Youth Ministry ~ Immaculate Heart of Mary Church 580 Ratzer Road ~ Wayne, New Jersey 07470 ihmwayneym@gmail.com 973.694.3400x18 Confirmation Process Handbook
CONFIRMATION: A SACRAMENTAL CALL TO MISSION When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. ~ Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4 Through faith enrichment, faith sharing, community worship, and service ministry, our Confirmation Process strives to open the minds and hearts of our young parishioners to the power of the Holy Spirit that is gifted through the laying on of hands and the anointing of Sacred Chrism in the Sacrament of Confirmation. During the young person s two years of preparation and discernment they are invited to learn new languages, that is, to grow in how they express their faith as they mature as young adults. Each young person is called to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ, through the Church, and to live out that relationship with the decisions they make in their moral, social, and faith lives. As members of the parish community, it is our hope that these young men and women will grow in their willingness to witness to others their faith in Jesus through acts of social justice, compassion, and overall willingness to serve where it is needed. In openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, our young women and men are invited to take their place in the community of the Church and live out the hope of God as expressed through the words of the Prophet Micah: The Lord has told us what is good. The Lord requires of us this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. Micah 6:8
GIFTS AND FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Gifts of the Holy Spirit help Christians live their lives more fully committed to Christ. These gifts are: Wisdom Understanding Right Judgment Courage Knowledge Reverence Wonder and Awe The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are: Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION: The Sacrament of Confirmation: Is celebrated during Mass Begins after the Liturgy of the Word Is presided over by a Bishop There are four parts to the Rite: Renewal of Baptismal Vows Laying on of Hands Anointing with Sacred Chrism (The same oil used at Baptism) Sign of Peace
CONFIRMATION POLICY AND PRACTICE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARENTS: The primary religious educators of their children Initiating their children into sacramental life Serve as role models of Gospel values for their children Worship with their families every Sunday Nurture their child in faith Encourage their child to reflect on and thoughtfully consider the decision to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation Promote family discussions about what their child is learning about in the process Participate in service projects and assemblies with their children Volunteer their time to help the catechist with their group Volunteer their time to help with the retreat process Pray for and with their children as they walk this journey Love and support them in their decision to grow in their faith ROLE OF THE CANDIDATES PREPARING FOR CONFIRMATION: Freely choosing to be confirmed and make their desire known Continually enriching their knowledge of the Catholic faith Practicing their faith and developing their prayer life Attending and participating in Mass EVERY Sunday and signing in. Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly to aid in continuing to open your heart to God s grace Be committed to continuing the faithful practice and study of religion after making the Sacrament of Confirmation Be committed to continuing your participation as a fully initiated member of the parish community by getting involved in its ministries Participate fully and complete all aspects of the Confirmation process including faith formation, service, assemblies, and retreats. ROLE OF THE PARISH COMMUNITY: Pray for the Confirmation Candidates Model and teach the Candidates the life of a Catholic Welcome the Candidates as fully initiated members into the Church Celebrate the Mass and the Eucharist with the Candidates.
ROLE OF THE CONFIRMATION SPONSOR: For the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is the Candidates responsibility to choose someone to be their sponsor/godparent during the Sacrament. This should be a person that this candidate looks at as a great role model of faith in how they live their lives and how they follow Christ. Must be: a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church (having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation), and is 16 years or older. Cannot be: Parents or Grandparents as these people are already primary examples for us in our faith lives. Should know the candidate well and be willing to serve as a strong and long lasting Catholic influence, supporting them throughout their lives. May be either male or female Can be: Baptismal godparents, thus emphasizing more clearly the relationship between Baptism and Confirmation Must be there to present the candidate on the day of Confirmation. (If there is a conflict, a proxy can fill in) Candidates must submit their Confirmation Sponsor Forms NO LATER than November 30 th of their First Year. Please email the form to ihmconfirmationprocess@gmail.com CONFIRMATION NAME: For the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is also the candidate s responsibility to choose a Confirmation Name to be given when they are presented to the Bishop for the Sacrament. If the Candidate s baptismal name is that of a recognized saint of the Church, there is no need to select a new name for Confirmation. Using the baptismal name for Confirmation is preferred because it highlights the relationship between the two sacraments. If the candidate chooses to take a new name for Confirmation, it should be chosen from a list of recognized saints of the Catholic Church. Names of saints are chosen to serve as patrons and models for those being confirmed. Websites to use to find Saints names: www.catholic.org or www.newadvent.com Candidates must submit their Confirmation Name Forms NO LATER than November 30 th of their Second Year. Please email the form to ihmconfirmationprocess@gmail.com
REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS WEEKLY MASS ATTENDANCE: Candidates who are making the commitment to the process and to their faith must start with being connected and nourished each week at the Eucharistic table. All candidates are required to attend weekly Sunday Liturgy. All candidates must sign in, in the vestibule, AT THE END OF MASS. If a candidate cannot attend mass at IHM a copy of the bulletin from the parish you went to signed by the priest (or deacon) who presided must be submitted with the candidate s name on it. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT REGULAR MASS ATTENDANCE IN PARISHES IN THIS AREA (OLV, OLC, ST. MARY S, ETC.) UNLESS YOU ARE THERE FOR A SPECIAL FUNCTION. LARGE GROUP ASSEMBLIES: Each year there will be 2 Assemblies in which we bring invite guest speakers to present to our Confirmation candidates These dates are on the calendar in advance, there should be no reason, other than an illness or family commitment, for a candidate not to be present. Assemblies are also always open to parents and we encourage parents to attend. FAITH FORMATION SESSIONS: EACH year there are (5) five Faith Sharing Sessions with five different topics discussed, each topic is discussed one time every two years. The dates of these sessions will be provided prior to the start of the school year. Attendance for Faith Formation sessions is MANDATORY! It is unacceptable for a candidate to miss more than one faith sharing per year. Candidates with more than one absence will not move forward in the Process. If a candidate will miss a session due to illness or family commitment, the youth minister MUST be contacted and a make-up session will be required. Illness If a candidate is sick and cannot make the faith session, the candidate or a parent must call prior to the session to let us know they will not be present. Tardiness Every session we have starts at 5pm. It is very important that the candidates arrive ON TIME so that we can begin. Candidates arriving more than 20 minutes late, without having called to tell us why, may be asked to make up the session.
