Confirmation

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

Confirmation Year 2 is the second year of the two-year program in preparing high school-aged youth for the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Martinez, California. The purpose of the program is to provide education and spiritual growth to youth who wish to complete their Sacraments of Initiation and become recognized as adults in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

PROGRAM STANDARDS

During this program, candidates for Confirmation will be expected to attend class sessions and Youth Group, complete service hours, participate in an offsite Confirmation Retreat, complete a Knowledge of the Faith Assessment, and undergo an interview. Candidates will choose a sponsor to accompany them and be their guides as they journey towards Confirmation. They also have the option of choosing a Confirmation name. Candidates will be expected to participate in the sacramental and liturgical life of the parish and receive the Sacrament of Confession before being confirmed.
 

• Class Sessions Classes for Confirmation Year 2 run from 3:45pm-5:45pm in the Parish Library, typically every other Sunday from the end of August to June the following year. Exact dates are available on the Youth Ministry Calendar updated several times a year and available on the parish website. Sessions start with a physical activity or icebreaker. The lesson begins with a lecture or presentation by either Paul, Deacon Dave and/or Eugene. Several times throughout the program, guest speakers are invited to cover some topics. After the presentation, candidates and Team Leaders split up into their small groups for an activity or to answer discussion questions on the topic. Groups then come back together and present what they came up with or discussed to the large group. After class, participants are given a break before joining Youth Group.

 

• Youth Group Also referred to as Year 1, Youth Group is held 6:00pm-7:00pm every other Sunday after Year 2 class. It is more activities-based and is organized and conducted entirely by the Team Leaders. Topics covering the Ten Commandments and Seven Deadly Sins, among others, run on a biannual schedule so youth participants attending in consecutive years do not repeat subjects.

 

• Attendance Candidates will be expected to attend class, and any who miss a session will be given a make-up assignment on the topic of the class missed. A call will be made to the parents of a candidate when he or she misses a session, unless the parents contact Paul or Eugene beforehand. Candidates who miss a significant number of classes will have a meeting with their parents, Paul, and Eugene to determine if they should continue with the program.

 

• Service Hours Candidates will be expected to complete a minimum of 24 service hours. This gives the candidate the opportunity to symbolically give “one day” to the Lord in service of others. Through these activities, candidates will begin their life of service and participate in the events of parish life. Many opportunities for service will be available throughout the year at different parish events and liturgies, which will be announced at class and listed on the Youth Ministry Schedule. Up to 10 hours may be completed outside the parish with another approved organization.

 

• Confirmation Retreat Candidates will be expected to attend a Confirmation Retreat that will take place over a weekend at an off-site retreat center. The Confirmation Retreat will be an opportunity for the candidates to deepen their relationship with God in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Candidates unable to attend the Confirmation Retreat with St. Catherine's Youth Ministry must attend a Confirmation Retreat with a neighboring parish. Dates and venue of the retreat will be listed in the Youth Ministry Schedule.

 

• Knowledge of the Faith Assessment Candidates must display an understanding of the principle elements of the Catholic faith by completing a Knowledge of the Faith Assessment to be turned in at the interview. The Assessment evaluates the candidates’ comprehension of the topics covered in classes, Youth Group, and the Confirmation Retreat. A copy of the Assessment is available on the parish website.

 

• Interview  Parents and candidates will be expected to attend an interview towards the end of the program before the Confirmation, usually during May. The readiness of the candidate will be discerned through an interview with a member of the Confirmation program formation team.

 

• Sponsors The Diocese of Oakland requires that sponsors be active, practicing Catholics, at least 16 years of age, having already received the Sacrament of Confirmation, are not parents of the candidate, and, if married, are married in the Catholic Church. They should already have a trusting relationship of some sort with the candidate, someone in whom the candidate can confide. Sponsors are expected to maintain an ongoing relationship with the candidate in order to support the candidate’s lifelong spiritual growth. They should have good knowledge of the candidate’s readiness for reception of the Sacrament so as to testify on the candidate’s behalf. Sponsors encourage the candidate to grow in his or her understanding of the faith as the young person comes to a deeper appreciation of God in his or her life. Candidates are to choose only one sponsor. Candidates are to submit a Sponsor Information Form filled, out by the sponsor, which is available on the parish website.

 

• Confirmation Name The candidate may choose a Confirmation name. The name given at baptism is an appropriate name for Confirmation in order to show the relationship between the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. However, a special name may be chosen if desired, in which case it should be that of a recognized saint. If the baptismal name is not that of a recognized saint, a new name (that of a recognized saint) should be chosen for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

• Sacramental Life The candidates are expected to participate in the sacramental and liturgical life of the parish by actively participating in Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, receiving the Sacrament of Penance frequently, and intending to live a sacramental life until death. Although candidates may attend Mass with their families regularly at another time or another parish, they are expected to attend the Youth Mass, which is the 10:30 a.m. Mass the last Sunday of every month.

 

• Confession Before Confirmation Candidates must be in the proper disposition the receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Just as with the Eucharist, “to receive Confirmation, one must be in a state of grace.” (CCC 1310)  Candidates are to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughout their formation and at least once right before the Confirmation.

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Our program recognizes the importance of the relationship between sacred Scripture and sacred Tradition. From the Second Vatican Council's Dei Verbum (The Word of God): “Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit. To the successors of the apostles, sacred Tradition hands on in its full purity God’s word, which was entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit.” Candidates will each receive a copy of the Catholic Youth Bible and the YouCat. Both books are used extensively throughout the program and once distributed, candidates will be expected to bring them to every class session.
 

• Catholic Youth Bible (NABRE, 3rd Edition) This version, using the New American Bible Revised Edition translation, includes features that help explain and give context to the people, places, and events of the Bible.

 

• YouCat The YouCat, short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, is an aid for youth to understand the Catechism of the Catholic Church and written with youth in mind using language and a format that is easier to understand.

CLASS TOPICS

The following is a list of the lesson topics covered in our program. We utilize lectures, presentations, videos, and guest speakers in teaching our curriculum. Please read the Confirmation Year-2 document for detailed class topic descriptions.
 

• Why Confirmation?
• The Holy Bible
• The YouCat & the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
• The Holy Trinity
• Jesus
• The Creeds: What We Believe
• The Communion of Saints & Choosing a Confirmation Saint Name
• Sacraments & Sacramentals
• The Sacraments of Initiation
• The Sacraments of Healing
• The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
• The Sacrament of Holy Orders & Religious Life
• The Mass & the Holy Eucharist
• Prayer & the Rosary
• Theology of the Body
• Mission
• Tour of St. Catherine of Siena Church
• Catholic Social Teaching
• Mary, the Mother of God
• The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• The Sacrament of Confirmation & the Confirmation Rite