***We will also need a copy of the students Baptism and First Communion Certificates. If there were baptized or received their First Communion at SMM, then please email Sara at, [email protected], the date the sacrament was received.***
(Texto en español a continuación del texto en inglés)
Through Confirmation, baptized Catholics receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as did the apostles on Pentecost. Confirmation confirms within us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that we receive at Baptism. After candidates are anointed with the Chrism Oil
"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...in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life.... Catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1309).
Due to the nature and importance of the sacrament, we have a number of requirements in place to ensure your student understands what Confirmation is and to help them get the most from this important milestone in her/his life. Preparation for Confirmation is a two-year process that can begin your student’s Freshmen, Sophomore, or Junior year of high school. The Confirmation requirements differ depending on if your student is in their first or second year of preparation. Please see the buttons to the left to access the required paperwork for each year of Confirmaton prep.
This program has been developed so that your student can take responsibility for completing the necessary requirements. Despite the emphasis on your student taking charge of completing all of the necessary tasks, there are certain aspects to the process where you can assist in or facilitate the process to complete the requirement.
FIRST YEAR OF PREPARTION REQUIREMENTS
ATTENDANCE:
Students are required to attend Sunday classes, as well as both of the day Confirmation retreats in the fall and the spring. If a student were to miss 3 or more classes they will have to attend a make-up class at the end of the RE year. This class will make-up the absences throughout the year and will put the students back within the requirements for Confirmation. This make-up class will ONLY serve as a make-up for classes missed. If a student is to miss a retreat, there will be something else they will need to do to make up the retreat. You will receive an email from Sara if your student needs to attend this make-up class. Students who miss half (10) or more of the classes will have to repeat the year.
SERVICE HOURS:
Students will be required to complete 20 hours of service by the end of this school year. These hours can be earned in many different ways, serving at mass, singing in the choir, volunteering at parish events, helping with Elementary RE classes, helping neighbors or volunteering at a food bank or second hand store, etc. As long as the student is not earning money for their time they can count it towards their hours. The minimum is 20, but don’t stop there! Service hours must be filled out on the service hours form given.
MASS ATTENDANCE:
As Catholics we are required to attend Mass every Sunday and every Holy Day of Obligation. Mass is the pinnacle and most important part of our faith. It is truly a gift and is what sets our Catholic faith apart from other Christian denominations. Last year, we learned that an alarming percentage of students do not attend Mass on a regular basis. In order to try and eliminate this issue, we have incorporated Mass into class time. Class will start with the 5pm Sunday Mass. With that being said though, we know that some families regularly attend Mass at a different time on Saturday evening or on Sunday, and we completely understand that. In order to keep students accountable, there will be a sign-in sheet in the Narthex of the church. Students will need to sign-in everytime they attend Mass at St. Margaret Mary. Students will be entered into a drawing each time they sign-in. We will draw a student’s name at the end of the year and that student will receive a prize!
***STUDENTS MUST STILL ATTEND MASS ON WEEKENDS WE DO NOT HAVE CLASS! THE SIGN-IN SHEETS WILL STILL BE OUT IN NARTHEX!***
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
Registration Closes → August 31
Confirmation Parent Meeting → September 15
First Day of Class → September 22
HS Fall Retreat → October 5
HS1 Spring Retreat → January 18
Service Hours Due → May 18
Last Day of Class → May 18
Make-Up Class (only for students with 3 or more absences) → May 21
Graduation Mass (12th grade students only) → May 25
OPTIONAL DIOCEASN EVENTS (addtional costs):
DCYC (Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference) → January 31-February 2 ($150 per student)
Godstock → TBA (estimated cost is $65 per student)
Steubenville Mid-America → TBA (estimated cost is $450 per student)
SECOND YEAR OF PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS
ATTENDANCE:
Students are required to attend Sunday classes, as well as BOTH the Fall day retreat and the retreat that will be in the Spring. If a student were to miss 3 or more classes they will have to attend a make-up class at the end of the RE year. This class will make-up the absences throughout the year and will put the students back within the requirements for Confirmation. This make-up class will ONLY serve as a make-up for classes missed. If a student is to miss a retreat, there will be something else they will need to do to make up the retreat. You will receive an email from Sara if your student needs to attend this make-up class. Students who miss half (10) or more of the classes will have to repeat the year.
