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We prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation any time in grades 9-12 at St. John the Evangelist Church. Questions about the Church, faith, scripture, etc.? Go to "Update Your Faith!"
Dec. 2… Candidate/Parent Information Meeting, 12:30 PM, Chapel Jan.7 … Registration Deadline (Monday) Jan.13… Confirmation Enrollment Ritual ~ 11:30 AM Mass … Confirmation Mini-Retreat ~ 5:30-8:30 PM, at St. John Hall (with pizza dinner) Jan.20… Meeting #1 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Jan.27… Meeting #2 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM (Jan.28-29… Generations of Faith, 6-8:30 PM, Center) Feb. 3… NO MEETING……Superbowl Sunday Feb.10… NO MEETING…...Rite of Sending for RCIA Candidates Feb.17… NO MEETING…… Presidents’ Weekend & Kairos Retreat Feb.24… Meeting #3 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Mar. 2… Meeting #4 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Mar. 9… Meeting #5 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Mar.16… Meeting #6 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Mar.20… Holy Thursday, Mass of the Last Supper, 7:30 PM Mar.21… Good Friday, Prayer with Veneration of the Cross,7:30 PM Mar.22… Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil Mass, 8:30 PM (approx.) Mar.23…NO MEETING…… Happy Easter! Mar.30...NO MEETING…… Spring Break! Apr. 6… Meeting #7 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Apr.13… Meeting #8 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM Apr.20… NO MEETING…… Spring Retreat Weekend Apr.27… Meeting #9 ~ 6:45-8:30 PM, at Church May 4 … Meeting #10 (with Mentors) & Pizza Party!!! ~ 6:45-8:30 PM May 11… NO MEETING…… Mother’s Day May 17…Saturday, Rehearsal, 10 AM at Church, ALL CANDIDATES & SPONSORS … 5 PM Mass ~ Confirmation Celebration (Candidates be in Chapel at 4:30 PM.)
*Special Event/Not on Sunday night! This schedule is subject to change. :)
qCandidate/Parent Info Meeting…… Sunday, December 2, 12:30 PM, Chapel qREGISTER!…...Deadline: January 7, 2008 qEntrance Ritual for ALL Candidates…… January 13, 11:30 Mass qMini-Retreat!…… for ALL Candidates…...January 13, 5:30-8:30 PM qGo to Small Faith Group Meetings ~Begin…… January 20, 6:45 PM qSelect A Sponsor……By March 1 qMeet with your Sponsor…… By April 1 qParish/Community Service…… By May 1 qChoose Confirmation Name…… By May 1 qMake sure form pages are complete... ...By May 4
Confirmation Questions &
Answers What Is Confirmation?
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and, more specifically, one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Church. Those who have been baptized in the living waters of Christ continue on their journey of faith with the nurture and support of the community of believers through Eucharist and Confirmation. In Confirmation we celebrate the continuing grace-giving presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus continually extends an invitation to us to join in a fuller and closer relationship with Him and with our faith community.
What Does Confirmation Do?
Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, those who have been born anew in Christ through the living waters of baptism are bound more intimately to the community of believers, the Church. Confirmation joins believers more perfectly with Christ, and strengthens them with grace so that they may bear witness to Christ as His disciples.
Does My Confirmation Mean That I Am An Adult?
Well... The sacrament of confirmation calls the one confirmed to greater maturity. Growth toward Christian maturity is a life-long journey and the Holy Spirit travels with us, strengthening us as we go. In Confirmation, we are bound more intimately to the Church, and become more strictly obliged to live out the baptismal call to be priest, prophet, and king as a disciple of Christ.... So, you may not legally be an adult yet, but this is a really BIG deal in the Church!
Does Confirmation Mark The End Of My Faith Formation?
No way!!! Confirmation does not make us perfect Christians nor does the completion of the candidate’s preparation for this sacrament complete the formation necessary for continued growth as a maturing Christian. The faith formation we experience when we are young is simply preparation for the ongoing faith formation we need as an adult in order to answer God’s call to live as affective Christian witnesses in the world. Closely connected to Baptism and Confirmation is that other sacrament of initiation, Eucharist. Through participation in the Eucharist, the baptized and confirmed are incorporated fully into the body of Christ. Through regular participation in the Eucharist we are nourished for our continuing study and growth in the life of the Church, and in turn, we nourish and strengthen our sisters and brothers in our faith community so that they may grow in faith.
Oops! That started to answer that other BIG question: Am I really supposed to go to Church? Fair question, but you really know the answer. We’ll talk more about this during the preparation process.
This part is really awesome! Christ was priest, prophet, and king. Anointing is historically and traditionally a sign of initiation into these servant roles. Being anointed with Holy Chrism on the forehead is a powerful sign of our unity with Christ as priests, prophets, and kings. Chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balsam that is blessed by the bishop during Holy Week. It smells great! (Well, I think so anyway!)
The bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation, just as he was the ordinary minister of Baptism until the two sacraments were separated. (In the early church the three sacraments of initiation were all celebrated together within the same liturgy.) The bishop kept the role as ordinary minister of Confirmation to emphasize unity with the Church beyond the parish. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati it is impossible for the Archbishop to confirm everyone, so he may delegate this responsibility to others (e.g., Auxiliary Bishops, priests by special permission, and local deans who represent the bishop in regions called “deaneries”). This preserves and upholds the concept that Church is more than a parish.
What Is A Candidate And A Sponsor?
The Candidate is the person discerning about, or preparing for, Confirmation. The Sponsor is the person chosen by the candidate as a representative of the Catholic Church community to support the candidate on her/his journey. Each candidate must choose a sponsor who will help him or her prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation. You need the support and presence of your sponsor. When choosing a sponsor, keep in mind that the sponsor must take an active part in the process. Please carefully read the following descriptions of the requirements, role, and participation of the sponsor.
Requirements for Your Sponsor… · Should be at least 16 years old · Must be a Confirmed Catholic · Must have already received the sacrament of Eucharist · Must lead a life in harmony with the faith and the role of sponsor (good Christian, practicing Catholic) · May NOT be the parent of the candidate! (other relatives okay)
*Does not have to be the same gender as the candidate. *Does not have to be the Baptismal sponsor, although this is encouraged by the Church to emphasize the close connection between Baptism and Confirmation.
The Role of the Sponsor is… · To journey with the Confirmation candidate through the discernment and preparation process · To present the candidate to the bishop for anointing · To support the newly Confirmed young adult as she/he continues on their faith journey
Participation with Your Sponsor… ~Meets with you 2 times on your own ~Assists with the service experiences if possible ~Participates in rehearsal on Saturday, May 17, 2008, 10 AM ~Participates in the Confirmation celebration liturgy on Sunday, May 17, 2008, at 5 PM Mass Registration The registration form is attached to this booklet. We must have all the information! If the candidate was not baptized at St. John’s, or if they did not receive First Eucharist at St. John’s, we must have a copy of the baptismal certificate. (We should have this if they did First Eucharist here. We’ll check.) If you don’t have the certificate, please get a copy by Feb. 1. The church where they were baptized can mail or fax the information to St. John’s. We have to record sacraments in special books (the old-fashioned way), and then send a letter to the parish of baptism saying they were confirmed. This is why we need the address of the parish of baptism. Lots of paperwork, but it’s required, so we do it! Also, we will keep the medical release form on file until next September. You only have to fill it out once, and it will cover any activities you do with our youth ministry until then. The fee covers materials and supplies that we use in preparation. If this fee is a hardship for you, please call the youth office and let Debbie know. No one will be denied the opportunity to participate in any aspect of our parish youth ministry because of their inability to pay the costs of activities or materials!
Which Group Am I In? *Please note that you can give us two names of people you’d like to be with in a small group during preparation. We will make sure that you’re with at least one of these people. However, if you don’t give us these names, we will just guess our best, and you’ll stay in the group that we put you in. If you register late, the groups may be full, and you probably won’t get a choice.
Discernment & Preparation This is a process of discernment and preparation because during this time the Candidates are encouraged to consider everything they’ve learned, and are still learning about themselves and their faith, and then decide for themselves if they want to be confirmed at this time. It is the parents’ responsibility to make sure that their child receives faith formation and preparation for sacraments. However, it is the Candidate’s decision to be confirmed or not confirmed. When the preparation process is nearing completion, each Candidate will have an opportunity to give us their decision at their interview.
Confirmation Enrollment Ritual At an 11:30 AM mass on a Sunday we will call forward all the Confirmation Candidates for a special blessing as they begin their discernment and preparation. This let’s the parish have the opportunity to witness the beginning of the process, and to pray for the Candidates.
The Retreat We give a mini-retreat for all Candidates at St. John Hall. This is an opportunity for them to bond with their small group and the other young people in preparation. They also get acquainted with the adults on the team. The retreat includes elements of education and fun. Activities and discussions about Jesus’ life, mission, miracles, and teaching, are the basis for our retreat this year. We will serve dinner at the beginning of the retreat. The retreat is a critical first step in our process. All Candidates should participate in the retreat. All of our sessions will refer back to the activities and discussions from the retreat. Small Faith Group Meetings Meetings will take place on Sunday evenings. Please check the schedule for the exact dates and times. We will start in St. John Hall, and then move to our designated small group meeting spaces located in the Parish Office Building and the Pavilion.
~The Entrance Ritual ~The Retreat ~Meetings #1-7 ~ Groups & their mentors rotate through a different topic each week with a different catechist. · Sin & Reconciliation · The Bible & Prayer · Being Catholic · Values, Morality, Service · Symbols, Rituals, Worship, Liturgy · The Eucharist, Holy Week, Easter · Pentecost & Confirmation ~Meeting #8 ~ All groups have the same session this time. (Special activity about sacraments of initiation) ~Meeting #9 ~ An activity at church ~Meeting #10 ~ Final meeting with Mentors & pizza party! ~Holy Week ~ Candidates are encouraged to attend services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday.
