation is a two-year process that begins for students in their seventh-grade year. They study the life of Jesus and how that relates to living their lives (morality), as well as learning about the Church as Sacrament and the Mystery of God. In particular, the Works of Mercy and Beatitudes are covered both in class and through the commitment each student makes to perform community and church service. Students are also required to meet Spiritual Formation Requirements. All students are expected to attend seventh and eighth grade Religious Education classes to receive the sacrament of Confirmation unless they are enrolled in a Catholic school or home-schooled based on an approved Catholic curriculum.
1. Involvement of the Parents
Parents are expected to take an active role in preparing their son/daughter for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Parents are encouraged to share their own faith experiences with the candidate.
The role of a parent in the Confirmation program includes:
- Participation in all meetings held for parents.
- Presence at the major liturgical celebrations of the Confirmation program.
- Nurturing of the candidate in his/her spiritual development by sharing conversations about Church, faith, morality, and by praying with the candidate.
2. Sponsors
The candidate or family of the candidate chooses the sponsor. The sponsor may be the baptismal godparent. This shows the unity between the two sacraments. In accord with the revised code of Cannon Law, parents may not act as sponsors.
The sponsor may be either male or female for any candidate and should satisfy these requirements:
- He/she is sufficiently mature for this role and is age 16 years or older.
- He/she belongs to the Catholic Church and has been initiated in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
- He/she is not prohibited by Canon Law from exercising the role of sponsor.
The role of a sponsor is better fulfilled when the sponsor can:
- Be available to the candidate during the various phases of preparation for Confirmation.
- Help the candidate integrate the values of a Catholic into his/her daily life.
- Encourage the candidate’s growth in faith.
- Assist the candidate in performing some kind of service to the community, family, and/or parish.
3. Christian Name
This time of preparation for Confirmation is a good time to search out the meaning of the name received at Baptism. Many people are named for saints who gave witness to God’s reign in the world. The saints tried to bear good fruit for the Church, so students should read about the life of their patron saint
To show the close relationship of Confirmation to Baptism, students may wish to use their Baptismal name as the name they give to the Bishop to address them in the Confirmation rite. If a student chooses to take a new name, it should be the name of a recognized saint of the Church or a name of Christian meaning. To help students choose a Christian name, they are required to do a report on a saint in the first year of preparation.
4. Letter of Intent (Letter to the Pastor)
Candidates have the opportunity to formally declare their intention to receive the sacrament of Confirmation during the second year of preparation. This declaration will be in the form of a letter, addressed to the pastor and signed by the candidate. This letter is to state the candidate’s willingness to be involved in a program of prayer, study, and service. See the guidelines for the letter below. The Letter of Intent will be presented to the pastor and the parish community at the Rite of Enrollment. All confirmation candidates in the Religious Education program will be participating, as well as candidates who attend Catholic School or are home schooled.
5. Rite of Enrollment
During the second year of their preparation, candidates are presented to the parish at a Sunday Liturgy to show that Confirmation, along with Baptism and the Eucharist, is an initiation into a life with others in community. The candidates ask for the prayers, support, and encouragement of all members of the parish as their program of formation continues.
The candidates will present their Letters of Intent to the pastor and the parish at a Sunday liturgy. Candidates are to be seated in the front reserved section of the Church along with their parents and sponsors (if sponsors are local).
6. Retreat
A retreat experience is an important part of the preparation for Confirmation. It helps to orient the candidate to Christian values and to a personal life of faith. The Diocese of Harrisburg has made it mandatory for all Confirmation students to attend a retreat before receiving the sacrament. If a candidate cannot attend the retreat held for our parish, arrangements must be made for him or her to attend a retreat at another parish.
7. Dress for Confirmation
Boys – dress pants, shirt, dress shoes, and tie. Hair should be off the forehead. No acne medication on forehead. Bishop must anoint candidate directly onto the skin of the forehead.