SERVICE HOURS:
Students will be required to complete 40 hours of service by the end of this school year. Students should have completed 20 hours their first year and 20 hours their second year. These hours can be earned in many different ways, serving at mass, singing in the choir, volunteering at parish events, helping with Elementary RE classes, helping neighbors or volunteering at a food bank or second hand store, etc. As long as the student is not earning money for their time they can count it towards their hours. The minimum is 20, but don’t stop there! Service hours must be filled out on the service hours form given.
SAINT:
As a part of Confirmation, students are required to pick a saint. This saint should have some sort of significance and similar interests as the student. It should be a person that inspires the student to become more holy and to follow Jesus more closely. Someone that the student is proud to take the name of. Students should research their saint and fill out the saint form given completely with all the appropriate information.
SPONSOR:
Students are also required to pick a sponsor. Their sponsor should be a close friend or relative, but not one of their parents. The sponsor must be in good standing with the Catholic faith and must be a practicing Catholic. They should be fully initiated in the Catholic faith, meaning they should have already received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. They must also be at least 16 years of age or older. If the sponsor is married, the marriage must be a valid Catholic marriage and the couple should be living an active faith life within the Catholic church. The role of a sponsor is incredibly important. The sponsor should be someone that will lead the students to a closer and deeper relationship with Our Lord. They should be an example of what it means to fully live a life as a disciple within the Catholic Church. The sponsor must fill out the sponsor form given.
INTERVIEWS:
Prior to receiving the sacrament students will be interviewed either by someone on our RE team or by a core team member. These interviews are designed to make sure that the student is fully prepared to receive the sacrament. These will be 10-15 minute interviews. The students will receive a study guide that will help them prepare for their interview. Students do not have to memorize the guide, but should have an idea of the topics within it. Interviews will be held over a series of three evenings. The team members will be available during a certain time frame, students will sign up for one time slot via a SignUp Genius link. After you use the link to sign-up, you should receive a confirmation email.
MASS ATTENDANCE:
As Catholics we are required to attend Mass every Sunday and every Holy Day of Obligation. Mass is the pinnacle and most important part of our faith. It is truly a gift and is what sets our Catholic faith apart from other Christian denominations. Last year, we learned that an alarming percentage of students do not attend Mass on a regular basis. In order to try and eliminate this issue, we have incorporated Mass into class time. Class will start with the 5pm Sunday Mass. With that being said though, we know that some families regularly attend Mass at a different time on Saturday evening or on Sunday, and we completely understand that. In order to keep students accountable, there will be a sign-in sheet in the Narthex of the church. Students will need to sign-in everytime they attend Mass at St. Margaret Mary. Students will be entered into a drawing each time they sign-in. We will draw a student’s name at the end of the year and that student will receive a prize!
***STUDENTS MUST STILL ATTEND MASS ON WEEKENDS WE DO NOT HAVE CLASS! THE SIGN-IN SHEETS WILL STILL BE OUT IN NARTHEX!***
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
Registration Closes → August 31
Confirmation Parent Meeting → Septmeber 15
First Day of Class → September 22
HS Fall Retreat → October 5
ALL Confirmation Paperwork Due (excluding service hours)→ February 24
Confirmation Retreat at Eagles Wings (additional cost of $150) → April 4-6
Confirmation Interviews → April 22-24
40 Service Hours Due → May 18
Last Day of Class → May 18
Make-Up Class (only for students with 3 or more absences) → May 21
Graduation Mass (12th grade students only) → May 25
Confirmation Rehearsal (both the candidate and sponsor must attend) → TBA
Confirmation Mass (both the candidate and sponsor must attend) → TBA
OPTIONAL DIOCEASN EVENTS (addtional costs):
DCYC (Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference) → January 31-February 2 ($150 per student)
Godstock → TBA (estimated cost is $65 per student)
Steubenville Mid-America → TBA (estimated cost is $450 per student)