Confirmation - Parents' Participation

We, at St. Charles, honor the fact that parents/guardians are the primary educators of their children, and we view our program as support and reinforcement of what parents/guardians are already doing at home.

How can you be involved in the Confirmation preparation process?

Pray together. Discover and nurture a family prayer practice. We encourage you to attend mass together. 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. However, you may find an additional type and time of prayer as a family which is nurturing for both your family life and faith life. 

Inquire about Confirmation candidate sessions. Encourage family discussions about the topics that were addressed and ask your teens if they have any questions about the topic of the day. 

Support teen candidate responsibility, asking them to keep track of dates and deadlines for the Confirmation program and contacting our program coordinators if a conflict or concern arises. 

Prioritize family meals.

“In my years exploring family spirituality, I came to realize that Jesus was onto something when he invited us to break bread in memory of him. Research study after research study has contributed to a mass of evidence showing how regular family meals (5 or more times a week) are good for what ails us. They offer stability during stress and transition. Regular family meals increase children’s health, self-esteem, personal identity, and academic achievement. And though I’ve yet to see any research data on this aspect, I’m convinced regular family meals are also a powerful way to pass on a living faith and communicate a family’s values.” - Tom McGrath (author of Raising Faith-Filled Kids)

Read "10 Tips for Better Family Mealtimes" for more ideas.

Provide snacks and/or volunteer to set-up and clean-up at meetings. Please contact our program coordinators if you are interested in helping in this way.

Volunteer at the Parish Fall Festival in the dart toss booth. More information forthcoming as we approach the festival. Be on the lookout for sign-ups. 

Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a family. This sacrament is offered every Saturday from 3:30-4PM in the Reconciliation Room in St. Charles Church. This is the glass room next to the sanctuary, closest to the parking lot door. We also offer special times to receive this sacrament during Advent and Lent. Another option is to call the parish office, the priests of St. Charles Church will be happy to meet with you at a time of mutual convenience. 

Partner with St. Charles in developing Student Safety Awareness and Best Practices. As the primary educators of your teens, parents have a duty to provide adequate information, appropriate to each young person’s individual stage of development. This is the core principle upon which all of our resources and programs involving the instruction of children are designed. Through these programs caring adults become partners with you to ensure that all young people are protected and have the tools they need to protect themselves. Please review this useful resource for parents, from Virtus.