Why Confirmation?

What Does Confirmation Do?

Confirmation...

•     increases and deepens the grace we received at our Baptism
•     brings us closer to God 
•     unites us more firmly to Christ
•     increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
•     strengthens our bond with the Church
•     gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life 
      (in our words and actions)
•     gives us a special strength and courage to defend the faith
•     gives us boldness to spread the Good News to others
•     imprints our soul with an indelible spiritual mark or seal of the Holy Spirit
  
  Based on The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1303-04

Confirmation deepens our baptismal life....

"Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.

Through Confirmation, our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is strengthened.

We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.

 The Holy Spirit bestows seven gifts—wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude [courage], council [right judgment], piety [reverence], and fear of the Lord [wonder and awe in God's presence]—to assist us in our mission and witness. The impact of these gifts accompanies us in the various stages of our spiritual development...

When we are responsive to the grace of Confirmation and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we begin to bear fruits of the Spirit. The tradition of the Church names twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity (cf. CCC, no. 1832; Galatians 5:22)."   

(United States Catholic Catechism of Adults pgs. 207-209)

Baptismal Life

"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit...and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."

This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to "plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1213, 1214)

What does it mean to "live our Baptism?"

It means…

• being welcomed, and becoming a person who is welcoming.
• being healed, and becoming a person who is healing.
• seeing others as Christ would see them.
• being positive and life-giving in our attitudes and actions.
• turning to Christ for guidance through prayer.
• turning to the faith community for support in times of need, confusion, and doubt.
• staying connected to Jesus and to the faith community by participating in church activities, celebrations, and sacraments.
• being Christ’s light to the world by serving those in need.

Confirmation at St. Charles

Goals:

• Offer a flexibile schedule for today's increasingly busy teens.
• Offer individual choices to candidates.
• Encouage teens to strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Invite all teens to be actively involved in parish life at St. Charles.
• Provide a meaningful Confirmation experience.
• Emphasize Confirmation as strengthening for ongoing discipleship/ministry.

Requirements for entrance to the Confirmation Program

• Catholic Baptism (or Profession of Faith), First Reconciliation, and First Communion
• Meet age guidelines for Confirmation:  
  Confirmation Level One:  Grades 9-11 (varies by individual)
  Confirmation Level Two:  Grades 10-12 (varies by individual) 

LEVEL ONE:

• Demonstration of the "3 Ms"
  • Mass (Regular attendance)
  • Meaning (Completed Booklet; or Catholicism 101 Class; or Readiness Test)
  • Ministry (Candidate has completed forms showing 20 hours of service/ministry)
• Personal Meeting with Coordinator (in the April/May/June) Before Level Two Program begins. Forms demonstrating a minimum of 20 hrs. ministry/service, and completed booklet/class/or test to be submitted before the personal meeting date.)

LEVEL TWO:

• Eight Classes (two include parents, one includes sponsors, one is a Mass in SF)
• Work with your sponsor (three activities you do on your own time)
• Participate in the day-retreat (a Sunday in January)
• Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent
• Confirmation happens in late January/February

Confirmation Level One may take as little as one school year or as long as you need to prepare yourself in the context of our parish community. This is the time for you to get involved and live your Baptism as you seek to grow in your faith and your relationship with God, connect to the parish community, and reach out to others.

Confirmation Level One

• Attend Mass regularly
• Seek to grow in your relationship with God/pray regularly
• Consider getting involved in "Charlie's Angels" our high school youth group (or at least some activities offered by Charlie's Angels)
• Register and pay the fee (see box on right of this page)
• Attend a Parent/Candidate Information Meeting (see calendar)
• Complete the planning worksheet
• Complete 20 hours of Community Service/Ministry (at least 10 hrs connected with St. Charles)-forms due by April 1
• Choose ONE: Complete the "Catholicism 101 for Teens" Class (in March, see calendar) or Booklet (available from the Parish Office) or Test (date in April, TBA)
• Personal Meeting with Coordinator (April/May/June)
  

CONFIRMATION LEVEL ONE DATES:

Parent/Candidate Information Meeting: Tue, Sept 20, 2011, 7:30 - 8:30pm in the Church, if you missed this meeting, please check the website carefully and call Tami Palladino with any questions.

