What is the Role of 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.

​​

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. 

​

​

​

Where And When Do We Meet?

• When to Meet: You are free to meet on your own schedule, at your own pace. However,  to keep momentum moving, I suggest you try meeting every 2-3 weeks, and no less often than monthly.

• Where to Meet: Meet in a public place, like a coffee shop or library, or schedule a time to meet at Christ King through Sarah. You may also meet at the candidate’s home if a parent is home. Unless you are related, you should not be meeting in a home with no other adults around, per Archdiocesan safe environment standards. 

​

​

​

How Should I Prepare To Meet?

Remember - you do not need to prepare a lesson plan or "teach" this material. You simply need to participate with your candidate and walk with them through the material. Plus, you should respond to the questions and prayer prompts too! However, you can still help your candidate get the most out of your meeting by doing the following: 

• Pray for your upcoming meeting and any particular needs your candidate has or anything that you anticipate will come up.

• Read through the session and take notes about any thoughts and experiences you want to share, and anything else that will help the session flow.

• Go with your gut. You know your candidate well and the Holy Spirit will work through you. Find ways to make this more relatable to them and tweak the session to fit your conversation and your candidate’s needs.

• Optional - watch the intro video for the session (see below). These videos give a quick 5-min overview of the session. They are not necessary, but provided to give you a little extra insight. 

​

 

Help! My candidate is asking tough questions!

If your candidate is asking questions you don't know the answers to, don't worry! This is a great problem because it means they are taking in this information, pondering it, and responding to it. For specific questions or issues, please don't hesitate to contact Sarah. But, here's a few resources that may help you find answers on your own:

• Catholic.com - this website is built to explain the Catholic faith, particularly the tough questions.

• Youtube: Ascension Presents - this library of videos covers many hot topic and common questions.

• Online Catechism

• Catholic Encyclopedia

• 50 Truths Every Catholic Teen Should Know PDF

​

​

Help! My candidate is closed off and not participating

This is a tough one. Sacraments are a gift and cannot be forced on anyone. Some students may enter this preparation process at the request of their parents. It's good to honor that, but the student still needs to do their part. Ultimately, receiving Confirmation is a gift, but also a commitment they make to God - a commitment only they can freely make. Here's a few tips.

1. Be honest and talk about it. Don't be afraid to name the elephant in the room. "Hey, it seems like you really don't want to be here. Is that true?"

2. Let them know that they can be honest too. We're not looking for them to say the right things or give 100% agreement with everything. We want to spark conversation and wrestle with the Gospel.

3. Come to an agreement and don't be afraid to challenge them. "You don't need to make the decision to be Confirmed today. But, you do need to decide whether to continue with this preparation process. I'd like to keep meeting with you, but, I need you to meet me half way. Which means you need to be willing to engage in conversation. Is that something you're willing to do?"

4. Pray for them even more. Try fasting: offer a lukewarm or cold shower once a week, or skip that Starbucks run, sweets, or something else a few times a week. St. Monica prayed and cried and fasted for the conversion of her son. He converted and became not only a bishop but one of the greatest minds of the church: St. Augustine. Remember, God desires the happiness, joy, and salvation of His children even more than we do. Here's a prayer you can pray (source):

Eternal and merciful Father, I give You thanks for the gift of Your Divine Son Who suffered, died and rose for all mankind. I thank You also for my Catholic Faith and ask Your help that I may grow in fidelity by prayer, by works of charity and penance, by reflection on Your Word, and by regular participation in the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.

 

You gave Saint Monica a spirit of selfless love manifested in her constant prayer for the conversion of her son Augustine. Inspired by boundless confidence in Your power to move hearts, and by the success of her prayer. I ask the grace to imitate her constancy in my prayer for [name]. Grant through my prayer and witness that (he/she) may be open to the promptings of Your Holy Spirit, and embrace all you offer through Your Son and His Church. Grant also that my prayer be ever hopeful and that I may never judge another, for You alone can read hearts. I ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.” St. Monica, pray for us!

​

Need a prayer partner, or want to talk through some other ideas to keep your candidate engaged? Please don't hesitate to contact Sarah.