Confirmation

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Confirmation

• Partnership in Preparation

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Opportunities for Partnership as you prepare

• Enrolment Ceremony
• 1st Weekend of Advent
• Commitment Certificate
• Letter to the Bishop or Parish Priest
• Why I would like to be confirmed
• In Week 1 of programme Written at home with
  parents and guardians. Signed by candidates and
  parents/guardians
• Retreat
• Penitential Service/Ceremony of Light
• Pledge Ceremony
• Confirmation Ceremony

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Why do we need You shall be my Witnesses?

• Builds on the strong foundation that already
  exists in our parishes
• A need to create spaces outside of the classroom
  where the candidates can talk and learn about the
  faith to which they are making a commitment in
  Confirmation
• An invitation for the family to be actively
  involved together in the preparation for the
  sacrament
• An acknowledgement that we need to take more
  seriously the way in which we prepare for
  sacraments
• An opportunity for all involved to grow in faith
  together

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• The proper meaning of catechesis is this, to
  bring the flame of Jesus love, even if it is a
  small one, to the hearts of children, and through
  the children to their parents, thus reopening the
  places of faith of our time.
• Pope Benedict XVI Summer 2008

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You Shall Be My Witnesses

• Explores the themes of
• Belonging
• How do I Belong?
• Believing
• What do I believe?
• Being
• How can I be a Christian?
• Becoming
• How do I share the Good News?
• Beginning Again
• What happens next?

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Week 1 Belonging

• How do I belong?
• Belonging to a group
• How I came to belong to the Church
• Belonging to the Church. What do I do?
• My Yes
• Prayer Invitation to Parents

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Weeks 2 3 Believing Being

• Week 2
• What I believe
• The Creed
• Prophets
• Prayer
• Week 3
• Pentecost
• Gifts of the Spirit
• Using the gifts
• Prayer

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Week 4 Becoming

• Becoming a Witness
• Fruits of the Spirit
• Pay It Forward
• What have we learned
• Evaluation

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Week 5 Beginning Again

• This fifth session happens after Confirmation
• It offers an opportunity to
• Revisit the Pay it Forward project
• Suggest ways in which the candidates can continue
  to live out their Confirmation promises
• Thank all who have been involved
• Pray together
• Celebrate Presentation of Certificates

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Programme Resources

• Leaders Book
• Activity Book for Candidates
• Newsletters
• DVD
• Commitment Certificate
• Certificate of Completion

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How does the programme work?

• 2 leaders for each 8 candidates
• 1 session a week for each of the four weeks
  before Confirmation.
• The fifth and final session is a joint session
  with all candidates and parents and takes place
  after Confirmation
• Each session will last about an hour
• 1 leader in each group should be a
  parent/guardian. Second leader may be drawn from
  young adults or members of the parish community
• Teachers will select membership of groups

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What we ask of parents/guardians

• Encourage your child in their participation of
  the programme
• Help them with home activities and try out some
  of the suggestions in the Newsletter
• Be present for the prayer time during the
  programme
• Take time to consider carefully the yes of
  Confirmation with your child

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Finally

• We need parents to volunteer to be leaders
• Training will take place centrally for a number
  of parishes