Catholicism 101 for Teens (Choose this option if you prefer to work with others): Mar 6, 13, 20, 27, 2012 (Borromeo Hall/Small Hall, 7-8:30pm)

"Know Your Faith" Booklet (Choose this option if you have a crazy schedule and/or prefer to work on your own): Deadline to submit the completed booklet is April 1, 2012

"Confirmation Readiness Test" (Choose this option if you already have a good basic understanding of the Catholic faith and feel you are ready now for Confirmation prep) Date: April, (day TBA)

Confirmation Level Two

After the personal meeting, Candidates enter into Confirmation Level Two.

Confirmation Level Two

 Dates/Deadlines
Handy Checklist

• Continued Participation in Mass/Ministry
• Work with Confirmation Sponsor
  • Sponsor will participate in one Confirmation Session and afterwards the Rite of Welcome and Commitment Mass
  • Share faith stories and challenge one another to grow in faith
  • Research together the lives of the saints
  • Choose a Confirmation Name (name given at Baptism or other saint name)
  • Participate in rehearsal and Rite of Confirmation Mass 
• Participate in Eight Confirmation Preparation Sessions, including
  • Archdiocesan Youth Mass
  • Two Parent/Candidate Sessions
  • Candidate/Sponsor Session           
• Participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation (at St. Charles or at Catholic School or privately)
• Participate in the Confirmation Retreat Day

Confirmation Parents

We at St. Charles honor the fact that parents are the primary educators of their children, and we hope our programs will be viewed as support/reinforcement of what parents are already doing.

Here are some ways for parents to be involved in the Confirmation preparation process:

• Read the Confirmation Parent Guidebook. This guidebook talks about what Confirmation is all about and gives ideas for how parents can support their teens throughout the preparation process. There are also suggestions for personal reflection to enrich your own faith journey.
  
• Attend Mass as a family.  Family Mass attendance is foundational to everything we are working together to instill in our young people as they prepare to live out their faith in their daily lives now and in their future.
  
• Follow up on the online safety course by having a discussion with your child using the  Parent/Candidate Discussion Guide.  For our records, for the purpose of reporting to the Archdiocese, please send us an email after you have had this parent/teen discussion. Thanks!
  
• Borrow  and view together the DVD "Romance Without Regret" . This is a very entertaining, inspiring, and challenging talk that Jason and Crystalina Evert did together at a Catholic High School before they were married. This video has always been a highlight for teens in our program; we encourage families to borrow it and view it together. Listen to the audio or download as an mp3 here. (This video is also on You Tube in parts.)
  
• Have family discussions after Candidate Sessions: The teens will be using "talksheets" for small group discussion during the sessions. We encourage teens to take these home and show them to their parents so that the discussions on the various topics can continue at home (also a great idea for Sponsor/Candidate discussions).
  
• Provide snacks. St. Charles parents have always been great about providing us with tasty snacks and drinks for our Candidate sessions and retreat. Please send non-perishable snacks to the sessions with your Candidate and we will store what we don't use immediately for later use. We are also always thankful for fresh baked cookies and will use these the day they are brought in.
  
  Note: Since we will be going to Mass at 5 pm, we will honor the Eucharistic fast and not eat one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Go here to read about this practice (scroll down to the section called "Liturgy of the Eucharist", 15th paragraph down that begins with, "Those who receive Communion...").
  
• Be a parent Chaperone/Supervisor: Parents are needed to help chaperone the Archdiocesan-Wide Youth Mass on Sunday, October 9.  All teens are invited to this Mass, and it is mandatory for those in the Confirmation Level Two program.
  
• Work a shift to supervise our youth ministry/religious ed booth at the Parish Fall Festival. Please contact us if you can take a shift to supervise.
  
• Candidate Responsibility: We support parents to encourage their teen to take the responsibility of keeping track of dates and deadlines for the Confirmation program and to contact us if a conflict or concern should arise.
  

Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor

A confirmation sponsor is a person who is:

• someone other than a parent (canon 874.5) 
• over the age of 16 (Candidates are asked to discuss possible sponsors under the age of 18 with Confirmation Coordinator. More mature sponsors are recommended.)
• a fully-initiated Catholic (has completed Baptism/First Penance/First Eucharist/Confirmation)
• actively living the faith (fully committed to the mission of the Church and participates in Mass on regular basis)
• willing to give time/commitment to walk with Candidate through the Confirmation process 

As the two sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation are connected, when possible, the Baptismal Sponsor (Godparent) is the preferred Sponsor for Confirmation.

 (If you have any questions regarding Sponsor choice, please contact the Confirmation Coordinator for assistance.)

