Confirmation Program

"Called to be Catholic" is a component of our Grade 9 curriculum.  Confirmation Candidates will focus on strengthening their relationship with God by engaging in relevant content from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:  The Creed, The Sacraments, The Moral Life and A Life of Prayer.

The program begins with the Kickoff Celebration for students. A schedule with dates and times will soon be posted. We will have some games for everyone to get to know each other, as well as presentations to discuss what Confirmation is all about. The afternoon includes group activities, followed by Mass. 

"...and on this rock I will build my church..."

-Matthew 16:18

The church is not a building, rather it is all of us who bear witness to Christ and come together as a community of faithful.  As we finish our journey through the Confirmation program, we strive to help the candidates to understand how they as Confirmed adults in our church, continue to be the "rock" that our church builds on.

"Confirmed in the Spirit", focuses on the Holy Spirit and intentionally prepares students to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation by growing stronger as disciples of Jesus Christ. It offers them an opportunity for reflection, introspection and spiritual development. It promotes faith formation as a lifelong journey by embracing Catholic practices.

Confirmation Candidates will discuss what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus and how Christian service plays a vital role in discipleship (see more details on the next page). We hope that our candidates will participate in at least 10 hours of Christian service.

Every year our Confirmation Candidates exclaim that the day retreat at the Parish was most profound in strengthening their relationship with Jesus Christ.  All Confirmation students are invited to attend one retreat. A schedule with dates and times will soon be posted.

Another highlight of the year is the Sponsor/Candidate Zoom Meetings. These focus on the role of the sponsor and sharing stories of faith with their candidates in small break-out sessions.  Again, a schedule with dates and times will soon be posted.

2024-2025

Confirmation Schedule

“Called to be Catholic”

This is for first year Confirmation students.

The goal of the Confirmation Program is to help our children develop a strong foundation in their faith as they prepare to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation.   We feel strongly that celebrating Mass as a community is an important part of faith formation and request that students attend the 5PM Mass as part of class.

Classes are held from 5pm-7:15pm unless otherwise noted.

Retreat Information:

 Day retreats run at St. Michael Parish Hall and school.

Candidates select their own date.

10/5, 10/26, 1/25, 2/8, 3/1

Candidate/Sponsor Zoom Meetings

Candidates choose 1 Zoom Meeting to attend with their Sponsor.

11/19 @ 6:30pm, 11/23 @ 2pm, 12/17 @ 6:30pm, 1/9 @ 6:30pm, 2/11 @ 6:30pm, 3/11 @ 6:30pm, 3/13 @ 6:30pm, 3/20 @ 6:30pm

Confirmation Ceremonies

Our choices have not been confirmed. These are the dates we requested.

I will let you know as soon as we do.

1^st Choice

       Monday, 5/12, Wednesday, 5/14, Friday, 5/16 all @ 6:30pm                  

                                                                       Sunday, 5/18 @ 2:00 PM

2^nd Choice

Tuesday, 5/13, Thursday, 5/15, Tuesday, 5/20, Thursday, 5/22

All @ 6:30pm

3^rd Choice

Tuesday, 5/6, Thursday, 5/8, Tuesday, 5/13, Thursday, 5/15

All @ 6:30pm

2024-2025

Confirmation Schedule

“Confirmed in the Spirit”

The goal of the Confirmation Program is to help our children develop a strong foundation in their faith as they prepare to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation.  We feel strongly that celebrating Mass as a community is an important part of faith formation and request that students attend the 5PM Mass as part of class.  

Classes are held from 5pm-7:15pm unless otherwise noted.

Retreat Information

Retreats:  Day retreats run at St. Michael Parish Hall and school. Candidates select their own date.

 10/5, 10/26, 1/25, 2/8, 3/1

Candidate/Sponsor Zoom Meetings

Candidates choose 1 Zoom Meeting to attend with their Sponsor.

11/19 @ 6:30pm, 11/23 @ 2pm, 12/17 @ 6:30pm, 1/9 @ 6:30pm, 2/11 @ 6:30pm, 3/11 @ 6:30pm, 3/13 @ 6:30pm, 3/20 @ 6:30pm

Confirmation Ceremonies

Our choices have not been confirmed. These are the dates we requested.

I will let you know as soon as we do.

