Registration for 2012-2013 Year Is Now Closed

REGISTRATION/FEES

Registration for 2012-2013 year is now closed.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is mandatory and taken at all classes and events. One excused absence due to illness per year is permitted. Please contact the Youth Ministry Office if your child is ill and will not be attending a class or event. A meeting will be held on the occasion of a second absence to discuss continuing in the program.

PREPARATION

The preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is a 2-year process and includes the following elements:

Attendance at monthly classes

Attendance at 2 SKY meeting per year

Retreats

•A one day retreat in Confirmation I

•A weekend retreat in Confirmation II

Service Hours

•5 hours for year one

•Participation in a group Social Justice Project in year two

Sponsor/Candidate events

•Two events in the first year

•One event plus a Dinner/Rehearsal in the second year

Confirmation completes the Sacraments of Initiation(Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation). In order to more fully prepare to receive this Sacrament, we encourage the candidate and their family to participate in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist to allow the grace that God’s offers them in these sacraments to help them on this journey. Mass schedules and the hours of Reconciliation are listed in the Parish Bulletin and on the website.

CONFIRMATION NAME

A close relationship exists between the Sacraments of Confirmation and Baptism. Therefore, the candidates are encouraged to select their Baptismal name again for use in the Sacrament of Confirmation. The candidates may opt to select as a Confirmation name a recognized saint’s name. In making such a selection, the candidate is encouraged to select a saint whose actions model a meaningful example of Christ’s love in their own lives. A report about their Baptismal Saint or the Saint they have chosen is required in the first year.

SAINT REPORT

In the first year, the candidates will be required to prepare a short, one paged typed or neatly hand written report on the Saint they have chosen as their Confirmation name. The report should include:

·The full name of the saint that has been chosen (One sentence)

·A brief summary of that saint’s life (3-5 Sentences)

·The reason that this particular saint was chosen by the candidate (2-3 sentences)

The assignment and due date of this report will be announced during class.

SPONSORS

The role of sponsor is a very important one. The sponsor should be someone who is a believing, practicing Catholic and is willing to walk closely with the candidate on their faith journey during this preparation time.

Qualifications for Sponsors:

†Must be a confirmed, practicing Catholic

†May either be male or female

†Must be sufficiently mature to fulfill their function as a sponsor

†Must be a person who is an example and a witness of the Catholic faith in word and action

†Must be friendly, trustworthy and a good listener

†Must be one who will attend liturgical celebrations, meetings, rehearsal and Confirmation Day

†May not be mother or father of the person to be confirmed

**Someone may proxy for the sponsor if they are unable to attend the Confirmation ceremony

SPONSOR/CANDIDATE EVENTS

There will be two dates during the first year of preparation and one date during the second year where the sponsor will accompany the candidate to an event designed to strengthen the bond between the candidate and sponsor and to allow them to spend time exploring their own spirituality. The dates for these events will be announced at the parent meeting in the fall. The events will be held on a Sunday afternoon from 2:30-6:00 p.m. and includes the 5:00 p.m. Mass, where rituals designed to mark significant steps on the journey towards Confirmation will be conducted. If the candidate’s sponsor is out of town or otherwise unavailable another close adult may attend in their place. Attendance by both a sponsor/adult and the candidate is critical for the event to have meaning.

SERVICE HOURS

The first year students are required to perform 5 hours of community service. It is our preference that the service be, in some way, related to the community of St. Kilian. Service hour opportunities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Altar Serving

Catholic Worker

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Ministry

Liturgy of the Word for Children

Sunday School

Child Care during Religious Education Classes

Fish Fry

Choir

The second year students will engage in a Social Justice Project to fulfill their service hour requirement. There is no separate service hour requirement in the second year.

Service hours used to fulfill this requirement should not be duplicative of those for public or private high school service hour requirements. The hours are recorded using the St. Kilian Confirmation Service Hour Reporting Form available on the website. Forms from other institutions will not be accepted.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

The primary responsibility for the religious education of children is that of the parents. We have many opportunities for parent participation in the Confirmation and Youth Ministry programs. Volunteers are critical for the success of our program. We need small group leaders, assistants, drivers and retreat chaperones/cooks. If you would like to be involved in this very rewarding ministry, please fill out the Adult Volunteer Interest Form or contact the Youth Ministry Office at 586-7803.

RETREAT

A one-day retreat is a mandatory element of the first year of Confirmation preparation. The date of this retreat will be announced in the Fall.

The second year students are required to attend a weekend retreat as part of the preparation process. Details will be provided in the second year of the program.

SKY

SKY is St. Kilian Youth, the youth group at St. Kilian. Confirmation preparation includes attendance at SKY meetings twice per year in each of the two years. The candidates are also invited to meet their SKY requirement by attending other SKY activities, such as SKY Social Events, Catholic Worker, Youth Day, etc.