SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH CONFIRMATION 2016-2017 CONFIRMATION CANDIDATE FORM Candidate s Name Date of Birth Place of Birth Month Day Year City State Date of Baptism Parish of Baptism Month Day Year Place of Baptism Parish, City, State Confirmation Name Chosen: CANDIDATE S PARENTS Father s Name Mother s Name Mother s Maiden Name Step Parent s Name (If Applicable) SPONSOR Sponsor s Name Sponsor s Address Sponsor s Parish Parish Address Street City State Zip 1
PROXY (If sponsor is unable to attend the Confirmation Ceremony) Proxy s Name Proxy s Address Proxy s Parish If your sponsor is not a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, he/she will need to go to his/her pastor to receive a sponsor certificate. This is a statement from the pastor that the prospective sponsor meets the canon law requirements to serve in that capacity. Please return your completed form to the Religious Education office no later than Monday, 5 th December, 2016 Thank You. 2
Requirements for Confirmation - Fall 2017 Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation is a serious matter. The candidates must demonstrate that they want to be confirmed, are fully prepared to receive the Sacrament, and that they understand its meaning and significance. The candidates will show that they want to be confirmed by attending all their Religious Education classes (unless excused in advance for good reason), completing all the necessary requirements in a timely manner, and demonstrating an attitude of witness and service. They will show that they are prepared by doing the following: 1. Write a short biography of the saint whose name they chose as their Confirmation name and tell why they chose that saint. The focus should be on the significance that saint has or will have in their lives. Use the attached form to help type your saint s biography (Green color). The saint report should be typed following the guidelines provided. (Due 6 th March, 2017) 2. Attend a retreat to focus the candidates on spiritual aspects of their lives in preparation for receiving Confirmation. Our retreat has yet to be scheduled, but will take place in the Fall of 2017, prior to Confirmation. This is an All Day Event. You will be notified immediately after our verification of a date. This may not be available until end of March or early April. If you cannot attend our retreat, a list of other retreats or parish phone numbers can be made available for your convenience. Please keep in mind that this date will be within weeks of their Confirmation Mass and a retreat must be attended prior to Confirmation. Note that there will be a nominal fee charged to partially offset the retreat. Please see registration for payment details 3. Interview with Fr. Krempa, Fr. Bartlett or Fr. Schafer. During the Confirmation Rite, Fr. Krempa presents the candidates to the bishop, attesting that they are ready to receive the Sacrament. The interviews are the only opportunity he has to talk with them individually about their journey toward Confirmation. Once interviews are scheduled notification will be sent in the form of email. If you do not have access to email, please notify the office. Gown measurements are taken at the time of the Candidate s interview. If a private interview is required at a later date, then the parent will need to email the office with the correct height of their child. Gown s will later be signed out at the Confirmation rehearsal by the Candidate. 3
4. Pass a test on their knowledge of the Faith. Candidates are required to know perfectly (i.e. without any mistakes) the Apostles Creed, 10 Commandments (in correct order), the Two Great Commandments (in order), Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the names (spelled correctly) of the Pope, Bishop of Arlington, and Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. They also need to know the Commandments of the Church, the Sacraments and their meaning, Cardinal virtues, Theological virtues, Capital sins, Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, Beatitudes, Mysteries of the Rosary, and Holy Days of Obligation. The test will be held in December during class time. (December, 2016). The passing grade for this test is 100%. All candidates will be given all support to achieve this passing grade. The date has been given out in class as Saturday, 10 th, Sunday, 11 th or Monday, 12 th, depending on the date they are scheduled for class. Although we are trying to work with you on switching between the classes to accommodate your busy schedules, please make sure your student is in their correct, scheduled class on this date. 5. Complete their service responsibilities (20 hours total to Church and Community). Confirmation is a sacrament of witness and service to the Church. The focus of this aspect of preparation should be on the candidates serving the Church and their fellow man in a meaningful way rather than on merely completing the number of hours. Many opportunities will also be available throughout the year and again will be presented in the form of an email. Service hours will be due no later than Friday, 28 th July, 2017. 