Candidate and Sponsor Responsibilities

Sponsor Guidebook
Table of Contents: What is a Sponsor?/What Do Sponsors Do?/Twenty Tips for Sponsors/But How Do I Share Faith?/Building the Relatioship One on One/What About Confirmation?

1. For those being confirmed in February 2012, the Candidate and Sponsor should have already attend the Confirmation Session followed by the Rite of Welcome and Commitment Mass on Sept 25, 2011.

2. The Candidate and Sponsor will work together on three activities. Candidate and Sponsor do these activities outside of Confirmation classes. The Candidate will submit a report for each of these activities.

3. The Candidate and Sponsor will go to the Confirmation Rehearsal (date TBA )

4. The Candidate and Sponsor will come to the Rite of Confirmation (date TBA).

Declaring a Sponsor

• Declare a sponsor online
• or...print Declaration of Sponsor form, fill-in, and return to Confirmation Coordinator.

Activity #1: Share Your Stories

Download the Guide/Report. In this activity Candidate and Sponsor discuss their faith stories with one another. Write a brief summary of what you discussed under each question, submit the form to the Coordinator by the deadline.

Activity #2: Faith Challenges

Part One: Both Candidate and Sponsor are asked to read this Youth Update article (from St. Anthony Messenger Press) entitled, "How is Your Faith Expressed?" This article discusses how young people put their Catholic faith into action when they...
...pray and worship
...proclaim God's Word
...build up the community
...work for justice.

Part Two: Discuss YOUR faith (each of you) in relation to these four areas (above). How do you express your faith in each area? In which area do your express your faith the most/the least?

Part Three: Each of you are asked to choose an area to work on. Think of a specific challenge to help you work on better expressing your faith in that area. Please don't choose a goal that is broad or vague such as "I will pray more often" instead choose something very specific and measurable such as "Each night before bed I will think of what I did that day and my good/not so good choices of the day and pray the Act of Contrition." Submit your challenge plans using this online form before the deadline. (Explain challenge plan of both Candidate and Sponsor.)

Part Four: After you have each completed your challenge, write a report on what you each did. There is no particular form for the faith challenge report, just write it up using your computer or write it by hand (if you can write it neatly) on binder paper. Make sure to include your name and your sponsor's name. Turn it in to the Confirmation Coordinator by the deadline.

Activity #3: Research the Saints/Choose a Confirmation Name

Download the Guide/Report Form.

Go to http://www.catholic.org/saints to find information on the saints, or when you get together with your Sponsor, bring books on the saints and go through those.

Part One: Read the above guide/form and review the two options (to stay with your baptismal name or to choose a saint's name). Discuss the options with your Sponsor and make a choice.

Part Two: Research the Saints. If you choose to stay with your baptismal name and your name is also the name of a saint, then that will be the one you will research and write about. If you go with the option to choose a saint name then you'll need to do more research.

You may have a saint in mind, or maybe your Sponsor has a suggestion. You may also wish to find a saint that is connected to one of your interests or a saint whose feast day is on your birthday. Read about the saint and discuss this with your Sponsor. The most important factors in your choice should be that you have a personal connection with the saint and that there is something about the saint that you admire or want to emulate in your own life.

Part Three: Complete the Confirmation Name Guide/Report form (link above). The saint report can be written on the back of the form or on a separate sheet of paper. When writing about the saint you've chosen, be sure to include:
-the saint's name
-the dates the saint lived
-the saint's feast day
-explain why you chose this particular saint
-write at least three paragraphs about the saint's life

Community Service

"…it isn’t enough to just have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all; it is dead and useless." -James 2:17  

Twenty hours of community service or ministry are required for the Confirmation program.

Be sure to document your service / ministry with the appropriate form. 
Note: Use the "Service" form for short-term projects like working at Fall Festival or serving at a dinner and use the "Ministry" form for ongoing ministry like choir or Edge Leadership.

There are many opportunities for ongoing ministry at St. Charles as well as for short-term community service events/projects. Listed here are some ideas: 

On-Going Ministry Options for Teens at St. Charles

• Charlie's Angels Youth Council
• Children's Faith Formation K-4
• Children's Liturgy of the Word
• Church Clean-Up Committee
• Charlie’s “Angels in Action” (Ministry to the sick and elderly)
• EDGE Leadership Team (middle school, grades 5-8)
• Little Angels (Preschool)
• Liturgy (Altar server; Eucharistic Minister; Greeter; or Lector)
• Music (Choir member or musician for Mass)
• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Home and Hope
 

Current Service Opportunities at for Teens at St. Charles

Church Tour Guide
Come be part of the team of teens that guides our 2nd/3rd graders who are preparing for First Communion and their families on a tour of the inside of the Church. Script and training provided.  

