New Confirmation Process

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION PROCESS

PARENT MEETING

	MAY 20^TH OR MAY 22^ND, 2008For a few years the diocese has been working on a new process for all those preparing to celebrate Confirmation. There was a pastoral concern that the preparation process in each parish was somewhat confusing since each parish had its own process. The diocese began to plan on how the different programs might be made more consistent.
	While St. Mary’s has all the parts of the process that the diocese has recommended, we made the decision that some revisions had to be made so that the process could be strengthened. This necessitated a change in the age for Confirmation. For the last several years we have celebrated Confirmation in the fall of the sixth grade. Beginning with the boys and girls who will enter the fifth grade in September, Confirmation will be celebrated in the fall of the seventh grade. Confirmation preparation will be a two year process (Grade 5 and Grade 6).
	One new element of the Confirmation preparation process that has been added by the diocese is the interview with the Confirmation Candidate. This interview will take place prior to the celebration of Confirmation. The interview will be led by one of the members of the Pastoral team or another qualified parishioner who has offered to help us in this part of the process. I have provided you with a copy of the areas that the diocese has determined should be part of the interview process. I provide it to you so that together we help prepare your sons and daughters for this interview. The areas for the interview will be as follows 1. CATECHESIS 2. FORMATION IN THE LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY 3. DISCIPLESHIP & SERVICE
	Under each area there are several possible areas for conversation during the interview. The diocese has also determined that every parish establish a process for any candidate who has a parent that, along with the Confirmation Team, believes needs more time to prepare for the celebration of Confirmation.

	One of the areas that the diocese has asked each parish to address is the concern that many of the candidates and their families do not participate in the celebration of Sunday Mass. The new process asks that all candidates and their families make a sincere effort to be part of the worshipping community on Sunday. Related to the pastoral concern about the candidates attendance at Sunday Mass is the ongoing call to deepen our prayer life. It takes time to learn how to pray. Yet prayer is an essential part of our life of faith; through prayer we come to experience the presence of God within our life.
	Another area is that of SERVICE. We believe that the gospel message calls us to a life of service; we learn service from our earliest days of formation. We encourage families to be involved in the service project. While we never set a number of hours, we hope that each candidate sees this service project not as an event, but rather as a way of life.
	Other parts of the process which remain the same are as follows: 1. Choosing of the sponsor

                        (A sponsor is someone who is 16 years old or older,
                         is a practicing Roman Catholic and
                         has celebrated the sacraments of initiation).
                    2. Choosing a Confirmation name
                         (The Confirmation name must be the name of a SAINT.
                         The candidate must be able to tell something of the life of the saint
                         and why he or she has chosen that name).
                     3. Participation in the Confirmation Retreat
                         The retreat is celebrated in the second year of Confirmation preparation.
                     4. The letter to the Pastor
                     5. Participation in the Communal celebration of Reconciliation
                         (which is celebrated before Confirmation.)
                     6. Participation in the rehearsal for Confirmation.
                     7. Meetings for the candidate and their parents.
                          There are PARENT MEETINGS for those who have not attended previously.
                          There are also THREE PARENT/CANDIDATE meetings scheduled during
                          the second year of the preparation process.
                     8. Regular attendance at catechetical sessions and other parts of the process
                          that are designed to enhance and deepen the experience.
                     9. Good behavior.

On MAY 31^st there will be a meeting in the AUDITORIUM for PARENTS and the CONFIRMATION CANDIDATE. At that meeting I will review the process with you and your child. There will also be a PRAYER SERVICE during which you and your son or daughter will sign the COVENANT. I have provided you with a copy so that you can look at it beforehand and go over it with your son or daughter. If the May 31^st date doesn’t work for you there will be a make-up date in June.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call either myself or Claire and we will try to answer them as best we can. I hope that this two year journey to Confirmation is truly a blest time for all of you. Wherever I might be I will keep you and your son or daughter in my prayer.