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Confirmation Preparation

2021-2022 Confirmation Preparation Info Coming Soon!

What is Confirmation? 
By the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are “more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1285)
 
This process is about transforming disciples (those who follow) into apostles (those who are sent). The graces received in Confirmation help to bring this transformation about – if one’s heart is open to the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is not the goal – it is a means to the goal.
 
Our two-part process normally begins in 7th grade and is completed in 8th grade.

Documents & Forms

2020-2021 Preparation:
Parent Expectations
  1. Pray for your kids every day.
  2. Pray with your kids at least once per day.
  3. Attend Mass weekly as a family.
  4. Begin going to Confession once a month.
  5. Talk about your faith with your kids.
  6. Attend Parent Formation Sessions.
  7. Attend a Parent Retreat (dates TBD).
 
Parent Formation Sessions
We offer several Parent Formation Sessions during the year.  At the sessions, we will cover the material being discussed in the Small Group Sessions by the Confirmation Candidates.
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Parent Retreat
All parents of children registered for Sacrament Preparation will attend a one-time retreat. This retreat is meant to be a gift to you, where we can each reflect on our own faith and how it informs our vocation as parents and primary evangelists of our children. This retreat is an opportunity to briefly step away from our busy lives, and to grow closer to Christ, who continually calls us to follow him!
 
We will offer this retreat several times in the Spring semester (date and time TBD), in order to accommodate schedules. Only one parent needs to attend at a time (although both are welcome!). 
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Candidate for Confirmation Expectations
  1. Attend Small Group Formation
  2. Attend Large Group Events
  3. Commit to various spiritual activities and exercises as assigned. 
  4. Write a Letter to the Archbishop expressing desire to be confirmed
  5. Write a Saint Report 
  6. Choose a Sponsor and return the Sponsor form. 
  7. Attend Confirmation Retreat (TBD)
 
Choosing a Sponsor
Role of the Sponsor - to take care that the confirmed person behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in this sacrament. The role of a sponsor is much more than honorary; it is a lifelong commitment in the confirmed person’s faith journey.
 
Sponsor Expectations:
  1. Pray for their candidate regularly (through this process and beyond!).
  2. Participate in various activities related to Confirmation Preparation.
  3. Attend Mass with the candidate frequently (if possible).
  4. Meet with candidate regularly (if possible) to encourage and assist them in their formation.
 
Sponsor Qualifications:
  1. A fully initiated Catholic, in good standing with the Church, who is over 16.
  2. Must be a person who is a true witness of Christ in word and deed.
  3. Only one sponsor is required, and can be male or female.
  4. Married sponsors must be in a valid Catholic marriage.
  5. Cannot be a parent of the candidate.
It is desirable to choose a sponsor who undertook the same function at Baptism (i.e. godparent), but it is not required.
Image by Tao Wen
Image by Anna Hecker

What to Wear for Confirmation? ​

When someone is baptized they are clothed in a white garment, which symbolizes that they have “put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27) – they no longer suffer the nakedness caused by Original Sin but have now become a child of God.
 
Having become a child of God clothed with the white garment (also referred to as “the wedding garment” by the Church) the baptized child may now be admitted “to the marriage supper of the Lamb” to receive the food of the new life, the Body and Blood of Christ.
 
This white garment reappears many times in the course of one’s life in the Church: the white robes worn by the priest, deacon, and altar servers at Mass; the white dresses traditionally worn by girls celebrating their first holy communion; the white gown worn by the bride at a wedding; the white pall draped over a coffin at a funeral, etc.
 
What the teens wear when they are confirmed should recall in some way this baptismal garment. The color white is especially significant. White represents holiness, purity, and the fact that we are called to be the “light of the world” – we wear white to remember that we have been clothed in Christ, and when people look at us they should see Him. 
 
The color red would also be appropriate for Confirmation, as it is a significant color in the Liturgy of the Church, representing the Holy Spirit, and the blood of martyrdom.
 
Guidelines on What to Wear​
*These Guidelines apply to Sponsors as well*
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YOUNG MEN - Dress shirt with a tie, dress pants, and nice shoes. A suit is optional. 
The following are not appropriate: 
  1. Jeans 
  2. Athletic Shoes/Sandals/Flip-Flops
  3. T-Shirts/Polo Shirts
  4. Novelty Ties (e.g. cartoons, logos, etc.)
 
YOUNG WOMEN - Modest dress or blouse with dress shoes.  
The following are not appropriate: 
  1. Jeans
  2. High Heels or Floppy Sandals/Flip-Flops
  3. Strapless, backless, or tank-top dresses without a  sweater or shawl (shoulders and back must be covered)  
  4. Tight, low-cut, or short dresses and skirts (must be no more than 2” above the knee)
 
BOTH
Make sure hair is off your forehead for anointing with oil.
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