Angels in Action
Visit the elderly and homebound of our parish, deliver holiday cards/goodies or just chat for awhile. Help with small projects around the homes as requested. Dates/times TBA.

Singers/Musicians for the 5 pm Sunday Mass
We have been involving teens more and more in this Mass and the music is really evolving into something wonderful! Come join in! Rehearsals are at 4 pm just before the Mass (with special arrangements for those in the Confirmation program).

On-Going Short-Term Community Service Options for Teens at St. Charles

• St. Charles Fall Festival Booths
• Charlie’s Angels Advent Candle Sale
• St. Charles Blood Drive (sponsored by Charlie's Angels)
• Easter Egg Hunt (after the 8:30 am Mass on Easter Morning)
• Stations of the Cross (Good Friday)
• Workshops for First Communion/First Reconciliation (Help with refreshments/crafts/Church tours)
• Serve at Parish Dinners (ICF, High School Grad Dinner, Fall Festival, Mission Trip Fundraiser)
• Church Clean-Up (Friday evenings)
• Church Environment
• Childcare during parish activities
• Summer Scripture Camp for grades K-4
• St. Charles Mission Trip
• Home and Hope
• Office work at the St. Charles Parish office
• Write an article for the parish newsletter (The Voice) or submit a cartoon or drawing
• St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving Food Drive
• St. Vincent de Paul Advent/Lenten Service Projects  

Local Agencies (that welcome youth volunteers)  

Second Harvest Food Bank in San Carlos (ages 14 and up) Come help sort food donations on selected Wednesdays from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

Coyote Point Museum, San Mateo, Keepers in Training is an exciting new volunteer program at Coyote Point Museum. Teens (13-17) who are interested in animals and the environment may volunteer to help educate visitors about our wildlife collection and assist the Animal Keepers. Previous animal care experience helpful but not required.

Horseback riding for Kids/Adults with Special Needs
The BOK Ranch is a nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding lessons to children and adults who have special needs. They need volunteers to help take care of the horses as well as to help during the lessons. Although the volunteers must be at least 14 to go into the ring during lessons, 12 and 13 year olds can become involved and work with the horses as junior volunteers. The facility is located in Woodside off of 280, and volunteer opportunities are available after school and on weekends.

Building Futures Now, East Palo Alto, CA. Current need: After-school tutors for 4th and 5th graders to help with homework, help with basic math skills, and reading together. You'll work with the same student each time and develop a strong relationship! Looking for high school students, college students, and college grads to help. 1.5 hours/day at least 1 day/week for 3 months on Mon, Tue, Thurs from 3:30-5:30. Training provided.

Edgewood Center for Children and Families  provides services for Bay Area children and families.

MedShare: Delivering Health and Hope to the World, San Leandro, CA
Come help sort and box surplus medical supplies that would have otherwise been thrown out, but with the help of volunteers are sent to where they can be used to help people around the world. Vounteers even as young as 8 years old are welcome if accompanied by a parent. Click here for more info.

Homeless Cat Network, San Carlos, CA
Volunteers of all ages are invited (even young children when supervised by their parents) to help feed the homeless cats in the area. There is also a need for foster care homes for cats. Or help trap cats for spay/neuter and vaccination.

Reading Partners, welcomes youth age 13 and up  to tutor struggling young readers. Volunteer for one hour per week (day/time of your choice, 9-5 Mon-Thur) at any of their four locations: Atherton, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto & San Mateo. Click here for more info.

Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls Club, San Mateo, CA
The Evening Enrichment Program (EEP) is an individualized, one-on-one tutoring program with a goal of improving the academic performance of each participant's subject/s of difficulty--including, but not limited to reading, writing and arithmetic. Evening assistance is needed one (1)night per week, for at least twelve(12)-weeks during the academic school year (September - May) for K-8 youth. EEP inquiries should be made September - February. Training is not required. Click here for more info.

City Trees, Redwood City, CA
Help the environment in a morning! Volunteers of all ages are invited (even young children with a parent) to help plant trees in Redwood City. Starts at 9 am and finishes around noon. Click here for more info.

Ecumenical Hunger Program, East Palo Alto, CA
Help with their Family Harvest Food Distribution on the third Tuesdays of every month, 1-5 pm. Help organize and distribute food to families in need. They also welcome teens to help with their beautiful, one acre vegetable garden, weekdays till 4:30. They like volunteers to come for a couple hours, so this is a good one if you have a day off from school or early dismissal.

