Confirmation Booklet Year I ST. JAMES THE GREATER

Confirmation Booklet Year I ST. JAMES THE GREATER

Table of Contents CONFIRMATION EXPECTATIONS 3 CONFIRMATION EXPECTATIONS EXPLANATIONS 4-5 CONFIRMATION YEAR I CALENDAR 6 CONFIRMATION GUIDESLINES FOR SERVICE HOURS FAITH ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES 8 & 9 FORMS TO COMPLETE CONFIRMATION SPONSOR FORM 10 COMMUNAL RECONCILIATION FORM 11 CONFIRMATION SERVICE HOURS LOG 12 FAITH ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY FORM 13-14 CANDIDATE & SPONSOR ACTIVITIES CANDIDATE & SPONSOR ACTIVITY 1 15-18 CANDIDATE & SPONSOR WORKSHEET 1 19 CANDIDATE & SPONSOR ACTIVITY 2 20 CANDIDATE & SPONSOR ACTIVITY 3 21 CANDIDATE & SPONSOR WORKSHEET 3 22-23 HIGHS AND LOWS 24-25 NOTES 26 2

Confirmation Expectations Confirmation unites us more firmly to Christ. It strengthens our relationship with the Church, and it gives us a special strength from the Holy Spirit to defend the faith and confess the name of Christ. Pope Francis Year I Classes of Key Church Teachings Mass Attendance Daily Prayer Service to Others Confirmation Name Saint Name Retreat Candidate & Sponsor Activities Faith Enrichment Activities Sacrament of Reconciliation Baptismal Certificate Bringing up the Gifts 3

Confirmation Expectations Explanations Classes of Key Church Teachings Canon Law requires candidates to be adequately instructed in the Faith. There will be 8 class sessions to attend. However, since everyone experiences occasional conflicts, candidates are allowed 1 nonemergency absence. Non-emergency reasons include school events, family trips, sporting events, ect. All classes must be made up on student s own time. If you are going to miss a class for whatever reason, please call or email Kelly to let her know. 715-835-5887 or Beaudrie.kelly@gmail.com Mass Attendance Active Participation in the Sacrament of Sunday Eucharist. The grace received through the Eucharist is indispensable in preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Daily Prayer Strengthen your relationship by spending time with God on a daily basis. Service Each candidate will be required to complete 15 hours of service at least 5 of which must be within the St. James the Greater community. A resource list and log sheet of hours can be found in this packet. A few sessions have been scheduled for the group to get started. Candidates will be responsible for completing and keeping track of service hours. On-line forms can be found on stjameseauclaire.org website. See calendar for scheduled service projects. Confirmation Name Saint Name Candidates will need to choose a Confirmation Name. This can be the name of a saint they admire, or their own baptismal name. The Saints act as role models for us and inspire us to live holy lives. Learning about the lives of the Saints can be a fun way to grow in faith. You can read about individual Saints at www.catholic.org/saints or other websites. If you feel moved or inspired by a Saint you learn about that may be a good choice for a Confirmation name. 4

Retreat Confirmation Year I students will attend a retreat as required by the Diocese. Year II students will attend 2 retreats, one of which is an overnight retreat. These retreats are designed to give candidates a chance to internalize what they have learned and spiritually prepare for the sacrament. Sponsors Each candidate will need to choose a sponsor. A sponsor must be: A practicing Catholic who has been confirmed and is at least 16 years old A good role model for Catholic Christian living Someone with whom the candidate can discuss their faith Since Confirmation is tied to the sacrament of baptism, godparents can be a good option As per Canon Law, parents may not be sponsors Sponsors will meet with candidates throughout the 2 years to complete projects/activities. Sponsors should be available to help guide the candidate as they grow in faith. Reconciliation Each candidate is expected to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Communal Reconciliation during Advent is offered in our deanery. Dates to come for this week of confession. Individual reconciliation at St. James is on Saturdays at 3:30. Certificate of Baptism If you were NOT baptized at St. James the Greater you will need to contact the church of baptism and request an updated copy of the Certificate of Baptism be sent to St. James. Bringing Up the Gifts Confirmation students in Year I and II are strongly encouraged to sign up with their families for bringing up the gifts during a mass of their choosing. Sign up will go out electronically during the month of November. Faith Enrichment Activities In order to give candidates a wider and deeper experience of their Catholic faith, students will be required to complete enrichment activities. Faith enrichment activities are designed to give you a taste of the Catholic Church outside what your normal experiences might be. You may discover something you didn t know you liked! 5

