Sacramental Preparation

Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is a two-year process. Teens typically begin preperation their freshmen year of high school but are welcome to begin the process later if needed. In the Holy Rood Collaborative, St. Mary holds a spring Confirmation while St. John & St. Margaret hold a fall Confirmation. Participation in parish sacramental preperation is required of all teens including those who attend Catholic schools. Those who have not recieved faith formation either through parish faith formation or Catholic schooling in the years leading up to Confirmation may be asked to participate in supplementary instruction as part of their Confirmation preperation process. 

Curriculum

Confirmation Prep uses Chosen: Your Journey to Confirmation by Ascension Press. Chosen brings together twelve of the most talented and inspiring presenters in the Church today, and is filmed at more than fifty locations, Chosen is designed to capture the attention of our youth and present the faith to them in new and unexpected ways. The program seeks to connect with the hearts and minds of our young people on an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual level. Each week, teens will be engaged, challenged, and inspired as they are guide toward a deepening relationship with Christ and a life of committed discipleship. Every other class is supplement with Confirmation Prayer Formation designed by the Faith Formation Staff to help teens grow in their prayer lives.

Components

Mass
As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Mass is the source and summit of our faith. Regular Mass attendance (i.e. at least every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation) is an expectation of our faith formation families. The Confirmation class timing is designed to be in conjunction with a Mass, taking place before the evening Mass at St. John's. However, families are welcome to attend any Mass that works for them and their schedule. Mass engagement is encouraged throughout the year through Mass Tickets and Mass Reflections.  

Prayer
Prayer is an essential part of Christian life. It is also a difficult habit to aquire. Part of Confirmation preperation is focused on helping teens to grow in their prayer lives. This is done in two ways. First through exposing them to a variety of ways of praying, in hopes that each teen will discover a method or two of praying particularly well suited to him or her. Second through accountability; teens will set prayer goals each class and review their goals from the previous month with their tables to help them learn to recognize what helps them to pray best.  

Class
Confirmation meets once or twice a month during the faith formation year for a total of 12 classes. Classes are held in the St. John Parish Hall. Youth are split into small groups that sit together at tables with adult facilitators. A lead teacher presents material to the large group which is reinforced and explored further in activities and discussion conducted in the small groups.

Parent Participation 
Parent engagement is crucial when it comes to passing on the faith to the next generation. It is important that parents model faith practices their children. This is why our collaborative has a family-centered model for Faith Formation with parents praying, learning, and growing in their faiths along with their children. We also know that beginning to take on more responsibility for their faith lives is important for Confirmation Candidates. Therefore, we will not be asking parents to attend every Session, as we do for the younger grades. Instead, parents will be expected to attend 3 Sessions throughout the year. This will include the 1st Session of the year and 2 additional sessions of their choosing. Parents can attend whichever Session works best for their schedule or whose topic most piques their interest. Parents will be placed at Parent Tables together where they will be able to discuss the faith and raising kids in the faith with other Catholic parents. We ask that, if possible, parents please sign-up for the sessions they wish to attend ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough materials available. 

Link to Sign-Up For Confirmation I            Link to Sign-Up for Confirmation II 

Deep Dives
A common component to all grade levels in family faith formation, Deep Dives are a chance for families to experience faith together through prayer, service, etc. A wide variety of Deep Dives will be offered throughout the year, allowing families to pick ones that fit with their schedules and interests. Confirmation Candidates are asked to complete AT LEAST 4 Deep Dives each year. 2 of these should be done with their families and 2 can be done on their own or with friends. 

