Confirmation Preparation 2017
What is Confirmation? Christ promised the outpouring of the Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 The promised was fulfilled most strikingly on Pentecost. Those who believed in the preaching of the Apostles and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit. In fulfillment of Christ¹s will, the apostles laid on hands to impart to the newly baptized the gift of the Spirit. (Heb 6:2) The laying on of hands perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church. Confirmation is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation, sacraments which lay the foundations of every Christian life. It is the sacrament in which the gift of the Holy Spirit received at Baptism is confirmed, strengthened, and perfected for living the Christian life and spreading the faith to others. The Sacrament of Confirmation increases our sanctifying grace (the kind of grace we need to go to heaven, the grace we receive in the Sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation). Confirmation also gives us its own special, unique sacramental grace. It: completes our Baptismal grace gives our soul a permanent mark unites us more firmly to Christ helps us see more clearly that we belong to the family of God increases the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit in us gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend by word and action as true witnesses of Christ
St. Maria Goretti High School Confirmation Preparation 2017 The Sacrament of Confirmation is a gift of the Church. Every baptized person can and should receive it. Preparation is 6 months in length and begins with a mandatory parent meeting in January. According to Diocesan policy, candidates may request to prepare for the Sacrament if they: 1. Are baptized and able to renew baptismal promises. 2. Are open to receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 3. Have received their First Communion, are participating in the Sunday Mass and in the sacramental life of the Church. 4. Have reached 15 years of age. 5. Are willing to commit to active involvement in the parish Confirmation preparation process. 6. Are willing to continue to grow in faith following Confirmation and throughout their lifetime. *Guidelines for the Preparation and Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for the Diocese of Fort Worth, pg. 10.
Effective Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation: 1. Focuses on the meaning of the sacrament, including scripture, historical development, and the sacramental rite itself. 2. Fosters discipleship and mission. 3. Promotes lifelong learning and participation in the sacramental life. *Guidelines for the Preparation and Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for the Diocese of Fort Worth, pg. 7. Therefore, in order to prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2017, we ask that candidates: 1) Attend and participate at Rise on Wednesday nights January 2017-April 2017. Candidates are allowed 2 excused absences. 2) Be involved in the life of the Church in some way. Mission and discipleship are primary themes during our Wednesday Rise sessions. Candidates will discern about their gifts and mission and will be asked to be active disciples of Jesus Christ. See the list included in this packet for ways to be involved in the life of the Church for ideas. 3) Select a sponsor and complete the "Sponsor Affirmation Form" due date February 22nd. All candidates for Confirmation must choose a sponsor. See "All About Sponsors" for information concerning the role of a sponsor and sponsor qualifications. 4) Select a Saint and complete the "Saint Worksheet" due date April 5th. All candidates must choose a saint name. Please read "Choosing Your Saint" for more details. 5) Attend and participate in the Confirmation Retreat Saturday, April 22 nd. Please see the Confirmation retreat handout for some important notes concerning the retreat. 6) Successfully complete the Candidate Interview Sunday, June 11th. In order to verify readiness, candidates will take part in an individual
interview lasting 15 minutes in length. The interview schedule will be distributed in April at Rise and via email. 7) Attend the Confirmation Rehearsal Monday, June 19 th at 7:00 pm. Parent(s) or Guardians of the Adolescent Candidate Parent(s)/guardian are called to be actively involved in the Confirmation preparation process. The role of the parent(s)/guardian is an extension of the commitment they undertook at their child s Baptism. The family serves as the primary community of faith. As children grow in faith, the parental role lessens in regard to decision-making and becomes one of support and one of spiritual companion and advisor, that is, both parents and adolescents learning and growing in understanding of Catholic traditions and beliefs. This points to the understanding that forming faith is a lifelong process and that parents, as well as adolescents and children, should continue their own faith growth. It is in this way that parents will be able to share their own faith journey, thereby helping the candidates to make decisions about their faith. Parents must: 1. Continue their own faith growth. 2. Indicate a willingness to support the candidate s faith journeys. 3. Support their adolescent candidates in choosing sponsors. 4. Support their adolescent candidates in prayer throughout the preparation process *Guidelines for the Preparation and Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for the Diocese of Fort Worth, pg. 11-12.
Important General Information All forms and worksheets must be turned in to Brenda Hawley during Rise on Wednesday nights. This way, we ensure that a candidate's hard work will not be misplaced. Forms and worksheets may be turned in before the due dates. Upon arriving, please remind your candidate to sign-in with Brenda Hawley at the table located inside the Cafetorium by the main doors. This is the only way we note the attendance of our youth. Signing-in is essential to verifying the Sunday attendance required of our candidates. We ask that youth arrive between 6:15-6:25 pm to check-in so that we may begin promptly at 6:30 pm. Please see the dress code in your Confirmation packet. This dress code describes the appropriate attire for our candidates and sponsors at the Confirmation Mass. All candidates and sponsors are expected to abide by this code with no exceptions. The Confirmation Mass is a wonderful opportunity to show the youth our love for the Eucharist. All candidates, parents, sponsors, and other Catholic attendees of the Mass are encouraged to be of a state of grace for proper reception of the Eucharist during the Confirmation Mass. St. Maria Goretti offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturdays from 4:00-5:30 PM or by appointment. Extra forms, worksheets, and a copy of this packet are found online at smgparish.org/confirmation-preparation. It is our desire at St. Maria Goretti for all of our candidates to enjoy a fruitful period of preparation and to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation as planned. Please contact Ali Poteet at apoteet@smgparish.org or Brenda Hawley at bhawley@smgparish.org with any questions or concerns. We are glad to help!
To Prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation Candidate: Attend Rise on Wednesday nights January 2017 April 2017 Be involved in the life of the Church in some way Select a sponsor and complete Sponsor Affirmation Form Select a Saint and complete Saint Worksheet Confirmation Retreat Interview Rehearsal Not required, but strongly encouraged: Be a part of our high school Praise Team on Sunday afternoons Serve at the SMG food pantry for 3 hours one Saturday morning Complete one mission event this spring or summer Parent: Orientation/Retreat Meeting Sponsor: Sponsor Affirmation Form Rehearsal The Sacrament of Confirmation for 2017 will be held Wednesday, June 21 st at 7:00 pm in the Church.
Some Ways to be Involved in the Life of the Church Prayer and Worship Participation in the Liturgical ministries Adoration with the parish community or in the Oratory Prayer personal or in groups Singing in the choir Attending Festival of Praise Evangelization and Catechesis Attend a parish mission event Go to a youth conference Leadership Development Being a Middle School Youth Ministry teen volunteer on Sunday nights Leading a small group during our Destination Unknown event Being on our Praise team and plan and put on the Festival of Praise Community Life Hanging out with your small group on the weekend Going to youth or parish social events Helping with the Sunday coffee and donuts parish social Justice and Advocacy Serving at the SMG food pantry Attending the Destination Unknown mission event Going on a mission trip Participating in Colombian Squires or American Heritage Girls
Saint Worksheet Name What saint did you pick for your Confirmation name? Why do we choose a saint for Confirmation? Briefly describe this saint s life. What inspires you about this saint? How will you imitate this saint in your own daily life?
All About Sponsors What is a Confirmation Sponsor? According to Canon law 892, a sponsor's "function is to take care that the person confirmed behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the duties inherent in this sacrament." Who Can Be a Confirmation Sponsor? In order for a person to qualify as a sponsor for Confirmation, he or she must meet the following requirements: Sponsors must be 16 years or older Sponsors must who have received all of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) Sponsors must practicing Catholics (i.e., sponsors should regularly attend Sunday Mass and be faithful Catholics in word and deed. If the sponsor is married, the marriage must be considered sacramental by the Catholic Church). The sponsor does not need to be the same gender as the candidate. The sponsor cannot be a parent of the candidate. The candidate can have only one sponsor. A person may sponsor more than one candidate. Because of the close link between Baptism and Confirmation, it is suggested (though not required) that a candidate's Baptismal godmother or godfather also be the sponsor for Confirmation. Ideally the sponsor can attend the rehearsal and the Confirmation Mass. If the sponsor is unable to be at the Confirmation Mass, another person may be asked to stand in during the ceremony.
SPONSOR AFFIRMATION FORM (TO BE FILLED OUT BY THE SPONSOR) SPONSOR S NAME: FIRST MIDDLE LAST NAME OF CANDIDATE: FIRST MIDDLE LAST SPONSOR S ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIPCODE: SPONSOR S PHONE #: Sponsor Verification: I am a fully initiated Catholic (I have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation). I understand that being chosen as a sponsor is a commitment to be, as I am able, a faithful witness of the Catholic way of life to the individual I am called to serve. I commit to praying for the person I am sponsoring and being a support and guide for them to the best of my ability. If you answered no to any of the above statements, you are ineligible to be a sponsor at this time.
Choosing Your Saint A part of the Confirmation process is choosing a saint. The name of the saint you choose is the name that you will be Confirmed under. For example if you choose St. Anthony, you will be Confirmed: Anthony, be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, why is it even important to pick a saint? As Catholics, we know the power of having Mary and the saints pray (or intercede) for us. Many saints are patrons of different things, meaning they are the special protector or supporter of certain areas. For example, St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians and St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals. You may decide to choose a saint based upon what they are the patron of, but whatever saint you choose, they also become your patron. This means that they will be looking out for you in a special way for your entire life, until one day when you meet them in heaven!! The saints also are great examples for us now of how to live our faith in the hope of getting to heaven. The saints came from different backgrounds, experienced different things, faced different struggles, but all loved Jesus and are now with Him in heaven. Like when white light passes through a prism and you can see the different colors, the saints allowed God to use them to reveal His different aspects, like His mercy, love, and faithfulness. There is also great significance in taking on the saint s name as your own. We see in both the Old and New Testament of the Bible the significance of names and how God gave people new names at important points in their lives. For example Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, and Simon became Peter. (To find out what happened to these people, check out Genesis 17:1-8, 32:23-29, and Matt 16:13-20!) So, choosing a saint and taking on their name is not just one more thing you have to do to get Confirmed. It is a huge part of this important step in your life and a reflection of the beauty of the Catholic faith. So, please, take some time to find a saint you really have a connection with. If you have any trouble deciding on a saint, just ask and we will be happy to help!! Find out about different saints at www.catholic.org/saints. * From St. Ann Catholic Church, stannparish.org
Confirmation Mass Dress Code Young Men: Attire: "Sunday Dress" - dress pants with a tie and dress shirt (suit or sports coat optional) The following are not appropriate: Tennis shoes Jeans, khakis, or baggy pants T- shirts Novelty neckties (cartoon characters, logos, etc.) Formal tuxedos Young Women: Attire: Modest "Sunday Dress" - dress, skirt and blouse, pant suit or dress pants and blouse (dress or skirt must be 2 inches above the knee or longer; chest, back and shoulders must be covered); dress shoes The following are not appropriate: Strapless dresses Mini-skirts Jeans skirt, casual or khaki skirts Tight, backless, or low cut dresses Exposing the abdomen Formal evening gowns * Please remember that when fixing your hair, your forehead must be uncovered for anointing from the Bishop or Priest. * Each candidate will receive a flower to be pinned onto his/her clothing. Please keep this in mind when selecting attire.