1^st Choice

       Monday, 5/12, Wednesday, 5/14, Friday, 5/16 all @ 6:30pm                  

                                                                       Sunday, 5/18 @ 2:00 PM

2^nd Choice

Tuesday, 5/13, Thursday, 5/15, Tuesday, 5/20, Thursday, 5/22

All @ 6:30pm

3^rd Choice

Tuesday, 5/6, Thursday, 5/8, Tuesday, 5/13, Thursday, 5/15

All @ 6:30pm

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a continuation of the Christian Initiation that began with the Sacrament of Baptism. For most, this process began at infancy when parents brought their child into the Church and vowed to raise them in the Catholic faith. Now it is their own responsibility to learn more about their faith, to grow in unity with Christ and with their community, and to “accept for themselves the faith in which they have been baptized” (The Rites, I, P.366). This acceptance requires a conversion of heart, the desire to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.  

To facilitate this conversion, students will take part in the curriculum, “Called to be Catholic", and “Confirmed in the Spirit”, by Loyola Press.

Students who are entering their first year of Confirmation preparation will be asked to attend 14 sessions throughout the year, beginning with a Kickoff. Students who have already completed one year will be asked to attend 12 sessions throughout the year. Both groups will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Spring of 2025.

Students will also be invited to participate in a 1-day retreat, student-sponsor zoom meeting, and Christian service.

The Confirmation Preparation Program begins in October and continues through March.  Schedules for each group will soon be listed.  Both sessions are held on Sundays from 5-7:15 PM.  Students must be registered for class times before the commencement of classes.  

We understand that not all students can make it to all classes. If students miss any classes, there will be make-up opportunities available. 

Please contact Kim Silk, Confirmation Coordinator, at 978-686-4050 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours;

no hands but yours;

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world.

Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good.

Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.

-St. Teresa of Avila

We are all called to be disciples of Christ, to bear witness to Him in the world.  In preparation to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, our Confirmation I and II students are required to participate in various types of service which help them grow in their Faith, through sharing not only their time and talent, but Christ's light in others' lives through various ministry projects.    

We hope that all Confirmation candidates will participate in at least 10 hours of Christian service.t

You can print a form to track your hours throughout the year, but then enter them through the link below:

Submit Service Online
 

Christian Service

Any service that reflects Jesus’ love is “Christian Service.”  So as you can guess, there are as many types of Christian service as there are needs in the world.  Many of the Christian service opportunities will even directly benefit members of our St. Michael Parish family.

We see "Christian Service" in some of the following ways:

• Did it help someone who due to health issues – either mental or physical, couldn’t participate or do the task themselves?

• Did it help with a project to feed someone who is considered “food-insecure” or homeless?

• Did it help with a project so that someone less fortunate could receive basic necessities such as clothing or shelter?

• Did it serve anyone in our parish through one of our Stewardship programs - ministering to someone in our parish?

• Did it help with some project that brought dignity to someone?

• Did you support an environmental project, acting as a "steward of the earth"?

Please sign up for one of our retreats:

The retreat experience allows the candidates a time and space ‘set apart’ from normal life to be intentionally with God and with each other. Specifically, a confirmation retreat is meant to nurture the personal integration of what is taught in our Confirmation program. It is often through a retreat process – in a space free of distractions – that the candidate is able to have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus and to discover a personal connection to the love of God and His Church. The retreat is thus an opportunity for them to listen, to contemplate what God is calling them to and to respond to God speaking into their heart.

The retreat process allows our candidates an opportunity to…

•share in the life of a praying community

•reflect more deeply on what they have been taught

•consider what they truly believe

•experience a personal encounter with the Lord through the Sacraments and a variety of prayer experiences

St. Michael's Confirmation Program requires that Confirmation students attend 1 retreat of the 5 available. 

All of the retreats are day retreats and will be here at the Parish. They will run from approximately 9 AM until about 5 PM.  

Details will be sent out a week prior to the retreat. 

Bishop Hennessey would like to get to know you before the actual Confirmation ceremony.  In order to do that, he asks that you write him a letter telling him a little about yourself and your sponsor.
 
