CONFIRMATION

be sealed with the holy spirit.

COMMIT & PREPARE

Step 2: COMMIT

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• Select a Sponsor or Mentor: Each confirmation candidate must select a sponsor. This person is a representative of the Catholic community who agrees to mentor the candidate throughout the semester and presents the candidate to the bishop at the Confirmation Mass. A sponsor should be someone who not only models the Christian life but can also challenge you to grow in it. To be eligible, the person must be a baptized, confirmed, and practicing Catholic who is in good standing. A student may not choose a parent. 

  • Scroll down for more information on choosing a sponsor.

  • What if my sponsor isn’t able to meet with me? Ideally, your sponsor will be the person who walks with you through this process. But, if that is not possible, then you may choose another adult to be your mentor (meet with you 6x) and your sponsor simply attend the practice on Nov. 7 and the Mass on Nov. 9.​

  • Support: each sponsor will have a “coach,” an experienced Confirmation leader, who will check in with them regularly and offer support, answer questions, etc.

• Fill out Request for Candidacy Form by April 18: This online form is for students to fill out, not parents. Before you fill it out, you will need to know your sponsor's name and contact information, baptismal date, church, and city. If you were baptized at a parish other than St. Bernard, Christ King, or St. Pius X, you will need to scan and submit a copy of your baptism certificate. 

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• Parent Registration: If you have not already officially registered for Confirmation and paid the $75 fee, you can do that here. Financial aid available.

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WHAT NEXT?

Between now and our kickoff  (April 25-May 13), you should:​

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1. Make sure you have the supplies you need

Every Confirmation candidate should have a Catechism of the Catholic Church (any edition, $15-22 new on Amazon) and a Catholic Bible (preferably New American).  If you do not have a Catechism or Bible, and cannot find or afford one, please contact Sarah. We have a few extras you may have.

• Catechism: First Edition or Second Edition

• Bible Suggestions: Amazon

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2. Begin Thinking about your Confirmation Saint

There is a rich tradition in the Catholic Church of choosing a new name to begin a new mission. Abram became Abraham, people who become nuns or monks, have historically taken new names, as does a bishop who becomes pope. You are asked to take the name of a saint you admire. This saint will also be someone who can intercede for you in heaven. You won't need to decide on a Confirmation saint until February, but you can begin thinking about it now! This saint will become a patron for you and will intercede on your behalf. You will take this saint’s name at the Confirmation Mass.​​

Scroll down for more information on choosing a saint​.

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SCHEDULE & EXPECTATIONS

For Fall 2021 Confirmation

We will gather as a large group (candidates & sponsors) one time to kickoff the semester. After this initial meeting, candidates and sponsors will meet an additional 5x to finish the handbook. Additionally, you are asked to complete a service and prayer experience together. 

• ​​April 25-May 13: After you commit, sign up to attend a Kickoff session with your sponsor. Sign up here. 

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• May-October: Meet with your sponsor/mentor 5-7 additional times.

  • TIMES: These meetings are scheduled on your own time/location. They may be done at the parish, in a coffee shop/public place, or over Zoom (if necessary).

  • CONTENT: Each sponsor and each student will receive a booklet that provides discussion questions, prayer prompts, and video intros for each of the 5 additional meetings. Meetings are designed to be 60-75 minutes in length.

  • PRAYER & SERVICE EXPERIENCES: Each duo are also asked to complete a service and prayer experience. If your sponsor is not able to serve alongside you or join you in prayer, you may complete this with another person or on your own. 

  • ACCOUNTABILITY: Accountability: each student is responsible for recording when they met with their sponsor and having their sponsor sign off on it. This will be turned in on October 9-10.

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• October 9-10 - Commitment Weekend: One month prior to our November 9 Confirmation Mass, students will be asked to officially request the sacrament of Confirmation from the Church. At this point, students should have completed all (or most) of their preparation with their sponsor and be able to make a commitment to live a Christian life of discipleship.

  • Items to turn in: Students make this commitment by writing a letter to the bishop and turning in their final forms including when they met, sponsor name, and their chosen Confirmation saint.