~Confirmation Weekend ~ All Candidates and Sponsors must participate in the following: Saturday, Rehearsal at 10 AM, takes just 1 hour! Saturday, Confirmation Liturgy at 5 PM Mass This is our whole parish, multi-generational faith formation! Candidates & their families are invited to participate on: · Jan. 28 or 29 ...6-8:30 PM, Center (7 PM presentation at the church)
Group Meeting #10 with Mentors All Candidates get the chance to express their desire and readiness – or in some cases, their unwillingness – to be Confirmed at this time. If they want to talk about this in private, we’ll do that too. We also make sure we have all necessary information from the Candidate, and that they have been adequately prepared. The Candidates get a chance to critique the process, and ask any “burning” questions they might have.
What to Wear...Or What Not to Wear The Confirmation celebration is a VERY SPECIAL occasion. Please wear something really nice to church that day. Girls: NO bare tummies, NO spaghetti straps, NO strapless dresses, NO short skirts, and NO see-through anything! Boys: NO pants falling off your waist, please, and NO shorts!
Please Remember! · The registration deadline is January . · Don’t forget to give us 2 names for making groups! · You should start on your service ASAP! · We’re starting on January 13 with the entrance ritual and the mini-retreat. · We’re serving pizza at the beginning of the retreat. · Meetings are on Sunday nights. Choosing Your Confirmation Name
Long ago when Baptism and Confirmation were celebrated together a new name was chosen to indicate that this person was no longer the same person he/she was before, but had assumed a new Christian lifestyle. Except for the RCIA process (Rite of Christian Initiation where we bring people into the Catholic Church) we no longer celebrate Baptism and Confirmation together. Instead, we celebrate Confirmation as a continuation and finalization of the initiation process.
In order to show unity in the initiation process, the Church encourages us to use our baptismal name for Confirmation. However, you may choose to use a “Confirmation Name” instead. This name should be:
· A Christian name that holds special meaning for you · The name of a saint or a good Christian role model
You may also use your middle name, or you may choose another name to add to your first and middle name. The bishop, or his representative, will speak your name as he anoints your head with the Holy Chrism at the Confirmation Mass. Research your baptismal name and your other name choices in books about Saints and online at www.catholic.org/saints. Being a Christian, a Catholic, and a disciple of Christ calls us to live our lives according to the example and instructions Jesus himself gave us. This is our mission as Church, and it’s a BIG responsibility! One of the most important lessons Jesus taught us was that we must be willing to be a servant to all people in His name. This means that we must actually DO something to be a disciple of Christ! By doing parish and community service, we demonstrate a willingness to show Christian responsibility to our mission.
At St. John’s, we require that all Candidates have two (2) “experiences of service”. This means that the Candidates should participate in some type of parish or community service twice. We do not require a specific number of hours!
An experience of service might be helping at Share-A-Lunch or a nursing home one time. (Please see the next page for more examples and details.) If the Candidate is already serving as an altar attendant, Eucharistic minister, or in some other position frequently, they only need to do one (1) other experience of service.
Often during their service experiences, Candidates realize that they are already doing Jesus’ work. However, some Candidates find that they are missing opportunities to answer Jesus’ call to serve. Parents, sponsors, mentors, catechists, and other candidates can then encourage and inspire them to continue finding ways to actively do Jesus’ work through parish and community service after they are confirmed.
Please see below for examples of service that will fulfill the requirement for our preparation.
Service should be something that truly gives you an experience of discipleship! GOOD examples of service:
Altar attending
***If you already do long-term parish service (like altar attending or Eucharistic minister), you only need to have 1 other service experience. NOTE: Some things will NOT be considered as service! Examples:
Cleaning your
house
If you have questions about your service experience, please call Debbie at the Youth Office (755-4972) or email her at dkreiner@stjohnwc.org.
If it’s not listed above, it’s best to have it OK’d St. John the Evangelist Church Office of Youth Ministry Debbie Kreiner Pastoral Associate for Youth Ministry 9080 Cincinnati-Dayton Road West Chester, OH 45069 513-755-4972 Office 513-777-9741 Fax
We need you again! (Parents, grandparents, older siblings, etc.) We need several volunteers to make this preparation happen. Please prayerfully consider:
(Because of the nature of our process, we are seeking people Mentors ~ Each small faith group will have at least one mentor, an adult or older teen, who stays with the group, gets to know everyone in the group, helps them through the process, keeps track of their progress, etc. This person is not the catechist, but he or she will assist the different catechists each week with the group. ** Catechists ~ We will have seven catechists. Each catechist will be responsible for preparing and presenting one of the rotation sessions above each week to a different small faith group for those seven weeks. Catechists are strongly encouraged to recruit a partner to help them with their preparation and presentation. This will help in case one of them should get sick and have to miss a week.** **The catechists and leaders will all help lead parts of the retreat, meetings #8, 9, and 10, and may participate in the rehearsal and Confirmation liturgy.
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E-mail Debbie at the
Office of Youth Ministry!
mailto:dkreiner@stjohnwc.org
This page was last updated on 08/25/08.
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