Link to Deep Dive Calendar

• October 1, 2023 
  • Chosen Lessons 1&2: “Why am I here?” (An Introduction to Chosen) 
  • and  "What makes me happy?" (Discovering God as the Source)
• October 22, 2023 
  • Prayer: Planning for Prayer (Setting and meeting goals for prayer) 
• November 12, 2023 
  •  Chosen Lesson 3: “What’s Your Story God?” (A Look at Salvation History) 
• December 3, 2023 
  •  Prayer: Prayer Personalities (Exploring differenent approaches to prayer) 
• December 17, 2023 
  • Chosen Lesson 4: "How do I know God is real?" (Understanding Divine Revelation)
• January 21, 2024 
  • Prayer: Who do you say that I am? (The roles God plays in our lives and prayer)
• February 4, 2024 
  • Chosen Lesson 5: “Who is Jesus?” (The Person and Mission of Christ) Lesson 6:
• February 25, 2024 
  • Prayer: Going Deeper with Rote Prayer (Making it more than going through the motions) 
• March 10, 2024 
  • Chosen Lesson 6: “Why Be Catholic?” (Discovering the Church Jesus Founded) 
• March 24, 2024 
  • Prayer: Physical Aids for Prayer (Material helps for the spiritual life)  
• April 7, 2024 
  • Chosen Lesson 7: “Where am I going?” (A Look at the Last Four Things) 
• April 28, 2024  
  • Prayer: Challenges in Prayer (Overcoming obstacles to and in prayer) 

Make-Up Work

• Make sure to review the expectations for families in Confirmation I with your child. Found in the pizza box and attached here. 
• Complete Chosen Lesson 1 & 2 using the Ascension Press online (directions found below).

• Use THIS LINK to access the Ascension Press' online platform called, Thinkific. 
• After clicking on the link, create an account with an email and password of your choice (or log-in to an existing account). 
• To complete the registration, click on “complete your purchase” but don’t worry the access is already paid for and the amount due will be zero! 
• Then you will be able to view all study videos, as well as a digital workbook.
• Complete whichever Lesson you missed. When you complete the Lesson, it will show up in our digital records, you don't need to do anything else!

• Watch the below video together.
• Have a conversation based on the video using the below questions (or similar):
  • What in particular struck us from the video?
  • When it comes to prayer, are we giving God our first fruits or our leftovers?
  • How can we make prayer more of a priority in our lives?
• Create prayer goals together. Use these sheets to do so:
  • Teens should use pgs. 2-4 HERE. 
  • Parents should use HERE. 
• Chose either the A.C.T.S. Prayer (pg. 6 in teen booklet) or the Examen (pg. 5 in teen booklet) and pray it together.

• Complete your prayer tracking sheet and create a new prayer goal on your sheet. 
• Complete Chosen Lesson 3 using the Ascension Press online (directions found below).

• Use THIS LINK to access the Ascension Press' online platform called, Thinkific. 
• After clicking on the link, create an account with an email and password of your choice (or log-in to an existing account). 
• To complete the registration, click on “complete your purchase” but don’t worry the access is already paid for and the amount due will be zero! 
• Then you will be able to view all study videos, as well as a digital workbook.
• Complete whichever Lesson you missed. When you complete the Lesson, it will show up in our digital records, you don't need to do anything else!

Session Schedule 

• October 15, 2023 
  • Prayer: Priorities (How can we put God first in our lives?)
• November 5, 2023 
  • Chosen Lessons 12 & 17: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” (Meeting the Third Person of the Trinity) & “Who’s Calling?” (Vocational Discernment)   
• Novmeber 19, 2023 
  • Prayer: Seasonal Prayers (Praying through the Calendar)
• December 10, 2023 
  • Chosen Lesson 8: "How do I get there?" (The Power and Purpose of the Sacraments)
• January 7, 2024 
  • Prayer: Praying with the Saints (Friends Along the Way) 
• January 28, 2024  
  • Chosen Multiple Lessons: Vocation & God's Plan 
• February 11, 2024 
  • Prayer: Holy Hour (Praying with the Blessed Sacrament) 
• March 3, 2024 
  • Chosen Lessons 9 & 14: “When did my journey begin?” (Baptism, You Initiation Into God's Family) & “Why have I been chosen?” (Sealed and Sent in Confirmation) 
• March 17, 2024 
  • Prayer: Praying with and for Others: Communal & Intercessory Prayer
• April 21, 2024
  • Chosen Lesson 20 & 24: "What would Jesus Do?" (The Beatitudes as a Path to True Happiness) & "Where do I go from here?" (The Journey Continues)
• May 5, 2024 
  • Prayer: Set the World on Fire (Be Who You Were Made to Be) 

Make-Up Work

• Make sure to review together the expectations for families in Confirmation II with your child. Found in the pizza box and attached HERE.
• Watch THIS VIDEO together.
• Have a conversation based on the video using the below questions (or similar):
  • What in particular struck us from the video?
  • When it comes to prayer, are we giving God our first fruits or our leftovers?
  • How can we make prayer more of a priority in our lives? 
• Create prayer goals together. Use these sheets (THIS ONE for teens and THIS ONE parents) to do so. The teen's sheets should be printed and brought with them to his/her next class.

