Immaculate Conception Church

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Immaculate Conception Church  

• Confirmation
• Grades 8,9,10
• Rev. Boguslaw Kobus, Pastor
• Director of Faith Formation Nadine Allen

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What is Confirmation?

• The sacrament of Confirmation as celebrated in
  the Roman Catholic tradition, has been said to be
  the "Cinderella" sacrament, as it's often
  misunderstood and sometimes neglected, because
  it's one of the most difficult sacraments for
  people to grasp.
• Basically Confirmation is meant to be a
  continuation of the beliefs we affirmed when we
  celebrated the first sacrament of initiation, our
  Baptism.  Through the Baptism, the sacrament of
  Eucharist, and finally through Confirmation, we
  rededicate ourselves to Christ. 
• It's no longer "automatic" to be confirmed, but a
  conscious decision that young adults make to
  recommit their lives to Christ and the Catholic
  Church.  

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Who can be a sponsor?

• Through the process of preparing for
  Confirmation, candidates choose a sponsor.
• The sponsor must be a confirmed practicing
  Catholic, not their mother and/or father, and a
  person with whom the candidate feels comfortable
  discussing their faith.
• Another tradition is that the candidates choose a
  patron saint and name. The patron saint is chosen
  by the candidate to be someone whom the candidate
  particularly admires.
• When the sponsor presents the candidate to the
  bishop during the Mass, the candidate is
  presented as the new name of their patron saint. 

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What are the requirements for Confirmation?

• Confirmation is a three year program of class
  work and service work in the community.
• Classes are held on Sundays from 900
  Mass-1130am. Attendance at the 900 Mass is
  encouraged.
• Lastly, candidates for Confirmation are
  encouraged to perform many hours of service in
  the community. Since we are all gifted in many
  different ways and these gifts come from God, it
  is appropriate that we use our gifts in service
  to others as a way of serving and loving God
  through our neighbor. Young adults are encouraged
  to volunteer in a variety of different ways and
  in different places.

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Is there any special preparation for Confirmation?

• Spiritual Formation and Service are the key in
  preparing for Confirmation.
• Preparation for Confirmation should aim at
  leading the Christian toward a more intimate
  union with Christ and a more lively familiarity
  with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts,
  and his biddings - in order to be more capable of
  assuming the apostolic responsibilities of
  Christian life.
• To this end catechesis for Confirmation should
  strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the
  Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as
  well as the parish community. The latter bears
  special responsibility for the preparation of
  Confirmands.

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What is spiritual formation?

• First, spiritual formation is key in catechetical
  preparation of candidates for confirmation.
• They should experience and come to value deeply
  the importance of prayer and discernment in
  Catholic life through dynamic liturgical and
  personal prayer, retreats, and living models of
  faith.
• The Spirit is stirred into flame best by a rich
  spiritual lifefor adults, youth, and children.

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What does service to the community mean?

• Second, service must be accented.
• Charity as well as working for justice and peace
  should be undertaken in the name of Christ as an
  effective apprenticeship in the Christian life.
• The true Christian is one who not only bends a
  knee in prayer, but also bends a knee serving
  others.

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How is the whole church community involved?

• Third, the whole parish
  community needs to take an
  active part in the
  sacramental preparation of the candidates.
• We ritualize the vital role of the community in
  all our initiation liturgies. What we ritualize
  in our celebrating can be mirrored in parish life
  and ministry.
• Both the role of sponsors and integration into
  community life are two ways to bring about
  greater communal involvement.

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Why is the community so important?

• In Confirmation, we, too, are made
  apostleswitnesses to Christ.
• We are reborn into the world to preach Jesus
  Christ and to glorify God in each of our choices,
  actions, and attitudes.
• The Second Vatican Council sums up the richness
  of this sacrament
• "By the sacrament of Confirmation, they are
  more perfectly bound to the Church and are
  endowed with the special strength of the Holy
  Spirit. Hence, as true witnesses of Christ, they
  are more strictly obliged to spread the faith by
  word and deed" (Lumen Gentium 11).

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• God has created me to do Him some definite
  service
• He had committed some work to me which He has not
• committed to another.I have a missionI may
  never know it in this life, but I shall be told
  it in the next.I am a link in a chain, a bond of
  connection between personsHe has not created me
  for naught.I shall do goodI shall do His workI
  shall be an angel of peace while not intending
  itif I do but keep His commandmentsTherefore,
  I will trust Him.
• Cardinal John Henry Newman

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Peer Ministry

• Peer Ministry is a required part of those
  receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
  Students will be asked to take an active role in
  one of the church ministries for two years. In
  this way they will continue their faith formation
  as active members of the church community while
  serving as role models for the youth of the
  parish.

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Student Retreat

• Retreat participation will be required of all
  Confirmation students prior to receiving the
  sacrament. Students will be given ample time to
  make arrangements to attend this mandatory
  retreat. Parents are welcome to attend, however,
  adequate supervision will be provided and parent
  participation is not required.

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What service projects are part of the
Confirmation program at Immaculate Conception?

• Service Projects are varied and provide students
  with a broad spectrum of service opportunities
  within the Church and Community. Parents and
  families are encouraged to participate with the
  students as they complete their scheduled
  projects each year prior to receiving the
  sacrament of Confirmation.

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Service to the Church and Community

• Service to the Church or Parish community can
  take on different forms.
• Service to the Church community can be in the
  Liturgical, Formational (catechesis, youth
  ministry), Pastoral, or in the form of Service
  Ministries (parish outreach to those in need).
• Students need to realize that as baptized
  Catholic Christians, we are called to use the
  gifts that God has given us to serve the Body of
  Christ.

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In service to the Church/Parish Community,
students may be involved in one or more of the
following

• Liturgical Service as ushers and greeters,
  Childrens Liturgist assistants, and childrens
  choir assistants
• Formational Service as catechist (CCD) aides
• Pastoral Service as assistants at Coffee
  after Mass, parish dinners/socials and church
  upkeep.
• Pastoral Outreach in service to members of your
  parish community who are ill, elderly, or in need
  of assistance. This may also include assistance
  in the parish-Giving Tree during advent, food
  collections for Thanksgiving and Souper Sunday,
  Holiday Activities, and other parish outreach
  opportunities.
• Service to the parish community is not limited to
  these specific items. Students are encouraged
  to develop their own Independent Projects.

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In service to the Wider Community, students may
be involved in one or more of the following

• Volunteerism
• Shopping or yard work for local shut-in elderly
  or ill members of your parish community
• Local hospital or nursing home
• Hold a baby shower for BirthHaven or for another
  organization that works with unwed mothers or
  teens.
• Donate to local thrift stores (Partnership for
  Social Services).
• Create birthday cards for senior citizens
• Make Holiday decorations for area Nursing Homes
• Work with Childrens Hospitals or Local
  Childrens Support Groups

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Religious Education Webpage

• Locate more information about our Religious
  Education Program
• at our Website
• http//www.iccreligiouseducation.com
• Information On
• CCD Calendar
• Confirmation Calendar
• Confirmation Student and Sponsor Information
• List of Questions Answers for Interviews with
  Pastor
• Religious Education Program Guidelines for Grades
  K-7
• Confirmation Program Guidelines for Grades 8,9,10
• Immaculate Conception Parish Information