9 th Grade Schedule 2017-18 September 13 Speaker at Regis 7:00 20 Candidate/Parent Meeting 6:30-7:30 October 4 Feed My People 4:00-5:00 11 Class Session 1 & Sponsor Form Due, Faith Enrichment #1 Due 15 Raking Leaves Service Project 1:00 25 Feed My People Service Activity 5-7:00 Raking Leaves Service Project 13 Class Session 3 & Faith Enrichment #2 due 17 Community Table 1:00-5:00 (15 Students) January 10 Class Session 4 Communal Reconciliation Form Due 21 Retreat ( Sun.) at St. James 10:00-4:00 26 Action City Youth Rally February 7 Class- Session 5 & Sponsor Activity #2 Due (Downstairs class) 11 Community Table Service Activity 1:00-5:00 November 1 All Saints Day Mass 6:00 8 Class Feed My People 4:00-5:00 Session 2 & Sponsor Activity #1 Due (Downstairs Class) 29 Speaker Program 6:30-8:00 (15 Students) 14 Ash Wednesday Service March 7 Class Session 6 & Faith Enrichment #3 Due December 6 Communal Reconciliation Week 12/5 Immaculate Conception 12/7 St. James the Greater 12/12 St. Olaf April 4 Feed My People Service Activity 4:00-5:00 11 Class Session 7 Sponsor Activity 3 & Service Hours Due Certain service activities have been set up but you must presign up for them. Some activities limited to 15 students per activity.

Confirmation Guidelines for Service Hours Purpose As a Confirmation candidate, the Diocese of La Crosse requires service to others which demonstrates your faith in the world. St. James the Greater requires two service experiences including one for the parish and one for the community. In James 2:17 we find, faith by itself, if it has no works is dead. As Catholic Christians, we need to follow the example of Jesus who often reached out to the outcast and marginalized people of his day including tax collector, lepers, the blind, the lame and the poor. Two service opportunities have been scheduled already but you may set up others if these do not work for your schedule and for additional hours. Organizations/ideas to complete this service include Beacon House Community Table Bolton Refuge Sojourner House St. Francis Food Pantry Feed My People Hospitals St. James the Greater Church: SonShine Days, Summer Fest, Hospitality after masses, Child care for Parish Mission, Religious Educ. helper, Sunday Preschool Helper, church ground clean up, inside church clean-up day, Souper Bowl collection at church entrance for charity, pack and deliver Christmas donations from parish, Confirmation retreat planning committee, custodian helper for evening, choir Your Service Must Be 15 hours of service either at scheduled opportunity or self-assigned Minimum of 5 hours within Parish 10 hours or remaining hours in community service Must not be for a relative though - sorry Documented on Service Hour Log in booklet and electronically on stjameseauclaire.org website by April 15th 7

Faith Enrichment Activities Try 3! What is a faith enrichment activity and why do I have to do it?????? In order to give candidates a wider and deeper experience of their Catholic faith, students will be required to complete enrichment activities. Faith enrichment activities are designed to give you a taste of the Catholic Church outside what your normal experiences might be. You may discover something you didn t know you liked! Do as many as you like but complete the Faith Enrichment form for 3 of them. For each activity, answer the questions on the Faith Enrichment Form. Oodles of Suggestions v Attend chastity speaker at Regis in Sept. 2017 v Attend parish mission - March v Join in on a teen youth group activity (Eau Claire Deanery Teen Youth Group) v Read a spiritual book v Watch a movie with a religious/spiritual theme for example: The Shack, The Case for Christ, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, God Bless the Broken Road, God s Not Dead I or II, The Reliant, The Star, Same Kind of Different, Heaven is for Real, Miracles from Heaven v Do a Catholic Bible Study (independently or with a group) v Listen to Christian music for an hour v Help the ushers at church during Mass learn about this ministry by doing v Visit the Shrine of Guadalupe in La Crosse v Head to Wisconsin Dells to attend the Immersion Retreat (Diocese Retreat) Nov. 10-12 v Grab a friend and go to a Lifeline Program at the NET Center in St. Paul (1 st Sat. of every month 6:00 Oct.-May) v Pack your tent and come on the Teen Camping Trip in July v Attend an additional retreat Action City in January? v Attend Triduum services (Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday Easter vigil) v Attend Catholic Mass in Latin, Spanish or another language. I.E. St. Mary s 1:00 Sundays v Read up on a saint and write about him/her or do a collage of pictures that tell about him/her. v Take an hour to pray at Adoration v Go on a mission trip 8

