X

Confirmation One and Two

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.
And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful, 
grant that by the same Holy Spirit
we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations,
Through Christ Our Lord,

Amen.

The young people in our classrooms are not the Church of tomorrow any more than the elderly of our parish are the Church of yesterday.  The youth are the Church as well as the middle age and the elderly are the Church of today.  As we prepare them for the Sacrament of Confirmation, we hope to empower them to be the saints and kingdom builder they are called to be.

Whether or not they know it, teens today have hearts and minds made to dive into the Good News of the Gospel.  In the words of Saint Pope John Paul II, "Jesus Christ is the answer to the question posed by every human life, and the love of Christ compels us to share that great Good News with everyone."

Just as the God of the universe transformed human history two thousand years ago, he is fully present and seeks to transform the hearts of young people here and now.  This life-changing divine encounter is not a flashy event or a new philosophy; He is a person:  Jesus Christ.  Early Christians encountered God on the crowded streets of Jerusalem.   We wish for our students to encounter Him in the sacraments, in the teachings of the Church, in our parish community, in experiences of service, and in everyone they meet on a daily basis.  It is also our prayer that we can help to facilitate an encounter with God himself.

Our "Chosen" curriculum strives to answer some important teen questions such as:

  • Who is Jesus?
  • Why should I be Catholic?
  • Who is the Holy Spirit?
  • What does the Holy Spirit do for me?
  • How do I build the Kingdom?
  • Do I have what it takes?
  • Where do I go from here?

And much, much more.

It takes a whole Church to raise a disciple.  Each time a youth is confirmed, they take their place in the wider community of faith along with those who have helped them on the journey to this sacramental milestone.

Sponsors

No teen should have to take this sacramental journey on their own.  For this reason a sponsor should be chosen to help guide all who wish to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation.  Some of the main qualifications for a sponsor are:

  • A sponsor must be a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church
  • A sponsor should be actively involved in the ministry of the church
  • The sponsor should not be the candidate's father or mother
  • The sponsor should be willing to spend time with the candidate discussing our Catholic faith

Some Confirmation Requirements:

Confirmation preparation at St Catherine of Genoa is a two-year process beginning in seventh grade.  Of course, students should be enrolled and participating in a religious education program from a young age (preferably kindergarten) until now.  It is not a good idea to enroll students only in the sacramental years.  These missed years between second grade and seventh grade leave a huge gap in their Catholic formation, the content and spiritual growth cannot be made up in the course of two years.  


Classroom requirements may include:

  • Tests
  • Essays
  • Homework
  • Reading assignments
  • Interview(s) with the pastor
  • Service projects

 

Further requirements include:

  • Students must have been baptized and a baptismal certificate must be presented prior to the Confirmation celebration.
  • Students must have celebrated First Reconciliation as well as First Holy Communion
  • Students must attend Mass every weekend with their family
  • Students must choose a saint's name as their Confirmation name
  • Anyone wishing to celebrate a sacrament must be in a state of grace.  Reconciliation should be celebrated prior to Confirmation.

Communications regarding dates, times, and places of these events are communicated through the website, Flocknote, and messages sent home with the children.  Please take the time to sign up for Flocknotes or download the parish app to your phone so you will always be informed.​  Please see the Religious Education page on our Parish Website to learn more. 

To learn more about each program please click any of the following links: