St. Andrew Catholic Church

Confirmation Packet

Guidelines and Information

Dear Candidates, Parents, and Sponsors,

Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is an opportunity for the candidate, and those supporting the candidate, to reflect on the meaning of being part of the Body of Christ. In Baptism an individual takes on a new identity, oneness with Christ. With this oneness with Christ, the individual receives the strength of the Holy Spirit to strive to always, and in all ways, do the will of the Father, just as Christ's life revealed. This is why we see Christ's life as prayer.

It may seem like a lofty goal to prioritize and strive to live one's life with this purpose, as a prayer. However, this is the deeper understanding and appreciation of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. The Sacrament of Confirmation is an affirmation to celebrating the Eucharist. For it is in the Sacrament of the Eucharist that we, through the Gifts of the Spirit, journey deeper into our oneness with Christ and the will of the Father.

Prayer and Service

Our Confirmation preparation embraces the spirituality and theological thought expressed in Saint Andrew's Families Praying in the New Millennium (2001):

"We are thoroughly convinced, as enunciated by John Paul II and as stressed in the Christian tradition, that prayer is the key to Christian maturity. To get right to the point: 'the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ.' This intimacy and communion with Christ is our true identity. Discovering our true identity is revealed through prayer." (page xi )

Our Confirmation preparation seeks to explore and to share with teens, and their families, a greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the relationship between prayer and service.

We are encouraging our candidates to participate at Saint Andrew's 5:00PM, LIFE TEEN Mass. Personal spiritual growth and community expression of our friendship with Christ does not cease after Confirmation. Once confirmed, our teens will be faced with living their spirituality in the context of increased individual freedoms within their new culture of the world of high school. LIFE TEEN serves to aid this process of growth as an important and enriching experience for the teens of our parish.

Whether or not candidates choose to participate in LIFE TEEN Mass every week, it is assumed candidates, along with their families, are participating in weekly celebration of the Mass. Often families find this time in their young teen's life is the perfect time for the teen to become involved in one of the following parish ministries during the Mass: greeter, usher, altar server, lector, or choir.

Candidates are not required to perform a specific number of service hours. In trying to become more aware of the relationship between prayer and service, it is not necessary to perform special projects. It is important to prayerfully perform our daily actions. In doing so, we are strengthening our relationship with the Blessed Trinity who is ever present within us:

God the Father calling us to spend our day with Jesus, the Holy Spirit helping us to do so.

Throughout the moths prior to celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation, Confirmation candidates will have an opportunity to witness to each other, other young Catholic Christians, and the community of St. Andrew. This will be accomplished through a variety of ways. One way will be through collaborative writing and personal writing of prayerful reflections. There will also be an opportunity for reflective correspondence with their family, their sponsor, our pastor, Fr. Mark, and our bishop, Bishop Frank Dewane. S0me candidates may have the opportunity to share verbally with younger members of the parish. All will be asked to explore the work of at least two of the many ministries here at St. Andrew.

Participation in these experiences will encourage candidates to become more aware of the relationship between prayer and service. Ultimately, this growing awareness will enable teens to express their appreciation and gratitude for the gift of life and our Blessed Trinity's active presence within themselves and within others. Below are portions of letters written by candidates during past Confirmation retreats. The following words indicate Trinitarian language stressing our Father who calls, Christ who serves, and our Holy Spirit who prays within us:

"Dear dad: I realize that visiting my relatives is what God our Father wants me to do. God our Father is working through you to let me know that this is what He wants me to do. This is a wonderful calling and I know that it will be filled with joy."

"Dear mom: I understand that when you help me out by taking me places, washing my clothes and dishes, and serving me meals, even if it's a pain, you love and care about me. Through your loving actions, I see that Jesus is serving me."

"Dear mom and dad: When you enlighten me and encourage me you are joining the Holy Spirit. You encourage me to succeed in my future, at sports, at school, and at home. You listen to me and my problems without getting angry. You want to hear the whole story. Thank you for sharing the Holy Spirit's loving encouragement with me."

Confirmation (Baptismal) Name

If the candidate's baptismal name is that of a recognized saint of the Catholic church, there is no need to select a new name for Confirmation. Using the baptismal name for Confirmation is preferred because it highlights the relationship between the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

If the candidate chooses to take a new name for Confirmation, it should be a name selected in honor of Jesus or Mary or from the list of recognized Cannon of Saints of the Roman Catholic Church. Names of saints are chosen to serve as patrons and models for those being confirmed. Candidates should choose a saint whose Christian life or virtues can be imitated. The saint name must be the exact name (no derivatives) and must be of the same gender as the candidate.

It is through the "Summer Project" that teens have the opportunity to explore the lives of saints and prepare to choose their Confirmation saint name.

Sponsor Requirements

The person chosen for sponsor:

must be a practicing Roman Catholic and be fully initiated themselves, having received Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist;
someone who has completed his/her 16th year;
someone who is sufficiently mature in his/her own faith commitment;
someone who knows the candidate, willing to get to know the candidate better, and is willing to serve as a strong and long-lasting Christian influence on the candidate;
someone who is willing to encourage the candidate to grow in his/her relationship with Jesus;
someone who will encourage the candidate to walk with Christ in life's journey;
someone who is willing to help the candidate prepare for Confirmation;
someone who is willing to assist in determining the candidate's readiness for the sacrament;
may be either male or female for any candidate;
may be a baptismal godparent, thus emphasizing more clearly the relationship between Baptism and Confirmation;
may accompany the candidate to special liturgies and preparation programs;
may not be the parents of the candidate, however, parents may be the proxy if the sponsor is unable to attend the celebration of Confirmation.