Confirmation Handbook 2018-2019 AMYM Life Teen Confirmation Program You too, dear young people, can be joyful witnesses of His love, courageous witnesses of His Gospel, carrying to this world a ray of His light. -Pope Francis, World Youth Day Rio 2013 Monica Leon- Director of Confirmation Nick Waggoner- Parent Liaison Matthew Leon- Director of Life Teen Ministry mleon@americanmartyrs.org and nwaggoner@americanmartyrs.org matthew.leon@americanmartyrs.org 310-546-4734 1
What is AMYM Life Teen? AMYM stands for American Martyrs Youth Ministry. Life Teen is a program that started off as a model for how Youth Ministry is done in our Catholic Church, but now it is described as a movement of the Holy Spirit that is igniting our Catholic faith in communities around the world. AMYM Life Teen serves all high school age teens, Freshman-Senior, through teen focused events like Life Nights, service projects, and retreats. Also, under the umbrella of our ministry is preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The hope is for our teens to feel at home in their parish community and to be active participants in their Church. 2
The Confirmation Process American Martyrs Confirmation program seeks to provide high school teenagers with the theological and spiritual foundation that will inspire them to live their faith with courage and zeal. Our Confirmation program SEALED. consists of a minimum of two years in faith formation. Any teen in high school who has been baptized is welcome to begin preparation for this Sacrament. Our once a month, Sunday afternoon gatherings begin at 3:30 pm and will end at 6 pm. Candidates will: Gather for a large group activity and message to introduce the afternoon's topic Engage in small group discussion with peers, guided by an adult Core leader Complete their online supplemental material prior to each class Turn in the parent/teen reflection paper prior to class and a hard copy when they come to class Mass will conclude SEALED. classes. Small groups will walk together to their assigned seats in the church before Mass begins. The Confirmation curriculum established by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles provides the requirements and scope and sequence of the lessons for each of the SEALED. Year 1 and Year 2 classes. 3
SEALED. Commitment and Program Details 1. All candidates must attend two years of Confirmation formation. There are 8 sessions throughout each academic year. Candidates are required to attend ALL meetings with no absences. (Due to the limited amount of times we gather in formation, if teens miss the first two classes of the year, teens will be asked to join us the next year for formation. A missed class can be made up. Please see the make-up policy.) 2. All candidates will complete monthly readings from the YouCat, watch a video online, and respond to a parent & teen reflection prompt before attending monthly meetings and bring a printed copy to class. (AMYM Life Teen provides YouCats at the beginning of Year 1) 3. All candidates must complete 5 hours of Parish Service each year and submit their Parish Reflection Form at the end of each year. (Parish Service is performed through any American Martyrs Ministry) 4. All candidates are required to participate in and attend the 5pm Mass as an integral part of each SEALED. session. 5. Year 1 & Year 2 candidates must attend ONE Life Night of their choice during each year of formation. 6. Year 2 candidates must attend a SEALED. American Martyrs Confirmation Retreat or attend another parish retreat experience during the Year 2 Confirmation process. 7. Year 1 candidates will complete an entrance interview before the formation year begins. Year 2 candidates will interview with an Adult Core member at the end of the SEALED. process. This helps the team and candidate to discern the growth of the candidate throughout the two-year process. (Sign up information for the interview will be included in our monthly emails) 4
Sponsor Requirements The sponsor has a significant role in the faith development of the candidate. The sponsor must be a fully initiated, mature person of faith. Baptized Confirmed Catholic In good standing with the Church and attends Mass regularly Complete a form with a signature from their Parish Pastor (This form will be provided by AMYM Life Teen) The sponsor cannot be the parent of the one to be confirmed. A sponsor is someone who reflects Catholic values in word, worship, and service. The sponsor participates in activities during the Confirmation process and meets personally with his/her candidate to guide the discernment process the candidate is undertaking. The candidate should choose the sponsor no later than the start of the Year 2 SEALED. program. The sponsor is required to attend both the sponsor session and the second Confirmation practice held the week of Confirmation. 5
