ST. BERNARD S CATHOLIC CHURCH A Stewardship Community St. Bernard s Confirmation
Welcome to the 2016-17 St Bernard s Confirmation preparation process! You and your family are a significant part of our Church family and have been given special gifts by God for the benefit of our Church community and for the special mission Jesus Christ has for each one of us in the world. Our Confirmation process, is not just for your child, but for your entire family. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Sacrament of Confirmation strengthens an ones ability to live a Catholic life. Here at St. Bernard s, we have designed our confirmation process to help your child understand the teachings of Jesus Christ passed down through the Church. We are here to aid in your family s growth spiritually and develop a deeper personal relationship with Christ that you will continue to nourish throughout your earthly journey. This handout details important aspects and requirements of St. Bernard s confirmation preparation process. Please use this information to help better prepare and guide your child along their journey of full initiation into the Catholic Church. We are here to serve you. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns or ways to improve our process. Your Family in Christ, St. Bernard s Faith Formation Team Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he said this he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. -John 20:21-22 Sophia Martinez Stacy Hughes Mikayla Anderson Elvira Orozco 209.835.4560 ext. 121 209.835.4560 ext. 107 209.835.4560 ext. 168 209.835.4560 ext. 189 smartinez@st-bernards.org shughes@st-bernards.org manderson@st-bernards.org eorozco@st-bernards.org Confirmation Director Faith Formation Assistant Adult Education Director Faith Formation Director
What is Confirmation? Confirmation is the strengthening and fullness of the Holy Spirit already received in Baptism. Confirmation is NOT a graduation, but IS one s full initiation into the Catholic Church. It is the beginning of your child s mature personal relationship with Jesus and journey towards becoming an Intentional Disciple of Christ. Our curriculum is designed to not just follow diocesan requirements, but to give your child the necessary tools to live a life of discipleship in Christ. Our Catechists are dedicated disciple s and will implement our curriculum and requirements through class discussions, service projects, liturgical teachings and prayer. We invite you to read through this handout to help you better guide your child along their journey. Attendance Policy Attendance is vital in order to properly prepare each candidate for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Classes are now biweekly. And due to the amount of materials that are covered in class, only 1 unexcused absence will be allowed per year. If your child is absent for any reason, please contact the Program Director at ext. 121 or the Faith Formation Assistant at ext. 107 or by email, prior to class. When a candidate is absent from class, they are also missing time for prayer, and fellowship with the other candidates. A packet that included an updated calendar with your child s specific class schedule was given to each child on the 1 st day of class. This information is also available each week in the Church bulletin and online at www.st-bernards.org. Please make sure that you have a valid email on file as any information pertaining to class will be communicated through this method. Mass Attendance And he took bread, and when he had said thanks, broke it and said, This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. -Luke 22:19 The most vital element of our Catholic Faith is receiving the Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, at Mass every week and regular participating in the sacramental life of the Church. Receiving the Sacraments is not just a ceremony or a box to check off, rather it is a way of life long living by being in communion with God and receiving His graces. What we do on earth determines our eternal life. God wants us to be with Him, but we must choose Him while we are on this earth. Choosing Him means changing ourselves to follow Him completely, including following his commandments. Christ is knocking on the door of your heart, during this process, we are helping you to answer the knock by opening your hearts to Him. Parents As Parents we are our children s Catechist, and your child will need your full support. The faith Formation Team is here to help you guide your child along this journey. Parents are required to complete 4 parent sessions and the end of the year retreat during each year of the child Confirmation journey. All Parent/Sponsor sessions will be held at St Bernard s Parish from 6:30pm- 8pm. Parent/Sponsor Mandatory Retreats will be held at St Bernard s Parish from 8am-4pm. Sessions and retreats are as followed. Parent sessions and retreat 1 st year Parent sessions and retreat 2 nd year English Spanish English Spanish Sept 7 th Sept 6 th Sept 28 th Sept 27 th Oct 26 th Oct 25 th Nov 9 th Nov 8 th Jan 4 th Jan 3 rd Jan 11 th Jan 10 th Mar 8 th Mar 7 th Mar 15 th Mar 14 th Retreat (bi-lingual) Jan 21,2017 Retreat (bi-lingual)- February 11, 2017
