“By the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witness of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”
-CCC 1285
The process of Confirmation is a personal journey toward the Sacrament done in the community of the family and the parish. The Confirmation process works in conjunction with St. Bernadette's High School Faith Formation: Whole Family Catechesis. All youth will need to be registered in High School Faith Formation and have completed a prior year of Faith Formation attendance (typically their Freshman year). After a year of High School Faith Formation, all youth are eligible to begin their Confirmation specific process, and after a year of conversation, prayer, and discernment, are able to recieve the Sacrament. The Confirmation Mass is held in the fall, historically it has been in November (typically of their Junior year of High School).
The whole process is oriented towards building three important relationships:
1. With the Holy Trinity, especially the Holy Spirit
2. With their Church through their parish community
3. With the world through a yearning for salvation for fellow man, especially their neighbor and the poor.
Any High School Youth who are planning to begin their process of Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation must be enrolled the year prior, and the year during, their Confirmation Process. To learn more about High School Faith Formation: Whole Family Catechesis, please click here.
The process of Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation at St. Bernadette takes the approach of accompanying the youth seeking Confirmation in a dynamic way.
1. At-home resources: Youth, along with their family, will be guided through catechetical content about the Sacrament of Confirmation.
2. Family Meetings: Youth and their family and sponsor will meet with Jason frequently throughout the process.
3. Regular High School Faith Formation: Confirmation Candidates are expected to be enrolled and regularly attend in-person faith formation or be enrolled and meet the expectations of Home Study Faith Formation.
It will be in the Family Meetings where the majority of conversation and dialogue will take place specifically about how we can guide and accompany the Youth Seeking Confirmation, including but not limited to: Saint Names, Additional Information for Records, Role of the Sponsor, Retreat Information, Service Opportunities etc.
Confirmation Expectations: