St. Andrew Catholic
Church
910 Austin Drive
Saline, MI 48176
(734)
429-5210
(734) 429-1450 (Youth Program Office)
Rev. 8/15/2006
II.
Scheduling
Information
A) Who can be Confirmed at St.
Andrew Catholic Church?
B) When Is Confirmation Preparation done at St. Andrew Church?
C) What are options for Confirmation Preparation outside of the normal schedule?
III.
Preparation
Process
A) Roman Catholic Church
Requirements
B) Requirements of the Confirmation Preparation Program
A)
Choosing a Sponsor
B) Photos
C) Certificates
D) Confirmation Fees
Confirmation is the last of the three Sacraments of Initiation.
It is
one of the visible signs in this world of God’s power, presence,
and action. Confirmation is not just a "personal sacrament", rather, it is
a confirming upon the candidate buy the Bishop, the Pastor, the Program
Director, the Sponsor, and the entire parish community that the candidate
is being fully initiated into the Catholic Faith.
Confirmation is not
just about learning facts about our faith. It is a period of discipleship.
A time of growing in faith, knowledge, devotion, and service. It is a time
to discover more fully one's gifts and talents so that they can be later
shared fully with the entire parish community and the Church universal.
One important aspect of the sacrament of Confirmation is that it is a choice, made freely, by the candidate. As an infant, the parents and Godparents spoke on behalf of the new member of the family of God. Now, the candidate must speak freely, and decisively, for themselves.
A) Who can participate in the confirmation process at St. Andrew Church?
It is our custom at St. Andrew to confirm in the 9th grade. We believe that this is an excellent time in the spiritual, emotional, and psychological development of a young adult to receive the great gift of the sacrament of Confirmation.
In order to be confirmed, each candidate must be an
active Catholic[1] who
is:
1)
a family member of a registered
parish member OR a registered parishioner themselves.
- or -
2)
a member of a local parish
who is concurrently registered as a parish member of St. Andrew.
B) When is Confirmation Preparation done at St. Andrew
Church?
Confirmation preparation sessions are held on Wednesdays beginning with the 7:00PM Mass and ending at 9:15PM. Candidates begin with daily Mass in the sanctuary and then relocate in the Parish Hall for a large group discussion or lesson. Afterwards, candidates meet with a small group of their peers (gender separated) to discuss the topic of the evening. Typically, there are three Wednesdays a month when Confirmation preparation takes place. The confirmation preparation schedule often parallels the Saline Area Schools calendar.
C) What are the options for Confirmation preparation
outside of the normal process?
Since there is an important affective aspect to Confirmation preparation, home schooling sacramental preparation is not permitted.
At St. Andrew church we offer the normal Wednesday night meetings for all 9th and 10th graders. If a young person is in 11th or 12th grade (or older), they are invited to join the RCIA program (adult sacramental preparation). Such a decision is the discretion of the family, the Pastor, the Adult Religious Education director, and the Youth Coordinator.
If a family cannot make the commitment to Wednesday night
preparation sessions in the 9th grade, they are invited to defer reception
of Confirmation until a later date, as per the personal and unique needs
of the family. In the event of a long-standing conflict, families may
choose to look into sacramental preparation programs offered by other local
parishes.
Confirmation is a long term
process with many and varied facets. It includes learning about one's faith,
participating in service opportunities, experiencing a retreat, sharing faith
in small and large group interaction, and dialogue with parents and sponsor
to name a few. In order to accomplish this there are several requirements
of the program.
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
1. Belief - Candidates must profess belief and have basic understanding of God, the Trinity, the Eucharist, and the teachings of the Catholic Church professed in the Creed.
2. Attendance - Regular attendance at Confirmation preparation sessions, Sunday Mass, Wednesday Mass, and Holy Days of Obligation are mandatory. No more than three (3) absences will be allowed. Missed Confirmation meetings will require a written makeup assignment completed by the following week. The written assignments are not an alternate for Wednesday preparation classes and should be used only in emergencies. It is strongly suggested that all candidates participate in St. Andrew Youth Program (LIFE meetings on Sunday evenings).
