St. Andrew Catholic Church
910 Austin Drive
Saline, MI 48176
(734) 429-5210 (Main Number)
(734)429-1450 (Youth Program Office)
Rev. 10/22/2009
I.
Introduction
A.
Who can be confirmed at St. Andrew Catholic Church?
B.
When is confirmation preparation done at St. Andrew Catholic Church?
III.
Preparation process
A.
Overview
B.
Requirements of the confirmation preparation program
A.
Choosing a sponsor
B.
Photos
C.
Certificates
D.
Confirmation
I.
INTRODUCTION
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 by 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 completely 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.
iI. SCHEDULING INFORMATION
A) Who can participate in the
confirmation process at St. Andrew?
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?
Confirmation
preparation sessions are held on Wednesdays beginning with the 7:00 PM Mass and
ending at 9:15 PM. Candidates begin with
daily Mass in the sanctuary and then relocate to 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. The
confirmation preparation schedule often parallels the Saline Area Schools
calendar.
Iii. preparation process
A)
Overview
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 interactions, and dialogue with parents and sponsor
(to name a few). In order to accomplish
this, there are several requirements of the program.
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 make-up assignment completed by the following week. The written assignments are not an altenate
for Wednesday preparation classes, and should be used only in emergencies. It is strongly suggested that all candidates
participate in the 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 its 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 other 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
either the Fall or Spring youth retreats offered by St. Andrew as their retreat
experience. Permission must be granted
in writing one month in advance of the confirmation 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.
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 verifying that they are active
members of their faith community. This
is standard operating procedure in most parishes, and a simple 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.
B)
Photos
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.
C)
Certificates
Confirmation
Certificates are prepared after Confirmation, and will be available at the
final confirmation preparation meeting.
D)
Confirmation
Fees
There
is a $100 fee for Confirmation, which helps to cover the cost of Bibles,
Catechisms, handouts, staffing, food, and T-shirts. 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 fee for the Confirmation Retreat (usually in January). This fee
covers the cost of food, lodging, and transportation for the candidate. This fee is waived for children of adult
volunteers in the program.
[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).