Confirmation

From the Rite of Confirmation:

Send your Holy Spirit to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgement and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Confirmation Preparation Class

If your family is registered at St. Mary’s, and your child is at the age to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation (8^th grade), we invite you to register for Confirmation Preparation!

The preparation and reception of all Sacraments is the responsibility of the parish you attend Mass.

It is the policy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore to have students who attend Catholic school, or a Catholic home school program, to ALSO participate in the sacramental preparation program of the parish during years when they are preparing for a sacrament. These sacramental preparation classes are separate from Family Faith Formation program (formerly known as CCD).

Resources

Questions About Confirmation?

Contact Stephanie Lyons at – slyons@saintmarysonline.org
301-739-0390 extension 3233

Take Note…

The process of Confirmation preparation is meant to be supplemental to what you are already doing at home, while seeking to introduce candidates to their Catholic peers. As a family, this is a great time to deepen your relationship with God as your son or daughter prepares to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

“Since parents have given children their life, they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring and therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal educators.” ~Pope Paul VI

The Effects of Confirmation

(CCC 1303)

Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace by:

Strengthening our identity as children of God
Uniting us more firmly to Christ
Increasing the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
Giving us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith as true witnesses of Christ

By Confirmation, Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off the “aroma of Christ.” -CCC 1294

Requirements

These are not intended to be “hoops,” but they are mile-markers that indicate the progression of the Confirmation candidate. The candidates MUST:

Have been Baptized (A Baptismal Certificate MUST be provided if your child was not Baptized at St. Mary’s)
Have a sincere desire to be confirmed.
Attend Sunday Mass on a weekly basis.
Have a basic understanding of the pillars of our faith.
Attend class weekly and complete make-up work for any classes missed.
Complete the candidate interview process with Fr. James
Write a letter to Bishop Parker, who will be confirming you.
Complete AT LEAST 4 DIRECT service hours
Select a sponsor and complete the sponsor sessions (parents cannot be sponsors—please see sponsor guidelines).
Select a saint name
Attend A Retreat

Choosing a Sponsor

Sponsors act as spiritual role models and guides for the candidates while they prepare for Confirmation. They should also take care that the confirmed person behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in this sacrament (Code of Canon Law 892).

In order to be a sponsor a person must be (from Code of Canon Law 874-this means there are NO EXCEPTIONS):

Baptized, received First Holy Communion and Confirmation in the Catholic Church.
If married, married according to the laws and teachings of the Catholic Church.
If single, not cohabitating with someone without the benefit of Marriage.
Regularly attend Holy Mass ever Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation
Receive the Sacrament of Penance at least once a year, as necessary.

When choosing a sponsor, your teen should begin with prayer, asking God for His guidance in making this important decision. A good starting place for your teen to start are:

Baptismal godparents
A relative
A family friend
Your candidate’s teacher
An active parishioner she may admire.

When you have chosen a suitable sponsor, give them the Sponsor Application Form. After the prospective sponsor completes the form, they will give it to the Parish Office at the church where they are registered. Once signed and sealed by their Pastor, it needs to be returned to the St. Mary’s Parish Office.

Choosing a Saint

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. -Hebrews 12:1-2

Every candidate is asked to take the name of a recognized saint or blessed. This saint will serve as a model of holiness for the candidate to encourage them to “persevere in running the race” (Hebrews 12:1). Candidates do not have to take the name of a new saint if their first or middle name is that of a recognized saint but is encouraged to still do so. Saints can be chosen based on a particular devotion the candidate has and can be of the opposite sex. Candidates should make this decision with prayer and consider saints they have a particular connection or devotion to. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA!! Please note: Mrs. Lyons will also have a whole Confirmation class in the schedule to go over some saints and be available for questions and helping the candidates if they are struggling to pick one.

Please do pray for your candidates to pick a saint who will be their lifelong saint devotion and one who will intercede for them.

Some options for saints to either think about or pick can include but are not limited to:

· St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

· St. Padre Pio

· St. Augustine

· St. Gemma Galgani

· St. Francis of Assisi

· St. Boniface

· St. Theresa of Avila

· St. Therese of Lisieux

· St. John Paul II

· St. Josephine Bakhita

· St. Joseph

· St. Catherine of Siena

· St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

· St. Clare of Assisi

· St. John of the Cross

· St. Benedict