• Complete Chosen Lessons 12 & 17  using the Ascension Press online platform (directions found below).
• Complete your reflection on your prayer tracking sheet due this class (turn it in next time) and create a goal on your next sheet.

• Use THIS LINK to access the Ascension Press' online platform called, Thinkific. 
• After clicking on the link, create an account with an email and password of your choice (or log-in to an existing account). 
• To complete the registration, click on “complete your purchase” but don’t worry the access is already paid for and the amount due will be zero! 
• Then you will be able to view all study videos, as well as a digital workbook.
• Complete whichever Lesson you missed. When you complete the Lesson, it will show up in our digital records, you don't need to do anything else!

• Complete your prayer tracking sheet and create a new prayer goal on your sheet. 
• Complete Chosen Lesson 8 using the Ascension Press online (directions found below).

• Use THIS LINK to access the Ascension Press' online platform called, Thinkific. 
• After clicking on the link, create an account with an email and password of your choice (or log-in to an existing account). 
• To complete the registration, click on “complete your purchase” but don’t worry the access is already paid for and the amount due will be zero! 
• Then you will be able to view all study videos, as well as a digital workbook.
• Complete whichever Lesson you missed. When you complete the Lesson, it will show up in our digital records, you don't need to do anything else!

Sacramental Paperwork

The below sacramental paperwork (Sacramental Records, Saint Name Form, Sponsor Form, and Letter to the Bishop) is all due by February 11, 2024. Saint and Sponsor forms should be filled out online and a hard copy of the Bishop Letter should be brought to the February 11th class.  

Sacramental Records 
Both Baptismal and First Eucharist records should be on file with the parish. Candidates who made their First Eucharist at one of our parishes can assume that we have these records unless informed otherwise. 

Saint Name Form 
Candidates may choose a Confirmation Saint name. Information on how to choose a saint name, as well as the Saint Name Form, is provided via the below link. This form should be filled out by the Confirmation candidate. 
Saint Name Form

Sponsor Form 
Candidates will need to choose a Sponsor for Confirmation. Being a Confirmation sponsor is a great honor, but also a responsibility that should only be given to someone who can serve as a model and mentor in our Catholic Faith. Sponsors MUST be a confirmed and practicing Catholic who is at least 16 years of age and NOT a parent of the confirmand. The Sponsor Form is provided via the below link, and should be completed by the Confirmation candidate. 
Sponsor Form

Letter to the Bishop 
Please refer to the directions on how to write a Letter to the Bishop via the below link. A hard copy of the letter should be turned in at class, or mailed to the collaborative offices. Please retain an electronic copy until after Confirmation.  
Bishop Letter Directions
 

Additional Confirmation II Expectations

Sponsor & Candidate Evening 
Candidates and their sponsors—or parent if their sponsor is not local—need to attend a Sponsor & Candidate Evening. These evenings are scheduled from 6:30-8:30 pm on the following dates  and locations:

• January 25, 2024 at St. Mary
• February 28, 2024 at St. John
• March 21, 2024 at St. Margaret

Candidates and sponsors can attend the evening that best fits their schedule, regardless of the parish in which they will be confirmed. Please register via the below link.
Sponsor/Candidate Registration

Interview with the Pastor 
Fr. Brian has requested that all confirmation candidates complete a 15 minunte interview with a priest before receiving confirmation. This is not meant to be an intimidating event, but merely a chance for all teens to talk with a priest and for our priest to get to know the youth a little better. Interviews will be schedule for the month before each specific parish’s Confirmation ceremonies. 

Retreat & Rehearsal 
A retreat with rehearsal will be held the evening before the Confirmation ceremonies from 4:30-9:00pm at St. John's. The last hour of the retreat will be Mass and family and friends are welcome to join us for Mass. All Confirmandi are required to attend with their sponsor.  

Confirmation Ceremony 
The St. Mary’s Confirmation ceremony will take place in the Spring on Sunday, May 26 at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm. The St. John’s and St. Margaret’s confirmation ceremony take place in the fall of 2024 at St. Margaret's. Exact dates/times will be provided as soon as we receieve them from the Bishop.