3. Journaling - Confirmation candidates will be asked to keep a journal during the Confirmation process. Journals will be evaluated by candidates and small group leaders from time to time. Keeping a good journal will help prepare for the evaluation at the end of the preparation period.
4. Saint Report - Each candidate is asked to write a 1-2 page report on the saint they chose for their Confirmation name. The report should include a brief history about the saint and the reason why that saint was chosen.
5. Interview/Evaluation - Each candidate will have the opportunity to participate in a personal interview by a member of the parish staff and each candidate will complete a written assessment based on the journal questions and content covered throughout the year.
6. Reconciliation - All Confirmation candidates are encouraged to renew their faith by participating in the Sacrament of reconciliation during the Confirmation preparation process. This will be facilitated by a discussion of the Sacrament and it's practice, as well as making special times available to participate in the Sacrament. All candidates must celebrate the Sacrament of reconciliation at least once during the course of Confirmation preparation.
7. Willingness to put others first - Each Confirmation candidate will participate in seven (7) different service projects as a way to put into practice the role of a disciple on the journey of Confirmation. The service projects should be split between service for family, parish, and the wider community. Each service project must be concluded by completing a Service Project Evaluation form.
8. Retreat - Candidates must have at least one "retreat experience" during the course of the Confirmation preparation process. St. Andrew offers a Confirmation retreat that all candidates are required to attend. If there is a serious scheduling conflict, permission may be obtained from the Confirmation Director to count the Fall or Spring retreats offered by St. Andrew as their Retreat experience. Permission must be granted in writing one month in advance of the retreat.
9. Respect - Candidates must assume personal responsibility for their bodies and others as temples of the Holy Spirit. This includes respect for all candidates and adult leaders as well as appropriate dress for Confirmation, Mass, and retreats (no short shorts/skirts, hats, sagging pants revealing boxers, spaghetti straps, midriffs exposed, etc.)
10. Reading - Each candidate is asked to read Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons? by Matt Pinto and evaluate it by writing a 1-3 page paper about what the highlights were and what they got out of it. (Other good books to read are available for sign out in the LIFE Library).
Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
Why Do Catholics Genuflect? - Al Kresta
Prove It! (any book from the series) - Amy Welborn
Making Choices - Peter Kreeft
Epidemic
11. Forms/Letters - Each candidate is required to complete a Candidate Covenant, a Confirmation Information Form (with a copy of Baptismal Certificate), a letter to the Bishop, and several Service Project Evaluation forms.
A) Choosing a
Sponsor
When choosing a sponsor for Confirmation, please keep in mind the following requirements:
1.) Sponsors must be confirmed members of the Catholic faith.
2.) Sponsors can be no younger than 16 years of age.
3.) Sponsors must be "practicing Catholics" and active members of their parish (each sponsor is asked to get a letter of validation from their pastor or parish staff confirming that they are active members of their faith community. This is standard operating procedure in most parishes and a simple form letter can be generated and sent.)
4.) Sponsors should be someone who is able to dialogue regularly (and meet, ideally) with the candidate throughout the preparation process.
5.)
As per canon law requirements, a parent cannot be a sponsor for a candidate.
A backdrop will be available for families to take photos with the sponsor and candidate. After the Confirmation Mass, the Bishop and/or Pastor are often available for photos with candidates.
Confirmation Certificates are prepared after COnfirmation reception and will be available at the final Confirmation Preparation meeting.
There is a $100.00 fee for Confirmation which helps to cover the cost of Bibles, Catechisms, handouts, staffing, food, and T-Shirts. This fee is waived for children of adult volunteers in the program. As is the case with all of our programs, special family financial situations can be brought to the attention of the Program Director for a possible partial or full stipend.
There is a $100.00 fee for the Confirmation retreat (usually in January). This fee coves the cost of food, lodging, and transportation for the candidate.
[1]
By “practicing Catholic” the Church means someone who is baptized, has received
first Communion, has been Confirmed: a practicing Catholic attends weekly Mass
and regularly approaches the Sacrament of Reconciliation, i.e. Confession.