St. Kilian Religious Education 428 Forest Street Hartford, WI 53027

Transcription

1 St. Kilian Religious Education 428 Forest Street Hartford, WI ext. 407 November 16, 2018 Dear Confirmation Sponsor, Thank you for answering the invitation to serve as a sponsor for the confirmation candidate who chose you. You are a Confirmation Sponsor, now what? You may not feel equipped for this task, but don t worry; neither did the first disciples of Jesus! Your witness of Christ s presence in your own life can be a beautiful and special gift to be shared with your candidate. I have included in this mailing some sheets with ideas that you, as a sponsor, can use to fulfill this very important role. This letter and the other sheets are printed on both sides of the paper. An idea would be to see a movie together and then spend time with a meal or a snack sitting and discussing the movie. St. Kilian has a Sponsor booklet with some ideas for discussion with your Candidate. You can find an electronic copy of this on our Parish Religious Education website. The web address is From there you click on the title Confirmation Sponsor Booklet, which is toward the bottom of the page. If you would like me to send you a paper copy of the booklet, please contact me. If you would like more ideas to use as you meet with your candidate, please feel free to contact me. Often in the day to day routine of life, we parents, family, and friends do not find the right time or occasion to say the special things to the people in our lives that we wish we could. In responding to this need, and in an effort to make your Candidates Confirmation Retreat an opportunity to strengthen the bond between you, I am asking that each parent and Sponsor write a letter to his or her candidate. The letter should be encouraging. Try to express the love, respect, and awe you have for your candidate and any other thoughts that are on your mind. See the separate enclosed sheet on Palanca letters for more details.

2 One important part of our program here at St. Kilian is to bring the confirmation candidate and sponsor together for a guided time of reflection. All candidates and sponsors are expected to participate in this day. Confirmation Sponsor/Candidate - Day of Reflection Sunday, February 3, :00 am Mass Students and Sponsors attend Mass together. 10:00 Noon Reflection Time Lunch Noon Cafeteria - (Provided by the Parents) 12:30 3:00 pm Reflection Time All students and sponsors are required to attend. If a sponsor cannot be present, a parent needs to be present with the student. Confirmation Practice Thursday, May 30, :00 pm St. Kilian Church, Hartford Please arrive no later than 6:50 pm so that we can start promptly. There will be seating assignments at the ends of the pews. Sponsors will sit directly behind the candidate. All students and sponsors are required to attend. If a sponsor cannot be present, a parent needs to be present with the student. Confirmation Sunday, June 2, :00 pm St. Kilian Church, Hartford Please arrive by 1:30 pm Presider Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Haines Joining the Celebration: St. John, Rubicon We look forward to seeing you on February 3 rd. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ext. 406 or me at dre@stkiliancong.org. God s Blessings, Dennis Vlasak Dennis Vlasak, DRE

3 You have been chosen to be a Confirmation sponsor, congratulations! The Confirmation candidate sees in you a profound faith commitment, trusts you, and knows you are someone who will care about them and their faith. It's not all that complicated, but it does take time, a caring heart, and a listening ear. If you're a practicing, mature Catholic, here are a few suggestions on how to be the best possible sponsor for your candidate: Write your Confirmation candidate a letter acknowledging your responsibility as a sponsor. When a candidate for the Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation chooses you to be his/her sponsor, it is not only a great honor, but a great responsibility. Writing a Confirmation letter as a sponsor helps your Confirmation candidate on his/her religious journey. It is important that you express your desire to be a part of the Confirmation process, the importance of the Sacrament, words of encouragement, and any other advice that you have for the candidate as he/she grows in her faith. Words of Encouragement Becoming confirmed in the Catholic Faith is a process of preparation. When writing a letter to your Confirmation candidate, be sure to include words of encouragement. Let him know that although the journey towards the Sacrament includes work and faith exploration, you believe that he will accomplish his goal and have a rewarding experience. State that you are proud of her for participating in the Sacrament and wanting to be confirmed. Importance of Confirmation Possibly include a section in your letter that explains the importance of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Helping the Confirmation candidate understand the importance of the Sacrament will help them become even more motivated to participate. As a sponsor, explaining the importance of Confirmation can be one of your main responsibilities. Desire to Participate Let your Confirmation candidate know about your desire to participate in his/her Confirmation in the role of sponsor. Provide a few simple sentences that express your joy and appreciation that he/she chose you out of all the family members and friends that could have chosen. Thank him/her for thinking of you and tell him/her how much of an