Girls – appropriate dress or skirt and blouse (sweater). Shoulders must be covered. Hair should be off the forehead. No acne medication or makeup on forehead. Bishop must anoint candidate directly onto the skin of the forehead.
| Form | Due Date |
| Registration for Confirmation | November 1, 2009 |
| Sponsor Registration | November 1, 2009 |
| Plan for Service Experience | November 1, 2009 |
| Service Opportunity | November 1, 2009 |
| Fire of Love Permission Slip | November 1, 2009 |
| Service and Spiritual Component | March 14, 2010 |
| Reflection on Service Experience | March 14, 2010 |
Candidates are free to respond to God’s call to live their faith more deeply – to worship, to witness, to serve, and to continue to grow in faith as a confirmed Christian. To receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, the candidate must write a letter of request to the pastor to show this response.
Follow these guidelines:
1. Greeting: Begin your letter with the greeting Dear Father Leo:
2. Body of the Letter:
- Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself. Tell something about your background.
- Paragraph 2: Request the Sacrament of Confirmation. Give several reasons why you would like to be confirmed.
- Paragraph 3: Explain how you have prepared for the sacrament. It is important that you tell about specific parts of your preparation – your prayer life, your celebration of the other sacraments, your service for others exercised at home and within the parish, etc.
Paragraph 4: Tell how you will continue to carry out your life of service to God and others through the power of the Spirit. Tell how you plan to make your Confirmation in the faith real and alive in the future.
3. Conclusion: Conclude the letter and write your complete signature.
4. Envelope:
Write Father Leo Goodman
Saint reports are to be completed by each confirmation candidate in the first year of their preparation. For most students this will be in their seventh-grade year.
Student Instructions:
You need to begin exploring the lives of the saints as preparation for choosing a Confirmation name. This time of preparation for Confirmation is a good time to search out the meaning of the name you received at Baptism. Many of you are named for saints who gave witness to God’s reign in the world. The saints tried to bear good fruit for the Church. Read about the life of your patron saint. By exploring the lives of the saints, you may find a saint whose life example is one you would like to imitate in your own life as a fully initiated Christian. Your Confirmation name is the name that the bishop will call you when you are confirmed, and it should reflect the life you plan to live as an adult in the Church. It can be your Baptismal name (the name you were given at Baptism), or you can choose another name. If you choose another name, that name must have Christian significance and/or be the name of a saint.
1. Required information:
- Saint’s name
- Birth/Death dates (if known; otherwise approximate)
- Country
- Year beatified
- Symbol
- Why is this person a saint? Explain about their life. Include miracles during or after their life, stories about them, etc. Include at least three stories or miracles.
- Explain why you chose this person; why this saint appeals to you.
- Sources (attach another sheet if necessary); source list must be in the form of a standard bibliography (see handout for examples).
- This information should be gathered on the Saint Info Sheet.
2. Format:
- Catholic-school and home-schooled students will complete this report in school.
- For students in the Sunday Religious Education program, reports may take two forms: a two-page, double-spaced, typed report or a ten-minute presentation accompanied by a 20″ x 30″ poster.
- Both types of reports MUST contain the required information
3. Dates to remember for the Saint Report:
| October 11, 2009 | Information about report is distributed; students research at least three saints |
| November 15, 2009 | Last day to give teacher the name of saint chosen for report |
| December 13, 2009 | Saint Information sheet must be handed in |
| January 24, 2010 | Saint reports are due and presented |
In addition to study and Christian service, students must pay special attention to their spiritual formation. Church norms require attendance at Mass every Sunday AND on Holy Days of Obligation. There are additional expectations during this period of preparation including:
- Attendance at the parish Penance service in Advent and Lent and/or a more frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Attendance at the parish Penance Service in Advent and Lent and/or a more frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Taking one hour to pray before the Blessed Sacrament during the parish Forty Hours celebration.
- Attendance at the Parish Mission for at least one of the evenings or attending a “Chill on the Hill” youth group evening.
- Praying daily for God to help you know your vocation in life.
Service is the responsibility of all baptized persons. We each use our unique gifts and talents, which have been given to us by God, to build up the Kingdom of God. Our service component is addressed by asking students to serve individually, or with their families, in the life, activities and ministries of our faith community and the larger community in which we live.