v Feel refreshed by going to a Communal Reconciliation (December) v Read one of the Gospels from the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) v Talk with adult about their faith journey make a timeline of important events in their faith life v Spend 20-30 minutes viewing the icon wall in the St. James sacristy v Pray with Lectio Divina praying with a scripture, usually a Gospel reading. Ask a parent, grandparent, sibling or friend to do it with you. (One of my favorites!) http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/catholic/2000/08/how-to-practice-lectio-divina.aspx v Sing in one of the choirs at church v Go to a St. James baptism class to re-learn the details (last Sunday every other month) v Be on the Action City planning committee v Attend a mass at a church out of town maybe while you re on vacation or away for sports or music activities v Pray by Daily Examen method reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God s presence and discern his direction for us. http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatianprayer/the-examen v Watch 3 different videos on busted halo http://bustedhalo.com/category/video v Other ideas you have???? Ask Kelly if they ll qualify. 9

St. James the Greater Confirmation Sponsor Form Return to: by mail or electronically on website to Kelly Beaudrie St. James the Greater - 2502 11 th Street, Suite 1 - Eau Claire, WI 54703 Candidate Information: Full Name: Home Number: Cell Number: E-Mail: Sponsor Information: Full Name: Full Address: Telephone Number: E-Mail: Candidate, please answer: What is your relationship with your sponsor? How do you know each other? Why did you choose this person to be your sponsor? How will your sponsor help you to grow in your relationship with Jesus and your commitment to the church? 10

Eau Claire Deanery Communal Reconciliation Which church did you attend? Date of Reconciliation? Who was the priest that lead the service that evening? Did you go alone or with someone else? What did you think of the experience? How likely are you to attend another City Wide Communal Reconciliation? 1 being never and 5 For sure 1 2 3 4 5 11

Confirmation Service Hour Log Sheet Name Year 1 / Year 2 In Parish Service (at least 5 hours) Date Service Performed #of Hours Contact Person s Name & Phone Signature Community Service (the rest your 15 hours) Date Service Performed #of Hours Contact Person s Name & Phone Signature 12

Faith Enrichment Activity Form Name: Year I or II Event/Activity 1 Date/Time Describe the event you attended or activity you completed. On a scale of 1-5 being terrible to awesome, how would you rate the event/activity? 1 2 3 4 5 Event/Activity 2 Date/Time What did you choose to do this time? What is one thing you learned by attending or doing this? 13

Name: Year I or II Event/Activity 3 Date/Time Activity Chosen Was the activity worth your time doing? Definitely Somewhat Not at All Did you do the activity with anyone else, if so who? Yes No Who What was your favorite part of the activity 14

Confirmation Year I Walking Together #1: Interviewing Your Confirmation Sponsor Now that you have chosen your sponsor, it is time to spend a little more time with him/her to really get to know more about his/her faith journey. Please set up a time to meet with your sponsor to interview him/her. It would be BEST to meet with your sponsor in person, but if this is not possible, you can interview him/her by phone or email (last resort!) You can meet at your house or your sponsor s house; you could meet for breakfast, lunch or dinner; you could go for a walk together. BE CREATIVE! Plan on this activity taking at least one hour. Invite your sponsor to ask you some questions too! You do not need to get through all of the questions, but feel free to do so! Start your meeting by praying together! This may seem awkward at first so you could begin with a memorized prayer that you both say aloud. At the end of your meeting, complete the Walking Together Activity Form #1 but not while you are meeting with your sponsor. 15

1. How did you become Catholic? Were you baptized when you were a baby or did you become Catholic as an adult through the RCIA program? Tell me about how you first learned about your faith, whether you were a child or an adult. 2. As a Catholic, what makes you different from other Christians? 3. How do you picture the Holy Spirit? What images come to mind? When or how have you experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? 4. What name did you choose for your Confirmation name and why? 5. Do you have a favorite saint(s)? Why is he/she your favorite? What is there about his/her life that has helped you on your faith journey? 6. How do you define the word holy? Do you know people in your life that you would describe as holy? Do you think anyone describes you as holy? How does that make you feel? What challenges do you face when you are trying to live a life of holiness? 7. Tell me about an experience in your life when it was difficult for you to be Catholic perhaps a time when you were ridiculed because of your faith or a time when you struggled to believe in the teachings of your Catholic faith. What did you do to keep our faith or find answers to your questions during these times? 8. In what ways do you feel that celebrating the Eucharist (the Mass) every week strengthens and nourishes you to live as a Catholic? Did you ever have a time when you did not like going to Mass? Do you like going to Mass now? What do you think caused the change? 9. What is your understanding of what it means to sin? What does forgiveness mean to you? What do you do when you find it very difficult to forgive someone who has hurt you? What do you do when you need to ask forgiveness from someone you have hurt? 16

