The primary goal of this program is to prepare you for reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The parish program is designed to guide you to freely accept for yourself the faith given in Baptism. In receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, you publicly ratify the commitment made for you by your parents and godparents at Baptism.

This is not a class and no grades will be given. There are certain criteria which will help determine whether you are ready to take this step or not. Those expectations will be explained from the very beginning of the program so there are no last minute surprises or requirements. It is our hope and experience that these criteria help you in the process of finding out more about yourself, your faith, and the mission into which you are being confirmed. Reception of the Sacrament is very serious. We ask that you approach the preparation with the same kind of seriousness and self-reflection.

Purpose of the Program

• To engage our candidates in a meaningful conversation about the genius of Catholicism in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

• To help evangelize our candidates and to allow them to hear the Gospel in a way that is fresh, intriguing, relevant, compelling, and attractive.

• To invite our candidates to choose Christ and the Church.

• To prepare our candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation, but also to teach and inspire them to respond and cooperate with God’s grace in all the circumstance of their daily lives, long after their Confirmation has passed.

• To deepen our candidate’s appreciation of the Church and our Catholic heritage at this time in their life.

• To enable our candidates by providing communal support and personal experience for them to grow in increased openness to the ever-present Spirit.

• To develop our candidate’s sense of belonging to the parish and the larger Church community.

• To involve our candidates in translating their faith into action through service and ministry and understanding that this is an on-going part of being a Catholic Christian in the faith community.

A. Sessions: There will be eleven, small-group, catechetical sessions spread over nine months. These sessions are held in the classrooms in the Pleus Building. Our program breaks open the fact that, when we were baptized, we were anointed priest, prophet, and king. The sessions will help you reaffirm what you already know about your Catholic faith, challenge you with new ideas, and prepare you to live as a 21st Century Catholic.

You are expected to be at all sessions. Excused absences may be permitted, but all missed work must be made up. The sessions begin with breakfast at 9:30 in Pleus Hall and continue until 11:15. This time frame allows you the opportunity to either go to Mass before you come to the session or still have time to attend the 11:30 Mass if you need to do so.

Please remember you will get out of the sessions what you put into them. Your participation is important not just to yourself, but to the others in your small group. Your attitude during these sessions will be used as one of the criteria in determining your readiness to be confirmed.

B. Sponsors: By early March, you will be asked to select your sponsor. Your sponsor should be someone who exemplifies the Catholic faith for you. They need to be a confirmed, practicing Catholic at least 16 years of age. Canon Law prohibits your parents from serving as your sponsor. It is very appropriate for one of your baptismal godparents to be your sponsor, but the choice is up to you because this person will walk in a special way with you during your time of preparation and beyond. Your sponsor will help you understand the significance of this sacrament. There will be times you and your sponsor will meet, and they may be asked to join you for other things during the preparation process. For these reasons, it is helpful if your sponsor lives close, but that is not mandatory. If they are unable to join you for an activity, one or both of your parents may attend in their place.

C. Service Projects: Service projects will be done in small groups as part of the summer piece of our Program. Each small group will meet three times during the summer for prayer and to plan a group service project. Two service projects will be done during the summer and the third project will be the entire Confirmation group putting on Trunk or Treat for the parish on the Sunday closest to Halloween. The readiness of each candidate will be determined by their input and involvement in their group’s project.

D. Mass Attendance: One huge expectation for those wishing to be confirmed is they are actively participating in Sunday Mass on a weekly basis. Since the Eucharist defines us as a people of faith, it must play a central and regular role in the lives of its members.

Attendance will not be taken, but we are relying on your maturity and love of God and neighbor to be motivating forces in regular Sunday worship. Lack of Mass attendance will pose grave concerns in our determination of your readiness for confirmation. We strongly suggest each candidate receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before being confirmed and encourage the candidates to make it a regular part of their faith lives.

E. Baptismal Certificates: Each candidate must have a copy of their Baptismal Certificate on file with the parish. If you were baptized at Immaculate Conception, you need not supply us with a copy of your certificate. If you were not baptized at IC, please bring a copy of your baptismal certificate to the Parent / Candidate orientation session.

We hope this will be a rewarding time of preparation for you. Please use it as a time to relax, learn about, and deepen your relationships with yourself, your faith community, and God. We are here to help you grow in your faith.

If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Phyllis Emmel at 635-6923 or pemmel@icangels.com