  • Blessing: After Mass on this weekend, candidates will to turn in these forms and will receive a special blessing from our priests as they begin the last 30 days of their preparation. There will be a blessing at each parish, but the Masses have not been selected yet.

  • What if I’m not ready? If you got behind on your meetings, or aren’t quite ready to make this big commitment, that’s okay! You’re welcome to be Confirmed in fall 2022 with our parish. Or, I can help you join a spring Confirmation Mass at a nearby parish. 

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• November 7 - Confirmation Day Away: See below.​

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• November 9, 7pm Confirmation Mass at Christ King with Bishop Haines​

CONFIRMATION
DAY AWAY

November 7, 2021

Two days before Confirmation, candidates will gather for final preparation. The location and exact time for this retreat depends on current Covid-19 restrictions. Ideally, we will attend Mass in the morning, then take a bus to a retreat center for the day. We will return in the evening to end the day with our Confirmation practice (with sponsor). Tentatively, the day will begin with 8am Mass and end at 7pm. This may be shortened, but will not be extended.

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More details coming soon...

RECEIVE THE FULLNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Fall Confirmation Mass: Nov. 9, 7pm

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What is Confirmation?

In Confirmation, you will receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His gifts, preparing you for your ministry and renewed commitment to Christ. This Holy Spirit is the Counselor promised to us by Christ Himself when He said, “If you love me, you will keep my Commandment. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you” (Jn 14:16-17).

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Jesus gave the Apostles His Holy Spirit after His Resurrection when He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22). We receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism when we are Baptized “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” But in Confirmation, we complete what we started in baptism and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1285).

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Confirmation more perfectly unites you to Christ (CCC 1309), and prepares you for a familiarity with the Holy Spirit, His actions, gifts, and bidding (CCC 1309). The Sacrament of Confirmation more perfectly binds you with Christ’s Church as well (CCC 1309) and all Her members throughout the ages. By your Confirmation, you will become a Christian witness (CCC 1304, 1317), and will be responsible for preaching and defending the true faith (CCC 1295). You will also accept for yourself the responsibility of continuing your education in the faith and practicing your religion (CCC 1295).

What are the effects of Confirmation?

1. We receive a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as at Pentecost (CCC 1302).

2. We partake in divine filiations (CCC 1303):

   1. we are united more firmly to Christ.

   2. we receive an increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

   3. we are bound with the Church more perfectly.

   4. we are strengthened to spread and defend the faith.

   5. we are given the grace to confess the name of Christ boldly and never be ashamed of the Cross.

3. We are given an indelible, permanent mark as a witness of Christ on our soul (CCC 1304).

4. We share more perfectly in the common priesthood of the faithful, which helps us to profess our faith publicly and officially for ourselves (CCC 1305).

CCC=Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph number

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

In Confirmation, you will receive the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts help us to be holy. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are:

• WISDOM – infused gift to give a delight for the things of God and to direct our whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory. Also makes the soul responsive to God in the contemplation of divine things; goes beyond simple knowledge of the beliefs to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves.

• UNDERSTANDING – infused gift to allow the mind to grasp revealed truths easily and profoundly with insight into the meaning of these truths.

• KNOWLEDGE – infused gift to give a person the ability to judge everything from a supernatural viewpoint. As a result, a person can see the providential purpose of whatever enters his/her life, interact with people and things properly according to God’s will, and discern easily and effectively between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace.

• COUNSEL – infused gift to enable a person to determine promptly and rightly what should be done, especially in difficult situations. This primarily refers to one’s own choices/behavior.

• FORTITUDE – infused gift to give a person unusual courage and a special strength of will, including an extraordinary readiness to undergo trials for love of God.

• PIETY – infused gift to give a person loyalty to God and the things of God; enables a person to see God as a loving Father and act toward Him with generous love and affectionate obedience.

• FEAR OF THE LORD – infused gift to inspire a person with profound respect for the majesty of God.

FORMS & RESOURCES

Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor 

Each candidate should have their own individual sponsor. Your sponsor may be a godparent, a relative or another role model in your life. 

Qualifications of a sponsor: 

1. Must be a fully initiated Catholic, having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.

2. Sponsors are to be active members of a Catholic Church who attend Mass regularly. Ideally, you would choose someone from our three parishes.