Partnering With Parents As the primary educators of their children, we ask that parents, along with sponsors, be strongly involved in the faith life and discernment process of their teen. Parental involvement requires being a role model in reflecting Catholic values through prayer, worship and service. Weekly attendance at Mass is very important for our teens to witness. Please remember that a SEALED. 1 & 2 parent is required to attend a Parent Retreat (Morning of Reflection) at the start of the year in September and SEALED. 2 parents will attend the second Confirmation practice during the week of Confirmation. Parents will also partner with their teen to write a one-page reflection to a prompt before each Confirmation class. Parent volunteers are needed! If you want to join Core, assist with our Retreats, help with Life Nights or if you have any way of sharing your time, talent, or treasure with AMYM Life Teen, we would like to know! 6
Communication with Parents Our Parent Liaison, Nick Waggoner is here to help! He will be your direct contact for questions regarding our Confirmation program. Monthly emails will be sent to all parents with program updates, event reminders and parish service opportunities for teens. Facebook and Instagram updates can help provide parents and teens with friendly reminders and important information. Facebook: American Martyrs-YM Instagram: amlifeteen The weekly church bulletin is an important source of information. Please be sure to check the bulletin for weekly updates. The AMYM Life Teen website is vital to staying up to date with monthly assignments, events and service opportunities. An up-to-date calendar can also be found on the website. www.amymlifeteen.weebly.com Parish Service Opportunities During the Confirmation process, the candidates will be guided in understanding service as a way to live out Gospel values. Candidates must complete at least 5 service hours on their own within the American Martyrs community. The deadline for Parish Service is April 30, 2019 for SEALED. 2 Candidates and May 31, 2019 for SEALED. 1 Candidates. Matthew 25 Check out the parish website, under the Matthew 25 calendar, to find out details for various service opportunities throughout the year. Each month Matthew 25 provides various forms of service in which all parishioners, teens included, are welcome to participate. 7
Parish Fair Booth Sign Up October 20-21, 2018 Look to sign up online at the American Martyrs Church website An email will be sent to all families with sign up details. Loaves and Fishes Food Drive March 9-10, 2019 March 16-17, 2019 March 23-24, 2019 March 30-31, 2019 Sign ups will take place prior to the food drive. Teens will distribute shopping lists and collect bags of donated food before and after all Masses during the month of March. Attendance Part of the choice to be confirmed means participating fully in the process; candidates must attend all 8 SEALED. meetings, complete all online assigned readings and reflections and arrive on time or early to prepare. The 5pm Mass is a required aspect of the Confirmation class experience and missing Mass will result in a missed class. Candidates are allowed to miss only one class that will be made up by attending a Teen Tuesday Bible Study and completing a make up reflection. If a candidate misses more than one class, we must take careful consideration and evaluate whether or not the teen should postpone further preparation until the next year. Make Up Policy Confirmation candidates will be provided with a material to review and reflection questions to complete based on the topic of the missed class. Make up work is due at the end of the week of the missed class and will be emailed to the Director of Confirmation. Teens must also attend a Teen Tuesday Bible Study night. 8
Code of Conduct As a model of our greater Church community, the School of Religious Education seeks to provide each student with an atmosphere of loving trust. The teens are expected to arrive on time, ready to participate and follow directions given to them by the Adult Core team. Please note that teens may be asked to leave the program at the discretion of the coordinator for any of the following reasons: Participating in actions gravely harmful to the moral and/or spiritual welfare of others. Habitual profanity or vulgarity. Assault, battery, or any threat of force or violence directed toward others. Possession, use of, or sale of tobacco, narcotics, or alcohol. Open, persistent defiance/disrespect of leaders and/or staff. Stealing and dishonesty. Cutting, defacing, or vandalizing in any way property belonging to the church, school, or any other person. In the event of disciplinary action, the Confirmation Coordinator will phone the parents for immediate pickup of the teen. This will be followed by a conference with parents, teen, our Pastor and the Confirmation Coordinator. Dress Code and Cell Phone Policy *Students are expected to wear appropriate and modest clothing to all classes and Masses. *Texting or cell phone use is not permitted during Confirmation classes or events. *Core Members will collect phones before class and return cell phones at the end of every class if teens decide to bring them. 9