Belmont Library (Belmont): Help sort donated books with the "Friends of the Belmont Library," weekdays or weekends.

Shelter Network: Burlingame, CA
Looking for groups to host a Dinner/B.B.Q/Birthday Party for homeless families they serve. Families can do this and even their children 5 years old and up can get help. .

Redwood City Library (Redwood City, CA) welcomes creative, artistic youth in grades 6 - 12 to be on their teen council which meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at the downtown branch, 2nd floor at 5 pm. You'd plan and run programs for other teens and make flyers and posters.

Half Moon Bay State Beach needs volunteers to restore native habitats at Francis, Venice, Roosevelt and Dunes Beaches. The removal of non-native plants (weeds!!), and the monitoring of newly planted areas will help increase the native wildlife in the park. Shifts can be from 2 to 3 hours. Volunteers under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Confirmation Forms

Confirmation Registration Form (For both Confirmation Level One and Confirmation Level Two)

Confirmation Parental Permission/Waiver Form (For Confirmation Level Two)

Confirmation Level One:  Complete the "Teen Safety" training at Shield the Vulnerable website. Print the certificate and bring a copy to the Confirmation Coordinator.

Confirmation Level Two:  Complete the "Dating Abuse" and "Cybersafety" training at Shield the Vulnerable website. Print the certificates and bring copies to the Confirmation Coordinator.

Online Safety Follow-Up...Parent/Teen Discussion Guide. Use this discussion guide for after the online safety course. After the discussion, contact us to let us know you have finished and we'll be able to check your name on our list that we use to report to the Archdiocese. Thank-you for helping ensure the safety of our teens!

Forms for Confirmation Level One:

Worksheet for those in Confirmation Level One

On-Going Ministry Report (To report on involvement in a particular on-going ministry such as the choir, youth group, regular participation in a committee etc.)

Community Service Report (To report on a particular short-term community service project or event such as working at a booth at the Fall Festival, a project with St. Vincent de Paul Society, etc.)

Forms for Confirmation Level Two:

Declaration of Sponsor Form  (Use this form only if you prefer not to use the online form which is available here.)

Sponsor Activity #1: Share Your Faith Stories (Guide/Report)

Candidate/Sponsor Faith Challenge (Activity #2). The first part is completed online and the second part is a written page without a form.

Activity #3: Research the Saints/Choose a Confirmation Name. Download the Guide/Report Form.

FOR YOUR SAFETY

As per the mandate of the US Bishops' Charter, the Archdiocese of San Francisco requires us at St. Charles to make sure that all children and teens in our parish receive formal personal safety training. We appreciate the time and effort the Archdiocese has put forth to make these courses convenient, informative, and also entertaining.

Follow-Up: After taking the course(s), we ask that parents follow-up with a discussion to make sure that the youth has understood the information and to encourage parent/youth communication on personal safety issues. Please use the following discussion guide and contact us to let us know that you have followed-up so that we can record it in our files.
Thank-you for helping ensure the safety of our teens!
Click here for High School Parent/Youth Discussion Guide

"Teen Safety" Course: This course challenges teens to learn, build, and retain valuable skills to maximize their opportunities for growth, while maintaining healthy relationships and feeling good about themselves. It shows teens how to: identify abusive behavior/relationships, avoid dangerous situations, prevent abuse, and observe standards of conduct.

Confirmation Level One:  Complete the "Teen Safety" training at the Shield the Vulnerable website. Print the certificate and submit it with your registration or bring a copy to the Confirmation Coordinator.

Confirmation Level Two:  Complete the "Dating Abuse" course at the Shield the Vulnerable website. Print the certificate and submit it with your registration or bring a copy to the Confirmation Coordinator.

Note: There are many more courses for teens on the Shield the Vulnerable website which we HIGHLY recommend. Please take as many of these courses as you would like: Abuse and Neglect; Bullying and Hazing; Self-Respect, Peer Pressure, and Media Influence; Internet Safety and Texting; Safe Decisions: Drugs, Alcohol, and Self-Harm.

Statistics:
-1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.
-Kids age 5-11 are the most at risk to suffer child abuse.

At Catholic parishes and schools across the nation, young people are participating in special training programs designed to support parents as we teach our young people to how be safe.

The training was mandated by the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People issued by the United States Catholic Bishops, confirming the Bishops' deep commitment to creating a safe environment for all God's children.