Assignments, Projects and Participation to Help your Child Grow Along with Periodic homework your child will need to fully participate in these 4 requirements. Please Make Notes of all dates and times. Service I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus. - St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) Christ calls us all to be disciples by serving Him and his people. We can do this by showing others the same mercy that He shows us. Works of Mercy can be directed not only to bodily needs but the needs of the soul as well. Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the hungry Give drink to the thirsty Clothe the naked Shelter the homeless Visit the sick Visit the imprisoned Bury the dead Spiritual Works of Mercy Instruct the ignorant Counsel the doubtful Admonish sinners Bear wrongs patiently Forgive offences willingly Comfort the afflicted Pray for the living and the dead As a first year confirmation student, your child will be required to complete 10 hours of service and 15 hours during their 2 nd Year. They must also write a report each year reflecting on how they saw Christ in those they served. Service project opportunities: details of each service opportunity will be given out to your child *Kids in a Box (September 23-24, 2016) = Register at McHenry House 209-835-2328 (www.mchenryhouse.org) This will complete service hour requirements for the year. * Pregnancy Resource- baby bottles after Mass- Oct 8 th Banquet- Oct 18 th. Please Contact Linda Wihl @ 209-836-3105 * Thanksgiving Baskets = 5 hrs. Nov 19 th and 22 nd Space is limited! To participate in this service you must sign up by contacting Mrs. Hughes by Nov 11 th. shughes@st-bernards.org or 209.835.4560 ext. 107 *Adopt A Family Project- You must contact Mrs. Hughes before Dec. 2 nd in order to participate in this service project. shughes@st-bernards.org or 209.835.4560 ext. 107 If you want to participate in these projects, you must complete 10 hours for 1 st Year and 15 hours for 2 nd Year. Please contact these places before going to volunteer: o Interfaith Ministries 209-836-5424 o McHenry House 209-835-2328 o New Hope Care Center 209-832-2273 o Tracy Convalescent Hospital 209-835-6034 Ongoing Formation Hours: This option is to serve yourself in growing your personal relationship with Christ. This year we are excited to offer Theology of the Body sessions in addition to service opportunities for 2 nd Year confirmation students! If your child chooses to take advantage of this option, the sessions will count towards completion of their service hours. This will consist of 4, 2 hour sessions on Jan 23 rd, 25 th, 30 th, & Feb 1 st. Your child must complete a registration and consent form by Jan 2 nd in order to participate in these sessions. Theology of the Body is an identity and evangelization program covering body image, socializing with technology, dating, sin and reconciliation, bullying, weekend culture, sharing emotions and love. Students must attend all 4 sessions to complete their service hours. Your Child can also attend the Echoes of Worth Theology of the Body Retreat which will be held Jan 13 th -15 th. Space for this event is limited! For more info or to register your child please contact St Bernard s Youth Minister- Leticia Gomez at 209-835-4560 ext. 128 by Dec 16 th We are also offering Holy Hour sessions as an option for formation hours. Each session is equivalent to 1.5 hours of service projects. This can be used in combination with other service opportunities. In order to participate in this option, you must check in with the celebrating priest before and after Holy Hour. Each child will be given the Holy Hour card for the priest to sign after each Holy Hour attended. * All service hours and reports must be turned in the week of March 20 th for 1 st year students and the week of, March 27 th for 2 nd year students! *
Saint Report At Baptism, a model of Christian life is chosen in their godparents. At confirmation, a patron saint is picked out to remind the candidate to use their talents for the glory of God and to be a role model for them as they continue on their journey. The patron saint is someone that your child can connect with, a younger saint, a martyr, or someone who is the patron saint of a cause close to your child s heart. The Saint Report is designed to help your child explore the lives of the saints and to help them choose their patron saint. The assignment Your child will be writing a 500, word essay on a saint The saint MUST be canonized o Their title is Saint, not Blessed or Venerable o St. Teresa of Calcutta (OK) v. Blessed Oscar Romero (Not Okay) Assigned the week of November 7 th and will be due the week of December 5th This report is for 2 nd Year students only Retreat Retreats provide an opportunity for the candidates to spend time in discernment, reflecting on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their continued growth in spiritual life after Confirmation. All candidates