American Martyrs SEALED. Year 1 2018-2019 Confirmation Calendar Confirmation Sessions 2-8 will take place on the following dates from 3:30-6 pm. All Confirmation students will attend 5pm Mass as a part of the class. All SEALED. 1 Candidates must attend ONE Life Night. (Please see Life Night Calendar for dates) Class begins at 3:30pm sharp! Please arrive at 3:15pm for check in. Class ends at 6 pm. SEALED. 1 Parent Retreat September 15, 2018 Parents @ 9am-12pm in O Donnell Hall September 16, 2018 SEALED. 1 Session 1 - Confirmation Teens @ 2pm in O Donnell Hall and please return for Mass at 5pm in the Church October 14, 2018 SEALED. 1 Session 2 I AM: The Existence of God November 4, 2018 SEALED. 1 Session 3 Jesus of History/Christ of Faith December 16, 2018 SEALED. 1 Session 4 The Mass: Liturgy Word (Scripture) January 13, 2019 SEALED. 1 Session 5 The Mass: Liturgy of the Eucharist February 10, 2019 SEALED. 1 Session 6 (Combined with SEALED. 2) Theology of the Body March 10, 2019 SEALED. 1 Session 7 Morality: Our Call to Sainthood April 14, 2019 SEALED. 1 Session 8 I Believe: The Creed 10
American Martyrs SEALED. Year 2 2018-2019 Confirmation Calendar All Confirmation Sessions will take place on the following dates from 3:30-6 pm. All Confirmation students will attend 5pm Mass as a part of the class. All SEALED. 2 Candidates must attend ONE Life Night. (Please see Life Night Calendar for dates) The Confirmation Retreat counts as session number 8. Class begins at 3:30 pm sharp! Please arrive at 3:15pm for check in. Class ends at 6 pm. SEALED. 2 Parent Retreat September 8, 2018 Parents @ 9am-12pm in O Donnell Hall September 16, 2018 SEALED.2 Session 1 - Discipleship October 7, 2018 - SEALED.2 Session 2 Sacraments of Initiation November 11, 2018- SEALED.2 Session 3 Sacraments of Healing November 30-December 2 - SEALED.2 Retreat (Session 8) Pine Summit Retreat Center- November 9 at 5pm OD Hall - Return November 11 at 4:30pm January 27, 2019- SEALED.2 Session 4 Sacraments of Service February 10, 2019- SEALED.2 Session 5 (Combined with SEALED.1) Theology of the Body February 22 & 23, 2019 - SEALED.2 Retreat (Session 8) American Martyrs Church- February 22 from 5pm-10pm and February 23 from 9am-6pm March 3, 2019- SEALED.2 Session 6 Morality: Part 2 April 7, 2019- SEALED.2 Session 7 (Sponsor and Candidate Meeting) Gifts of the Holy Spirit Confirmation Y2 Interviews May 4 th & 5 th @ 9am-5pm in the Blessed Virgin Mary Wing Confirmation Rehearsal Tuesday (Teens Only) and Wednesday (Teens, Parents and Sponsors) the week of Confirmation from 6:30-8pm Confirmation TBA- We are waiting for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to inform us of the official date. 11
AMYM Life Night Schedule A Life Night is a special Sunday night for teens in High School. You do not have to be a Confirmation candidate to attend a Life Night. It begins with the 5pm Mass at American Martyrs. After Mass, we head over to St. Kateri Room where we eat dinner, talk, and play a game. Sometimes a Life Night is a social event and on other nights we will explore current topics that are of interest to teens. A speaker gives a talk on the topic of the night and we discuss, pray and end in praise and worship. These nights are an opportunity for teens to dive deeper in relationship with Christ and His Church in fun, interesting ways. All Life Nights are in St. Kateri Room, unless noted differently below. September 23 October 28 November 18 January 6 February 17 March 31 May 5 Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass Black top of school Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass Sunday LIFE NIGHT-6:15-7:45pm after 5pm Mass in O Donnell Life Teen Bible Study Tuesday Nights in Holy Family House Tuesday nights from 6-7:15pm in Holy Family House located near the gym. Teens will gather to socialize, break open scripture and be challenged to dive deeper into their faith. 12
Would you like to help? If you would like to volunteer for any event(s) this year please leave your information below: Parent Name: Teen s Name: Phone Number: E-mail: What would you like to do? Please check all that apply. Loaves and Fishes- Driving food to St. Lawrence Brindisi in the month of March Life Night Core Member Help provide and serve dinner for Life Nights once a month Youth Day Carpool Help carpool teens to Youth Day Retreat Chaperone Help chaperone and assist with Fall or Winter Retreat logistics Confirmation Core Member- Help lead small group discussions (Please return this document to the SRE Office for Nick Waggoner) 13
14