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Religious Education Grades 1 - 8

Calendar for the Confirmation Program 2011-2012

Important Due Dates for Confirmation 2011-2012

Confirmation Interview Schedule - January 2012

Confirmation

The Confirmation program at St. Mary’s consists of several components which includes, but is not limited to, the following:

** Faith-Sharing Program **

The purpose of the faith-sharing program is to have the sponsor assist the parents in leading their children to love and serve God in daily life.

Each candidate will meet monthly with his or her sponsor for prayer, sharing, and discussion.

Beginning in November, the candidate will complete five faith-sharing sheets with their sponsor.

The candidate should complete the faith sharing questionaire during the time with their sponsor. They will turn in this sheet to their teacher by the date indicated on the top of each faith sharing sheet. The sponsors may wish to write comments as well. Their feedback will help us make this a more meaningful experience for the Confirmation candidates.

** Service Projects **

Service projects are works that are unpaid without any material reward and without merit for another project (such as NHS, Scouts, service club, etc).

Your projects should help you to take on the mind and heart of Christ, fulfill the needs of others, and build up the Christian community; your commitment to service should continue after your Confirmation and all through your life.

Your parents are responsible for your transportation and for your supervision, and may have to help make arrangements.

Your service will be recorded and offered up to God on your Confirmation day. This is your gift to God in appreciation for all He has given you.

Complete as many service projects as you can each month, but by your Confirmation day you will be expected to have completed at least three different projects from each category—service to church, service to community, and service to family.

Service to church contributes to the life of our church community by enriching our worship, furthering our formation, or enhancing our parish programs.

Service to Community reaches out to the wider community---people outside our family. We feed the hungry, care for the sick, visit the lonely, or help others wherever we are needed.

Service to Family deepens our relationships with our parents, siblings, and extended family through prayer or service.

** Interviews **

Each candidate will meet with Father Greg or another member of the Confirmation team for an interview prior to Confirmation. During the Confirmation ceremony the Bishop/celebrant will ask Father Greg if the candidates are prepared to be confirmed. The purpose of this meeting is for Father to assess whether or not the candidate is truly ready. Mass attendance in an important part of determining if the candidate is ready.

Each candidate should be able to tell their interviewer why they want to be confirmed, why they chose the Confirmation (saint) name and what they know about this saint, and what service projects they have participated in and what they have learned from them.

The candidate should also be able to recite from memory any of the prayers as outlined on the 8th grade prayer sheet. 

** Confirmation Retreat **

Mary Lee Becker, a national presenter, consultant, and author for Youth Ministry facilitates the Confirmation retreat at St. Mary’s. The purpose of retreat is to assist the candidates in preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through this interactive retreat experience, we hope participants will….

• gain insight into what it means to belong to a Catholic community of faith, and get to better know the other adult and youth participants.

• share in faith discussions and prayer experiences with other youth.

• explore scripture and deepen their understanding of the teachings of Jesus, and what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus in the world today.

• consider how living out their Confirmation commitment in daily life can make a difference for good.

• reflect on their personal gifts and strengths for Discipleship, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their response to God’s call to discipleship.

• identify ways they can continue to grow in their ability to be Confirmed Disciples in the world today.