are required to attend The Confirmation retreat in both the 1 st and 2 nd year in preparation for the Sacrament. Retreats are an all day session, which, may be an on or off campus event. * 1 st year Student Retreat- April 1, 2017 9am-6pm *2 nd year Student Retreat - April 29, 2017 9am-6pm If for any reason at all the date of the retreat is a conflict for the candidate, you must contact Sophia Martinez. Penance Service Your child should be participating regularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Regular participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is vital to your spiritual health! Receiving God s love and mercy through this healing sacrament help us. A special penance service will be held for your child. In order to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, you must be in a state of grace. (State of Grace: free from mortal sin) Towards the end of the preparation year, please keep an eye out for a flier that will be given to your child with their specific date and time. Dressing for Jesus Even though your child may be in a classroom setting, we are still in a worship setting and must dress accordingly. If your child wouldn t wear it to Mass, then please don t wear it to class. Anyone who dresses inappropriately will be asked to go home, change, and return to class. No Tank tops (girls or boys). No words or designs on tee shirts that are offensive to our faith. No short shorts or skirts. No sagging pants No see through clothing Due Dates to Remember Saint report- due the week of Dec 5 th Registration for Adopt a family Dec 2 nd Theology of The Body Retreat Contact by Dec 16 th Theology of the Body @ St Bernard s Register by Jan 2 nd Service hrs and Reflection for 1 st year Due by March 20 th Service hrs and Reflection for 2 nd year Due March 27 th 2 nd
Confirmation Rite Mass Welcome to Full Initiation into the Catholic Church!! YOU MADE IT!!! All your preparation has led up to this amazing spiritual moment in your life! The Confirmation Rite will be celebrated by the Bishop. Each child will be assigned to a Mass. A mandatory dress rehearsal for your child and their sponsor will be held prior to the Mass. We are willing to make reasonable accommodations. All request must be made no later than April 28 th! No pictures are allowed during the Mass Celebration. The Bishop provides his own photographer to capture this sacred moment. Please make sure you speak with your family and friends celebrating with you about these guidelines. Anyone not following instructions will be asked to leave. Mass will commence at the hour announced. Please make sure your child and sponsor are present 30 minutes before Mass begins. Seating is first come, first serve. There is no saving seats or reserved seating. Candidate and Sponsor must be in their Confirmation Mass clothes for the rehearsal. The colors for Confirmation are red and white. Your child may wear any alternative color as long as it is conservative (ex. No neon colors) If there is any issue with their outfits, they will be notified at the dress rehearsal. Men: Black slacks, collared dress shirt (tie optional), dress shoes Women: No high heels above 2 inches (students only), no bare shoulders, no open back dresses, dresses or skirts no higher than 2 inches above the knee, no cleavage or midriff showing, no see through clothing. Sponsors The role of a sponsor is a lifetime commitment to help the candidate live a life that is faithful to God s teachings handed down through the Church. The sponsor of the confirmation candidate agrees to help guide your child along their journey to live the life for which God has created them for. Please make sure your child s sponsor is fully aware and understands their role as a lifelong spiritual guide to your child. Choose your sponsor prayerfully and carefully. Sponsor must be a registered parishioner (at any Catholic parish) and regularly participating in the sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and going to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation. Sponsor must be a confirmed Catholic 16 years of age or older. o If sponsor is a married person, their marriage must have been celebrated or blessed by the Catholic Church. Sponsor may not be the candidate s father or mother. Sponsor may be male or female regardless of student gender. Students may only have one sponsor. o Schedules are made available to students Sponsors must attend a minimum of 2 parent/sponsor sessions per year (at least 4 total) and during the 2 nd Year of the student s journey, attend the 2 nd Year Adult Retreat (February 11, 2017). If you have any questions regarding the Parent/Sponsor sessions and retreat or your sponsor is unable to participate in the retreat or parent sessions, please contact Mikayla Anderson, Adult Ed Director (209)835-4560 ext. 168 or manderson@stbernards.org Sponsors must be a fully initiated practicing Catholic, attending Mass regularly (Sunday and Holy days of Obligation) partaking in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sponsor Forms are due no later than the week of Jan 2, 2017