 In your letter, you should include this information:
 1)  details about yourself such as where you go to school, what your interests are
 2)  how you stay connected to your parish community, and how you plan to live your life as a fully initiated member of the Church
 3) what saint name you have chosen and why you chose it
 4) information about your sponsor; including details such as who this person is to you personally (Aunt, Uncle, sister, brother, etc.), what is it about the faith of your sponsor that inspired you to choose them.    
 
 Be sure to tell him how your sponsor is a role model for you in how they live their faith.  You can use the questions like these to help you talk about your Sponsor to Bishop Hennessey:
 - What goodness do you see in your sponsor?  What qualities of theirs do you want to imitate in your life?
 - How do you see this person helping you to be the best Catholic Christian you can be for the rest of your life?
 - Whatever other details you'd like to share about your sponsor that make him/her so special to you.
 
 Please note – Bishop Hennessey does read all the letters.  He will make notes on many of them and will mention details from many of them before and during the ceremony.  Please keep that in mind when composing your letter.
 
 You should write the letter in another document first, proof and edit it.  You will be able to paste it into this form.

Letter to Bishop Hennessey Link

What’s in a name?

When you’re born, your parents choose your name. They may have chosen your name in honor of a special person in their lives: a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or close friend. They may have chosen your name for the meaning behind it. Perhaps they chose your name because they felt a close connection to a holy man or woman of our faith - one of the saints. Maybe they just really liked your name! Most likely, it was a combination of many factors. 

Your name gives you an identity; it tells others who you are. Throughout our lives, we will identify ourselves with many names- the name of the mascot of our high school or college; the name of the region of the country we live in; the title of the career we choose. However, there is a name above all names that, through our Baptism, we should strive to be known to the world by- and that name is Catholic Christian. At your Baptism, you were called by name, and christened to become a child of God. You entered into the Catholic community by name.

As part of your preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, you have the privilege and responsibility, just like your parents did when you were born, to choose a name. Your Confirmation name follows your middle name, i.e., Kimberly Ann “Judith” Perry. Your Confirmation name should reflect your closer identification as a member of the Catholic Christian community, as you are confirming yourself in your faith:

You can confirm your baptismal name, or you can choose a new name.

Candidates who take a new name are encouraged to take the name of the saint:

• Whose life inspires you and offers you particular Christian witness.
• Whom you want to be like and whose life you would like to imitate.
• Whom you would pray to regularly in order to ask for their support and intercession.
• Who will serve as your special protector, model, and patron for your Christian journey.

The name you select can be associated with someone in your life, your parish, or your community whom you respect and admire - regardless of whether or not it is the name of a saint. Many Confirmation candidates select a name from a parent or grandparent, honoring them for their example of love and holiness.

PRAY! Just as you should pray about any decision you have to make, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you choose a saint as your patron.

Where should I begin, to choose a Confirmation name? 

As we mentioned above, the name you choose can be associated with someone in your life who acts to share Christ's light in your life. Another great option is to find a patron saint who exemplifies who you want to be. Patron saints are chosen as special protectors or guardians over areas of life. These areas can include occupations, illnesses, churches, countries, causes -- anything that is important to us.

Catholic Saint Names

Role & Responsibilities of a Sponsor

The Role of Your Sponsor:

A Candidate for Confirmation is asked to choose a companion to walk with them during the preparation time for Confirmation, and throughout the rest of their lives. 

This role of supporting the Candidate in the process of becoming an active member of the Church is a privilege and an immense responsibility. 

The Candidate is to choose a sponsor who is a confirmed Catholic and an active member of the Catholic community, as he or she will have a strong and lasting influence on the Candidate and the Candidate’s faith. 

Often the Confirmation sponsor is the Candidate’s Godparent- this continues the process of understanding and fulfilling the Baptismal promises. 

The Responsibilities of a Sponsor:

• The sponsor needs to be willing to meet with the candidate on a regular basis before the celebration of Confirmation and to make a commitment to continue the faith journey after the celebration of Confirmation. 

• The sponsor is one who is willing to share his or her faith with the Candidate, and to help the Candidate through times of doubt, questions, and struggle. The sponsor should pray for the Candidate throughout the Confirmation process, and throughout their lifetime. 

• The sponsor needs to be an open, honest, caring, committed, and encouraging person who will help the candidate grow in his or her understanding of the faith as the young person comes to a deeper appreciation of God in his or her life. 

Enter Sponsor Information