Confirmation
Expectations / Requirements
At Saint Catherine's, Confirmation is for ninth through twelfth graders with a required two-year preparation. The expectations of our Confirmation process are fairly straightforward and simple: they are liturgical, ministerial, spiritual and educational. Liturgical: Since Confirmation is meant to coincide with a time in our life when we take more personal responsibility for our own lives, we expect that candidates for this sacrament will be regular communicants at the Sunday Eucharist. This is so fundamental to our understanding of Confirmation as Catholics that one who does not regularly assist at Sunday Eucharist should seriously question whether he or she is ready for this sacrament. The bedrock of our Confirmation catechesis is Sunday Mass and we expect our candidates to attend Mass every Sunday [viz. Saturday vigil] during their formation period. On certain of these Sundays candidates, parents and sponsors will be expected to attend a particular Mass at St. Catherine's. These liturgies as well as other required gatherings are outlined on a schedule each year.
Ministerial: Since the Eucharist propels us weekly to Christian service and ministry, it is expected that candidates for Confirmation involve themselves in ongoing service to the Church and the world. We expect candidates to serve at least twenty hours in a ministry or community service during the year. Such ministry or service is perhaps best construed as a kind of apprenticeship in the Christian life. Ideally, it should be performed in the company of others and, wherever possible, with the collaboration of the candidate's sponsor and other older parishioners. Our Confirmation team and parish staff will be happy to discuss various ministerial options with you.
The candidates will be required to give a one page written report on their ministry to the Confirmation Coordinator by April 1 each year. The report should basically describe what the candidate has been doing for a ministry and what he/she has learned from that experience.
Spiritual: Candidates for Confirmation are expected to grow in prayer as they deepen their sense of God and spirituality. Some consistent form of prayer each day is strongly recommended whether that be reading from the Bible for fifteen minutes, centering prayer exercises or prayer in the morning and/or evening. In addition, candidates are required to participate in a retreat experience. The parish offers a Confirmation Candidate retreat (dates are announced as early as possible).
Parents and Sponsors are expected to attend a parish retreat also.
Educational: Since Confirmation initiates us into a lifelong process of Christian living, learning and maturation, candidates are required to complete at least two years of religious education or studies prior to receiving the sacrament.
Absences: Students who miss three or more sessions [classes, Sunday Liturgies, other services] or who fail to fulfill all the requirements [e.g. the service component, the retreat, etc.] will need to meet with the Confirmation Coordinator and, depending on how much is missed, may be asked to repeat the entire year. In a one-year year program with a limited number of gatherings we consider attendance at mass and all scheduled events extremely important. If other commitments [sports, family, school] do not allow faithful attendance to our program at this time, we recommend waiting until you have the time and space needed to prepare well for Confirmation.
The Sponsor: All candidates for Confirmation must select a sponsor. While it is preferable that the sponsor for Confirmation be the same as the baptismal sponsor it is allowed to select another person. In general, the sponsor should be the kind of person with whom the candidate is willing to share the faith journey. The criteria for a sponsor are included below and we urge you to read these carefully and think seriously about your choice before asking someone to be your sponsor. Since sponsors are expected to attend class and other functions with the candidates they will need to be asked to participate early on in the Confirmation process. Should the sponsor live far away or should you be undecided for a while as to whom to ask, one of the parents is expected to attend the various sessions with the candidate. At the latest you should have your sponsor selected by December 1st so that the sponsor can be a constant companion on the faith journey and a mentor for mature Catholic life and Church membership.
Criteria for Sponsors:
1. A person who is a practicing faith-filled Roman Catholic adult.
2. A person who is able to relate in friendship to a teenager and is a good
listener.
3. A person who is willing to participate in the Confirmation
process during the year by attending class and other sessions, including
Sunday Mass, with his/her candidate.
4. A person who is willing to share
his or her own experience of faith.
5. Sponsors must be fully initiated
Catholics, that is, they must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation
and the Eucharist. Preferably, the baptismal sponsor should be the Confirmation
sponsor whenever possible.
6. A sponsor must be at least sixteen years old.
7. Parents may not be sponsors for their sons and daughters.
A Final Word: We can only reiterate what we have said above that Confirmation is an extremely important event in the life of the church and in the life of the individual. We, for our part, will try to provide a program that is spiritually enriching and personally challenging. We hope that you will give this time of preparation the time, energy, cooperation and sense of priority which preparing for a sacrament in the church demands. We look forward to sharing this journey of faith with you and your family. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call Deacon Bobby Peregrino, our Confirmation Coordinator, at (707) 342-0410 or Mrs. Janet Brandon, our Religious Education Coordinator, at (707) 647-4445.
REQUIREMENTS IN A NUTSHELL Liturgical
- Attendance at Mass every Sunday during the course of preparing for Confirmation. The Mass schedule for St. Catherine's is:
5:30 PM on Saturday, 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12 noon and 5:30 PM on Sunday.
- Other liturgies as noted in the yearly schedule. Ministerial
- At least twenty hours of ministry/service during the course of the year. Report due by April 1.
Spiritual
- Growing in prayer and deepening awareness of God. - Participation in the Retreat. Absences - No more than three including liturgies and other sessions as noted in the yearly schedule.