4 honor it is for you to be selected. Helpful Advice Finish your letter with any helpful advice that you have for your Confirmation candidate. This advice could include a personal story about a time that you struggled with your faith, and how you turned to your pastor, another priest, or other members of the church community for guidance and support. You could also write about strategies for keeping the Catholic faith alive during high school and college. Reinforce reading the Bible, attending Mass, participating and helping with Church events, find out about others in the Parish that can use your help and assist them, participate in Bible studies and continue to grow and learn your Faith. Toy could reiterate that the more effort he/she puts into his/her Faith and the Church, the more he will get out of it and surely be blessed!!! Be a living model of faith. At least a part of what this young person admires in you is your faith! If the way you practice your faith is not what it should be, "get it together"! If you honestly can't, this is understandable, but maybe you should decline the invitation to be a sponsor. Your life doesn't have to become artificially saintly, but your faith should be authentic and sincere. Pray for your candidate and yourself. As candidates decide to be confirmed, they need spiritual strength. Your prayers for them are important, but don't forget to pray for yourself also, that you can share why you value and practice your Catholicism. Attend Mass together, or even have the courage to come to Reconciliation together. Give of your time and share your gifts. You'll be asked to spend time together on various activities. This may mean preparing lessons or even working on a Christian service project. You could also share your own experiences or write a letter of encouragement. Let your unique God-given talents and gifts shine! Offer a gift of spiritual significance a new Bible, rosary or book about our faith or about the saint the candidate is named after, or has chosen for a Confirmation name. Don't miss the ceremony. Participating in the ceremony is the easiest part of being a sponsor! Your basic job at the ceremony will be to place your hand on your candidate's shoulder, and tell the Bishop your candidate's Confirmation name. You're there to be a support, but your role on Confirmation day is only beginning. Don't forget this newly Confirmed Catholic. After Confirmation day, remember birthdays and this anniversary. Send a card or make a phone call. Continue to worship together, or from time to time do some Christian service. Put those "Gifts of the Spirit" into practice.

5 PALANCA LETTERS CONFIRMATION Palanca in Spanish means lever. Palanca, for our purposes, is a spiritual lever used to move people, gently and lovingly, toward God. It comes in the form of a letter written to give support and guidance in the form of a prayer, sacrifice, and heart to heart communication. Who is it from and who is it for? We ask that each parent/guardian write a letter to your Confirmation candidate, along with the sponsor. What can it do? The long and short range results of Palanca are quite positive and very moving. Often times it reopens the lines of communication between parents and teens, allowing each to gain insight and understanding of each other. God also takes advantage of this opportunity, revealing Himself to us through each other. Why is it so important? It is important that parent(s)/guardian(s) and Sponsors write letters to their Confirmation candidate. Consider all the good the Palanca can do for your teenager and for you. Also, be aware of your teenager s feelings if everyone but your son or daughter received a Palanca letter. What things should be included? Describe specifically why you believe this teenager is such a wonderful, unique creation of God. What is it about who they are that demonstrates their goodness? Describe how proud you are of this young person for his/her preparation for Confirmation the effort, the service, prayer, concern, and care he/she has shown. Describe the special place in the family this young person holds; what you look for in him/her that no one else can give; how he/she has brought love and joy to the family and to others. Tell how much you love him/her and how grateful you are for all he/she is to you and to others. Encouragement your teenager to come to you in times of pain, discouragement, and failure. Include an expression of sorrow for those moments of weakness or failure in your own life. Express the hope that this young person will always strive to grow in his/her relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. Mention any prayer/sacrifice you have offered on their behalf (a spiritual bouquet). Where and when? Each Palanca letter should be sealed in its own envelope. On the front side of the envelope(s), print the first and last name of your teenager. Then we ask that you put the smaller envelope(s) inside a larger size envelope print on the front Letter for (name of Confirmation candidate). Please send or drop off Palanca letters at the Religious Ed Office by November 29, Students will receive the Palanca letters at the Confirmation Retreat. (Turn over for sample Palanca Letter)

6 Sample Palanca Letter Confirmation Dear Cathy, Well, the time has arrived for your Confirmation. I remember when you were first born; your Mom and I were just a couple of years out of college and only married for a few years. Needless to say, we looked forward to the day we could hold you and take care of you. At the time, I weighed about 40 pounds less than I do now and Mom well, she has always been beautiful. I think it is in that respect that you most resemble her. Anyway, it was an exceptionally pretty Spring that year with flowers blooming everywhere. I was so excited about having my girls come home. I got up early the day you were to arrive, cleaned the house and ran to the florist and got all your Mom s favorite spring flowers. The apartment was packed with hyacinths, forsythia, tulips, and daffodils. To this day, the smell of hyacinths reminds me of you. A lot has happened these past sixteen years. Your Mom and I have found that staying married requires us to make a choice every day to love each other. I ve learned the meaning of fear because of an uncertain future, but also the joy of my family and the peace that comes when you, although a big girl now, hug me still. I remember taking you to kindergarten when you were five and dropping you off that first day. On my way to work, I started crying just thinking about how lonely and scared you might be. Maybe I was really feeling sorry for myself it was my first day at a new job and I was scared too. You ve worked very hard in preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. During this time, you have especially inspired me to spend more time in prayer with God. I say this because the prayers you offer at the dinner table are so awesome. Some of the things you say in prayer, I have never even thought about before. I think that wisdom comes out of your growing relationship with God. It encourages me to place more emphasis on my own relationship with God. I want to thank you for all the service you ve done for Grandma Raymond. She appreciates the help you ve given her, but she especially loves the company you give to her. She s been so lonely since Grandpa Raymond died. She relies much more on her family now for the comfort, love and support she needs. I think we as a family are going to have to think creatively about how Grandma Raymond can be included in our family activities. This is all flowing out of what you have begun in your own service. Anyway, I guess you re wondering why I m telling you all this. I want you to know that your Mom and I are real people. We re not just disciplinarians. We love you very much and never stop thanking God for giving you to us. Sixteen years ago I looked at you for the first time and marveled at the wonderful miracle you were. Now I look at you and only marvel all the more at the wonderful person you ve become. I ll love you always, Dad