Confirmation
Registration Packet for Confirmation Year 2 click here
Confirmation Preparation Program Overview
Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit – his actions, his gifts, and his biddings – in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end, catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church, as well as to the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands. (CCC #1309)
The Goal of St. Bede’s
Confirmation Preparation Program
is to form disciples by leading teens to:
(NOT what we do to be worthy or deserving)
† Works within youth ministry and faith formation.
(NOT as a separate or competing program)
† Focuses on preparation for celebrating the sacrament.
(NOT as a place for all of the needed adolescent catechesis)
† Involves the community of faith.
(NOT anonymous preparation program)
† Works in partnership with parents and sponsors.
(NOT in competition for family time/attention)
† Launches youth toward full participation and active discipleship.
(NOT as an end but a beginning)
2008-2009
In the course of the two-year process, candidates need to attend a total of twelve catechetical sessions focusing on the faith themes given by the Los Angeles Archdiocese Office of Religious Education. Since St. Bede offers three tracks per year, a candidate has two make-up opportunities for any absences during each year. A master calendar is included in the Confirmation Handbook so candidates can identify the dates/times of available makeup sessions. Year two candidates who have not made up missed sessions from the previous year need to attend the same Year 1 session at any of the three available tracks.
Faith Exploration (a.k.a. “FX”) is an event that addresses a Confirmation/faith topic in a larger gathered setting. All candidates are expected to attend three FX events each year. To Makeup for any missed FX – candidates may attend a workshop on the same theme at Youth Day, or another speaker event on the same theme at their high school or another parish. Proof of attendance provided by the school or parish is needed.
The Mass is the source and summit of our Catholic faith, and all Candidates are expected to attend Mass every Sunday (or Saturday vigil) and on Holy Days of obligation during the two-year Confirmation preparation period. The Youth Mass is specifically designed to meet the spiritual needs of all junior high and high school youth in the parish. Its upbeat music and youth-targeted homilies aim to speak to the heart of young people, making the mass more interesting and relevant to their daily realities. It also promotes and supports youth participation in all liturgical ministries. The Youth Mass is an integral part of Confirmation preparation, and all candidates are encouraged to attend it. Family members are also strongly encouraged to attend the Youth Mass during the two year Confirmation preparation period.
Each candidate is expected to attend at least one Youth Day during the two-year confirmation program. This year, Youth Day will be on Thursday, February 26, 2009. A copy of the Youth Day permission slip may be used to request to be excuse from school. If a Year 2 candidate cannot attend Youth Day, then he/she may attend the Y1 retreat as a make-up.
Confirmation retreats, especially the Year 2 weekend retreat, offer heightened spiritual and transformative experiences for candidates. Confirmation preparation would be spiritually incomplete if a candidate does not get to experience the climatic Year 2 weekend retreat. Any missed retreat needs to be made up by attending the corresponding retreat (Y1 vs. Y2) at another local parish. The candidate must provide a written letter by the coordinator of the Confirmation and/or Youth Ministry program confirming his/her participation and attendance at the retreat.
Y2 – weekend retreat March 27-29, 2009
Candidates are asked to perform a minimum of twenty (20) hours of service throughout each year of Confirmation preparation. Ten (10) hours should be service for the St. Bede parish community and the other ten (10) hours should be service to those who are in need in the greater community. A “Service Hour Completion Form” will be issued to each candidate at orientation. It is the responsibility of the candidate to maintain the accuracy and obtain the signatures required on the form during the course of the year in order to receive credit for service hours. If the forms are not signed by the appropriate person, credit for the hours will not be given. At the completion of each year of the confirmation program each candidate will submit his or her form to me for review and approval. If the candidate has not completed the appropriate number of service hours he/she will be required to do so over the summer or in the following year. By the end of the two-year process, each candidate needs to submit a minimum of 40 service hours. All candidates need to submit Service Hour Completion Forms by April 1, 2009.
Each Year 1 candidate needs to select a sponsor who meets the by November 23, 2008 when sponsors are expected to attend a session with their candidates, followed by the Youth Mass and dinner with their candidates. Year 2 candidates also need to select their confirmation name by April 1, 2009 before receiving the sacrament of Confirmation.
Parent participation in the Confirmation process is highly encouraged. Parents are given a Confirmation Parent Guidebook, which provides four worksheets to facilitate parent(s)-candidate faith-sharing sessions. Please take time to share your faith experiences with your teenager(s) during the two-year process. In addition, parents are also encouraged to assist the youth ministry by becoming catechists, small group leaders, chaperones, office aides, or special event team members.
Sponsors are given a Confirmation Sponsor Guidebook at the first Year 1 sponsor session in November. Sponsors are expected to read and implement some of the ideas/suggestions provided in the guidebook.
Besides cultivating a faith-enriched relationship with their candidates, sponsors need to attend sessions with sponsors, Confirmation rehearsal, and the Confirmation Rite. If the sponsor is not able to attend any of the required events, then a parent needs to be his/her proxy (except for the Confirmation Rite in which case a Confirmation adult team member will be the proxy).