COMMITMENT TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE: An important part of the Sacrament of Confirmation and of what it means to be a Christian is a commitment to service to others. Candidates preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation will be required to complete a minimum of 10 Christian service hours each year to help them prepare for a life of service to the Church and others. Christian service is defined as service to the sick, the poor, or the helpless Hours will be recorded in a service journal that will be kept by all candidates. IHM Youth Ministry offers various service opportunities; however students may participate in the Christian service of their choice. Hours completed for high school or other service commitments will not be counted toward those for Confirmation. RETREATS: A retreat is an excellent opportunity for the candidates to step away from their busy and sometimes distracted lives and take time to explore their faith and their relationship with Jesus. IHM retreats are led by a team of adult mentors and juniors and seniors who have successfully and enthusiastically completed the Confirmation process. Year One Retreat is a day retreat on a Saturday in the fall. The candidates will attend 5pm Mass as part of the retreat. Candidates are required to be present for the entire duration of the retreat day. We ask families to join us for 5pm Mass. If there are any conflicts with the date of the retreat, contact the youth ministry office in advance. Year Two Retreat is 2 nights (overnight) retreat based on the Antioch model used by a variety of parishes throughout the Diocese. Antioch is held at a local retreat center from 7pm on Friday through to 4pm on Sunday. We close with mass at 2:30pm on Sunday, which we ask families to attend. The candidates must be present for the entire duration of the retreat without exception.. If there is a serious and unavoidable conflict with the date of the retreat, candidates will be expected to attend the Antioch retreat of another local parish. Please, contact the youth ministry office in advance.
CANDIDATE S COVENANT There are several components to our Confirmation Process. Please carefully reflect on making the commitment to full participation in all required components: WEEKLY SUNDAY EUCHARIST (5) FAITH SHARING SESSIONS BI-ANNUAL ASSEMBLIES (20) CHRISTIAN SERVICE HOURS ANNUAL RETREAT EXPERIENCES As a candidate, it is YOUR responsibility to participate in the Process. This is your opportunity to learn and grow in faith as you prepare to commit yourself as a fully initiated member of the Body of Christ. It is our hope that you will then be an example of faith to all you encounter. This is YOUR commitment to make. As a young man/woman it is YOUR responsibility to accept the components of the Process and to be present at each and every required session. As a candidate in the Confirmation Process, you are asked to: Recognize the value of weekly sharing in the Eucharistic celebration of this community, and recognize the importance of this being a family gathering. Be a willing and active participant who expresses joy when gathered for sessions Communicate with your catechist, as well as your youth minister or Fr. Dan if an issue arises or you cannot make one of the required components for any reason Communicate with your family, the topics discussed at each Faith Sharing Session Pray for the growth in faith, hope and love for yourself and all your peers in the process with you IN SIGNING THIS COVENANT, YOU ARE RECOGNIZING AND WILLING TO ACCEPT YOUR ROLE AS CANDIDATE IN THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS AS A WAY TO HELP GROW IN YOUR FAITH AND IN THE SPIRIT. SIGNED: (CANDIDATE) (PRINTED NAME) DATE
PARENT S COVENANT There are several components to our Confirmation Process. Please carefully reflect on making the commitment to full participation in all required components: WEEKLY SUNDAY EUCHARIST (5) FAITH SHARING SESSIONS BI-ANNUAL ASSEMBLIES (20) CHRISTIAN SERVICE HOURS ANNUAL RETREAT EXPERIENCES As a parent, it is your responsibility to participate in the Process as well. Your child needs your support, but they also need your positive example as a Christian role model in order for this process to be successful. We expect parents to be fully committed to the Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. As a parent, you are called to: Recognize the value of weekly sharing in the Eucharistic celebration of this community, and recognize the importance of this being a family gathering. Volunteer your time to help make the Process more successful Communicate with your child s catechist as well as our youth minister or Fr. Dan if an issue arises or your child cannot make one of the required components for any reason Communicate with your child, the topics discussed at each faith sharing session Pray for the growth in faith, hope and love for all candidates IN SIGNING THIS COVENANT, YOU ARE RECOGNIZING AND WILLING TO ACCEPT YOUR ROLE AS PARENT IN THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS FOR YOUR CHILD AS A WAY TO HELP THEM GROW IN THEIR FAITH AND IN THE SPIRIT. SIGNED: (PARENT/GUARDIAN signature) (PARENT/GUARDIAN printed name) DATE
CONFIRMATION SPONSOR FORM Candidate Name: Check that all 3 apply: My choice for a sponsor is over the age of 16. My choice for a sponsor received the Sacrament of Confirmation. My choice for a sponsor is a practicing Catholic. Sponsor Name: Sponsor Street Address: Sponsor City/State/Zip: Why have you chosen this person as your Confirmation sponsor? What makes them a good Catholic role model for you? YEAR 1: Please return this Sponsor form on (or before) the evening of our November session.
CONFIRMATION NAME FORM Candidate Name Confirmation (Saint) Name Some key facts about the saint you are choosing: YEAR 2: Please return this Sponsor form on (or before) the evening of our November session.