Confirmation
The Confirmation program is a two year process starting in 8th grade. All 8th grade students are invited to enroll in the Confirmation Prep I class to begin preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation which is received the following year after completing Confirmation Prep II. Confirmation Prep I Class will meet on 12 selected Sunday evenings from 6:30 PM - 8:15 PM at the church. Please plan on attending the 5:30 PM Mass, or another weekend Mass as a family. By attending the 5:30 Sunday night Mass, this gives your Confirmation student a chance to see the youth of our parish taking an active role ushering, lectoring, and singing at Mass.
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to prepare our young people to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation so that the Holy Spirit will fill them with His gifts and strengthen them to live out their Catholic faith in the world.
Schedule for Confirmation Prep I & II
- September 9, 2012 - Session 1 Prep I
- September 16, 2012 - Session 1 Prep II
- September 23, 2012 - Session 2 Prep I
- September 30 , 2012 - Session 2 Prep II
- October 14, 2012 - Session 3 Prep I
- October 21, 2012 - Session 3 Prep II
- October 28, 2012 - Session 4 Prep I
- November 4, 2012 - Session 4 Prep II
- November 18, 2012 - Session 5 Prep I
- December 9, 2012 - Session 5 Prep II
- December 2, 2012 - Session 6 Prep I
- January 13, 2013 - Session 6 Prep II
- December 16, 2012 - Session 7 Prep I
- January 27, 2013 - Session 7 Prep II
- January 6, 2013 - Session 8 Prep I
- February 10, 2013 - Session 8 Prep II
- January 20, 2013 - Session 9 Prep I
- February 24, 2013 – Session 9 Prep II
- February 17, 2013 – Session 10 Prep I
- March 10, 2013 – Session 10 Prep II
- March 3, 2013 – Session 11 Prep I
- April 7, 2013 – Session 11 Prep II
- March 17, 2013 – Session 12 Prep I
To register your student click here.
To print a Prep 1 schedule click here.
To print a Prep 2 schedule click here.
Parent involement
Many volunteers are needed to make this program run smoothly. Small group leaders in the Confirmation program do not need to design lessons you simply need to facilitate a short conversation with 10 – 12 teens and take attendance for those teens. If you can share your time and talent in some way please click here to fill out a volunteer form.
Mass Attendance and Stewardship
All Confirmation Students are required to attend the 5:30 PM Sunday evening Mass which will be geared toward the young people or another Sunday weekend Mass. Families are encouraged to attend the Mass with their Confirmation student. At the beginning of the year, students will receive stewardship envelopes. Any student donations will go to support student scholarships at St. Louis Roi de France, our sister parish in Leger Matheux, Haiti.
Class Attendance
Attendance at all sessions is essential. Confirmation is a decision each student makes. When a student decides to join a sports team, band/orchestra, theater, or any academic team, they join knowing that all practices and meetings are a part of joining the program. When a student joins the Confirmation program, he/she is making a commitment to this program.
We see Confirmation as a wonderful opportunity for the students to take a step in faith. We will do our absolute best to help them deepen their relationship with God and with the Church. This deepened connection with God will help them throughout their lives, so please do your best to encourage their participation.
If a student is sick and must miss a session, please contact the Director of Confirmation Ministry as soon as possible. If a session is missed, make-up work will be provided, allowing the student to learn the material missed. This make-up work is to be completed in order that we know the student has the knowledge needed to receive the Sacrament. If 2 classes are missed without completing make-up work, the student will be required to meet with the Director of Confirmation Ministry to discuss his/her commitment to the program.
The retreat is an important component of theprep 2 program and we highly encourage the participation of your son or daughter.
Please do your best to help your student connect with the program. We have found that God does great things in the lives of the students through the Confirmation Program.
Baptismal Records
Each candidate must provide a copy of his/her Baptismal Certificate to the Confirmation Ministry Office before the student enters the Confirmation II program year. If your student was baptized at St. Mary Church, it is not necessary to provide a copy of the Baptismal Certificate, only the date of the Baptism.
If your student was not baptized here at St. Mary a certificate may be obtained by calling the church where your child was baptized and asking for a copy of the certificate. If you wish and the baptismal church allows it, the certificate can be mailed directly from the church of baptism to St. Mary Church.
Students who were baptized in a country other than the United States of America should start the process of obtaining a certificate now.
If you have difficulty obtaining a new certificate, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , the Director of Confirmation Ministry, in the Confirmation Ministry Office at (224) 654-8596 and I will do my best to assist you.