As Christians, we are called to serve others. Service is a never ending part of our lives. This component encourages the students to experience many and different ways of serving so that they can also discover the gifts God has given them.
Students should participate in at least 5 different types of service experiences each of the two years of preparation. Each year a plan for service must be submitted at the beginning of the school year, and a reflection on that service must completed in the spring.
- How much service do I have to do?
- What are the “spiritual formation requirements”?
- What’s the dress code for Confirmation?
- Can my sister/brother be my sponsor?
- Can my sponsor be from out of town?
- Can I take my baptismal name for a Confirmation name?
How much service do I have to do?
Service is the responsibility of all baptized persons. We each use our unique gifts and talents, which have been given to us by God, to build up the Kingdom of God. Our service component is addressed by asking students to serve individually, or with their families, in the life, activities and ministries of our faith community and the larger community in which we live.
At St. Mary’s, we try to instill the value that service is a way of life. If we were to say a student needs to do 30 or 60 hours of service, we would be communicating that once someone did these hours they would be done. The goal of this service component is to teach that service should always be a part of our lives. In addition, adolescence is a time to explore what talents God has given us. These talents have been given to us so that we can use them to serve God through our community.
Therefore, students should participate in at least 5 different types of service experiences each of the two years of preparation. Each year a plan for service must be submitted at the beginning of the school year, and a reflection on that service must completed in the spring.
What are the “spiritual formation requirements”?
In addition to study and Christian service, students must pay special attention to their spiritual formation. In addition to the Church norms that require attendance at Mass every Sunday AND on Holy Days of Obligation, students are expected to participate in additional spiritual experiences during this period of preparation. Expectations include:
- Attendance at the parish Penance Service in Advent and Lent and/or a more frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Taking one hour to pray before the Blessed Sacrament during the parish 40 hours celebration.
- Attendance at the Parish Mission for at least one of the evenings or attending a “Chill on the Hill” youth group evening.
- Praying daily for God to help you know your vocation in life.
What’s the dress code for Confirmation?
Boys – dress pants, shirt, dress shoes, and tie. Hair should be off the forehead. No acne medication on forehead. Bishop must anoint candidate directly onto the skin of the forehead.
Girls – appropriate dress or skirt and blouse (sweater). Shoulders must be covered. Hair should be off the forehead. No acne medication or makeup on forehead. Bishop must anoint candidate directly onto the skin of the forehead.
Can my sister/brother be my sponsor?
That depends. All Confirmation sponsors must meet the following requirements:
- Must be a practicing, confirmed Catholic at least 16 years old;
- Cannot be the candidate’s parent; and
Must attend Mass and receive Eucharist on a regular basis. In addition all sponsors who are not currently attending St. Mary’s Church must get a Sponsor Certificate or Letter of Eligibility from their current Catholic parish stating that they are eligible to be a Confirmation Sponsor.
Can my sponsor be from out of town?
Yes, with our mobile society, we frequently live far from some of the special people in our lives. However, please keep in mind that adolescents need special adults in their lives besides their parents who can be a “mentor” or spiritual guide.
The role of a sponsor is better fulfilled when the sponsor can:
- Be available to the candidate during the various phases of preparation for Confirmation by phone, email or in person;
- Help the candidate integrate Catholic values into his/her daily life;
- Encourage the candidate’s growth in faith; and
- Assist the candidate in performing some kind of service to the community, family and/or parish.
Can I take my Baptismal name for a Confirmation name?
Yes. This time of preparation for Confirmation is a good time to search out the meaning of the name you received at Baptism. Many people are named for saints who gave witness to God’s reign in the world. The saints tried to bear good fruit for the Church, so students should read about the life of their patron saint.
To show the close relationship of Confirmation to Baptism, students may use their Baptismal name as the name they give to the Bishop to address them in the Confirmation rite. If a student chooses to take a new name, it should be the name of a recognized saint of the Church or a name of Christian meaning.
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