3. Must be sufficiently mature in his/her commitment to Christ: committed to life as a disciple.

4. Must be a minimum age of 16 years. But, we recommend choosing someone who has been Confirmed for 5+ years.

5. The person chosen must have the intention of performing their role and assume an ongoing spiritual relationship with the candidate – this is not a one-time role!

6. Cannot be the parent of the Confirmation candidate.

7. Not prohibited by law (canon or civil) from exercising the role of sponsor.

What does a sponsor do?

1. Assist in the preparation for the Sacrament:

   • Meet with your candidate at least 6 times, leading the discussion with guidebook.

   • Pray for your candidate daily.

   • Attend the end of the Confirmation Retreat for prayer and practice.

   • Participate in a service or prayer experience with the candidate. If this is not possible, the candidate may do this part with another person or on their own.

2. Accompany the candidate and present him/her to the bishop at the Confirmation Mass.

3. Help the candidate fulfill his baptismal promises faithfully by challenging and encouraging them as needed.

4. Build this relationship. Go out of your way to know, love, and support your candidate.

5. Continuing to be a source of encouragement and guidance for the candidate after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.

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Traits to look for in a sponsor: 

• A sponsor prays and desires to be a saint. 

• A sponsor participates in the Liturgy and in the parish. 

• A sponsor listens and is respectful. 

• A sponsor serves as a bridge, helping the candidate understand and become familiar with the people, places and traditions of the Catholic faith the candidate is unfamiliar with. 

• A sponsor respects the candidate’s freedom, allowing the candidate to decide whether this is the right time to seek the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

• A sponsor lives in a world of hope, feeling confident in being able to live their faith in the world. 

Prayer for Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor 

Holy Spirit, helper and guide, give me wisdom as I choose my Confirmation sponsor. Help me to choose a person of prayer who will teach me also to be a person of prayer, who will support me in difficult times, who will guide me to make good choices, and who will challenge me when I do not. Help me to choose someone who will love me and teach me to love Jesus. Thank you for giving me a community of people around me to support and guide me as I take this important step in becoming more fully a member of your Church. Amen. 

Choosing a Confirmation Saint

During Confirmation, when the bishop anoints you with chrism and lays his hands on your head, you will receive the Holy Spirit in a new way: God will seal what he began in Baptism. This sacrament is a powerful encounter with God. Throughout our Christian history, such encounters were marked with a name change. For example, God gave Abram the name of Abraham and his wife Sarai the name of Sarah. Even today, when a man or woman enters a monastery/convent they also take on a new name and when a man is elected pope, such Jorge Bergoglio, he takes a new name such as Pope Francis.

In that tradition, we will mark your Confirmation with a name change. This new name -- the name of a Saint whom you admire and who you would like to imitate -- is imposed by the bishop during Confirmation. Traditionally, Catholics have added their Confirmation name to their legal, full name following their middle name and before their last name. You may choose instead to keep your Baptismal name. However, you are still expected to research the life of a saint you’d like to be your patron.

Why Choose a Saint?

The veneration of saints is an ancient tradition in our Church. We believe, as Catholics, that many of those who have gone before us are in Heaven – this means they have already achieved their life’s goal: eternal life and glory in heaven! As they are now in heaven, these saints can help us in two ways.  First, they are models for us of the Christian life on earth. Second, they pray (intercede) to God on our behalf. We ask each Confirmation candidate to choose a saint whom they would like to imitate and pray to in a special way.  This saint will become your patron saint, so take time to pray and think about who you’d like to choose. 

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Where to Start

• Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find a saint who will inspire you and be a spiritual companion.

• Brainstorm what kind of a saint you’d like to have: someone with specific qualities or hardships they’ve endured; or a saint with a common interest, name or birthday as you.

• Read their stories, some have lived heroic, unimaginable lives and others may remind you of yourself. Which stories stuck with you? Which saint seemed to just stand out?

• Recommended Web Resources:

  • www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day

  • http://catholicsaints.info/

  • www.catholic.org/saints/

  • www.newadvent.org/

Guidelines

Your patron may be fully canonized, a Blessed, or someone from the Old Testament. You may choose either a man or woman.