10. One very special aspect of our Catholic faith is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Tell me about your own feelings and thoughts about and experiences with this Sacrament. Is it difficult for you to celebrate this Sacrament or was there a time when it was? What kind of preparations do you find helpful before you celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation? 11. How do you pray? Do you have a favorite place to pray or a favorite time to pray? Do you ever find it difficult to pray? When you pray, who do you usually pray to: God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Mary or a particular saint? Who or what do you usually pray for? 12. Do you regularly participate in service projects or volunteer opportunities at your parish, work or community? Describe what you do and how it impacts your life. 13. How would you answer someone who told you that Catholics worship Mary? Who do you turn to or what resources do you use when you find that you do not know an answer to a question about your faith? 14. Have you ever had a time in your life when you really felt close to God? Tell me about it. 15. Have you ever had a time in your life when you really struggled to believe in God? Tell me about it and how you keep your faith in the end. 16. Who has been a good role model for you to live according to your Catholic faith? What has he/she taught you or show you? How has he/she deepened your faith? 17. In what ways do you think you still need to grow in your Catholic faith? 18. What is your favorite Scripture passage, verse or story? Tell me way. 17

19. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the gifts we first received at our Baptism: Wisdom Understanding Knowledge Right Judgement (Counsel) Courage (Fortitude) Reverence (Piety) Knowledge Reverence (Piety) Fear of the Lord (Awe) are strengthened and increased within each of us. These seven special gifts represent all of the gifts and blessings that God gives us to lead a good and holy life. They are special graces that are given to us through the Holy Spirit to enable us to respond to God s call to holiness. Reflecting back on your life experiences and decisions, which gifts have you a lot? Which gift do you need to use more? 20. What do you think is one of the greatest challenges to being Catholic? What is the best thing about being Catholic? 18

St. James the Greater Confirmation Walking Together Worksheet #1 Confirmation Candidate s Name Date Sponsor Meeting #1 Occurred: / / Sponsor s Name: Sponsor s Signature: If the interview took place by phone or email, parent may sign for sponsor. DIRECTIONS: Sometime after meeting with your sponsor, take a few minutes to reflect on your discussion and write brief answers to questions 1 and 2. Please take the time to answer questions 3, but you do not need to write anything. 1. What was one thing that you learned about your sponsor during your meeting? 2. Write about one story or experience that your sponsor shared that you felt showed that he/she was truly strengthened by the Holy Spirit through Confirmation to live a life of holiness. 3. Did you make a good choice of who you asked to serve as your Confirmation sponsor? If you are not sure if you did, pray about it, talk to your parents, and feel free to talk to Kelly about your decision and where to go from here. 19

Confirmation Year I Mass Together #2: Sponsor and Candidate Joint Activity Attend Mass together at another parish. After Mass, introduce your sponsor to the Priest. Complete the worksheet below together and return it to Kelly Beaudrie. Confirmation Candidate s Name Sponsor s Name: Sponsor s Signature: Date we attended Mass together: / / Name of the Church: Name of the Priest that said Mass: How and why does attending Mass help our relationship with God? 20

Confirmation Year I Busted Halo Film Clips #3 Sponsor and Candidate Joint Activity Visit http://bustedhalo.com/category/sacraments101 Together with your sponsor watch these 4 short film clips on Baptism 101, Eucharist 101 & 201 and Confirmation. Complete Worksheet #3 Sacraments 101 Baptism (why we Baptize) 6 minutes 28 seconds Sacraments 101: Eucharist (how we receive) Sacraments 201: Eucharist (what we believe) Confirmation 101: (why we re confirmed) 4 minutes 45 seconds 9 minutes 18 seconds 5 minutes 57 seconds 21

Confirmation Year I Busted Halo Film Clips Worksheet #3 Sponsor and Candidate Joint Activity 1. What are the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation known as? The Sacraments of: 4. Is Jesus truly present in the Eucharist? 2. Do we baptize someone again if they are converting from a different Christian religion? Why or why not? 5. What words are exchanged in the Receiving of Eucharist? 6. What does Amen mean when we receive Eucharist? 3. What is meant by, an Emergency Baptism? 22

7. What is the role of the Confirmation Sponsor? 9. What is the significance of taking a Confirmation Na 8. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? A brief description of each is given in the film on Confirmation. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 23

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