6. Frequently asked questions. We have enclosed a few pages of frequently asked questions to help you. If you have a question and it is not on these pages, please contact the office and we will be happy to help. This page is also located on our website under Religious Education for further review. It may be modified throughout the year as questions arise, so I ask you to defer to it often if you have any concerns. A timeline for requirements is also located at the back of this package, given to you during the Parent s Confirmation meeting. 4
The Confirmation Mass Confirmation will take place in the Fall of 2017. You will be notified of the exact date as soon as we have been contacted by the Bishop s Office. This date is usually given to the office in early June. The Bishop may ask questions of the Confirmation candidates during his homily at the Confirmation Mass. Candidates should be prepared to answer his questions. The questions will generally test the candidates knowledge of the meaning and significance of the Sacrament of Confirmation. REGISTRATION Spring, 2017 All candidates will receive a registration form at the end of March, 2017, which must be completed and returned no later than Friday, 26 th May, 2017. There will be a $60.00 charge at this time, which will help to offset both the Confirmation Retreat and Confirmation Mass expenses. CONFESSION Since they will be receiving two sacraments, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation, Candidates must be in the State of Grace. Confessions will be held on a Saturday morning, 1 week prior to Confirmation or as the Priest s schedule permits. Please plan to attend. Confirmation Rehearsal Confirmation rehearsal will take place two days before the Confirmation Mass. This will be in the evening. Rehearsal times will be given out with the date of the Mass. Rehearsal is Mandatory. Please bring your sponsor with you. In the event your sponsor is unable to attend rehearsal you may bring a parent or another adult in their place, someone who will be able to guide the sponsor on the day of the Mass. Gown s will be signed out by the Candidate after completing their rehearsal. Gown s will be returned after Mass, at which time the Candidate will then receive their certificate. Sponsor Requirements The role of the sponsor is to see that the confirmed person acts as a true witness to Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations connected with this Sacrament. It is desirable that the one who undertook the role of sponsor at Baptism be sponsor for Confirmation. (CIC 892-893) 5
When choosing a sponsor, be sure that the person chosen meets the following qualifications (CIC 874): Sponsor Requirements (continued) 1. Be at least 16 years old 2. Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with the faith and the role of a sponsor. 3. Not be bound by canonical penalty 4. Not be the father or mother of the one to be confirmed If the sponsor will be unable to attend the Confirmation ceremony, a proxy may be chosen to stand-in for the sponsor at the ceremony. If you are unable to find a suitable proxy, please call the Religious Education office prior to the Confirmation date for assistance. Please note, the sponsor you have chosen is responsible for obtaining their own certificate from their own parish (if they are not from this parish) stating that they are in good standing with the Church and meet all requirements listed above. Also, the certificate must have the name of the Confirmandi written on the certificate for our filing purposes. (Sponsor certificates are due no later than Monday, 6 th March, 2017) Dress Guidelines Red gowns will be worn for Confirmation. Measurement of the candidate for these gowns will be taken on the same day as their Confirmation interviews. Gowns will be returned after Mass and the Newly Confirmed will then pick up their certificate. A direct quote from the diocese of Arlington. While the students are to wear robes, please instruct them to wear appropriate attire underneath. Boys should wear dress pants, dress shoes, shirts and ties. Girls should wear modest dresses, or skirts or dress slacks with blouses and dress shoes. Jewelry and makeup should be tasteful and kept to a minimum. Photography and Videography In order to maintain the solemnity of the Mass, we request that no photographs or videography be taken during the ceremony. A photographer and videographer will be on hand to provide this service with the Pastors approval. Details on purchasing the photographs and DVD s will be provided at the rehearsal and the day of the Mass. Forms may also be sent home during the second semester. 6