Confirmation FAQ
Why are we meeting on Sundays? Confirmation is meant to be the completion of your initiation into the faith community, which gathers on Sunday mornings to worship. This way you can grab a snack in the PAC foyer on your way to class at 9:00, attend the 10:30 Mass and be done by 11:30 am. You won’t have to take a night away from your busy sports, dance and work schedules.
What if I have something really important going on and I can’t make a Sunday class? We understand that may happen sometimes, and we are willing to make occasional exceptions to the Sunday morning dates. However, we hope that you, your classmates and your catechists will develop a sense of community and enjoy being together. You will be missed if you are not there. Ask your parents to try to schedule family activities on weekends when we do not have class scheduled, if possible.
Why do I have to let you know that I’m going to class on a Wednesday night? We have to know how many youth to expect on a Wed. night, so we have enough catechists and materials ready. Your Sunday morning catechists would also appreciate knowing that you won’t be able to make it.
How do I let you know I can’t make a Sunday session? E-mail or leave a phone message for Mary Higgins to let her know that you will not be able to attend. When and where do I meet for a Wednesday night class? Wednesday sessions will be held from 7:00-8:15 in the John the XXIII room in the Parish Activity Center, right next to the Faith Formation office. (Second year youth will meet in Pius the Xth room in the church basement.)
What is the interview for? What will I be asked to talk about? Can I really sign up with friends? The interview is a chance for the coordinator to get to know you and what kinds of faith experiences you have had, to discuss your service request with you, and answer any questions you may have. It will be informal, and you are welcome to sign up with 1-2 friends, (no more than 3 in a group, please.) See directions for sign up on the back of the white checklist page in your red folder. If you are able to spend a few minutes with Mary at a Youth Ministry event BEFORE Nov. 1, you will not need to schedule an interview.
Do ninth graders join a Youth Alive group? Yes! Your Confirmation class will be your Youth Alive group. You will be invited to a couple of social activities each year, and your contact leader will invite you to other youth ministry activities in the parish.
Why do I have to go to three youth ministry events? Attending youth events gives you a chance to see what else is going on in the parish youth program. It will give you ideas on how you might want to stay involved in the parish after you are confirmed. After all, Confirmation is not a graduation, it’s a beginning!
What if I can’t make the retreat on Jan. 23? (Feb. 7 for year 2) The Confirmation retreat is a very important part of the Confirmation program. Year 1 youth will be treated to the NET Team, which always puts on a good retreat. The year 2 retreat was very well-received last year and is the focal point of much that we do in the weeks before the retreat. We have cut down on the number of Sunday meetings because of the retreats. Please make every effort to be there.
How many hours do I have to do for my service project? You should aim for a minimum of 10-12 hours on a project from the list of parish service opportunities. It would be great if you enjoy what you’ve chosen to do, so that you’re not thinking about how many hours you’re putting in.
Could I use my 9th grade social studies community involvement hours for a service project instead of the ones on the list? The opportunities on the list have been carefully designed to integrate you into the life of the parish. Several of them are designed to be completed during the summer, if you want to avoid the busy school year. We recognize that you are serving community and school through your 9th grade civics projects and that’s great. Your Confirmation service project is to get you involved in the church.
Can I use things like Rake and Run or Trick or Treating with my Youth Alive group for my church service project? These count as youth ministry activities, not as parish service. However, you can count them as 9th grade civic service hours. Your parish service project is meant to involve you more deeply in a specific ministry of the parish. See the list of opportunities in your red folder.
What if the person I want to ask to be my sponsor lives too far away to go to sponsor meetings? If you have someone really, really special to you that you want to have at the Confirmation ceremony, but who lives too far away, you may choose a parish “mentor” to do the sponsor activities with you. We’ll help you find someone if you don’t know many people in the parish. At the Confirmation rite, both people will come forward to present you to the bishop.
What else will I have to do the second year? The second year will have 11-12 sessions of Sunday morning classes, you will meet a couple more times with your sponsor, and there will be a retreat, and brief reports on how you are living out Catholic Social Teachings and choosing your Confirmation name. And then, of course, there’s Confirmation itself. The 2011 date has not yet been set, but chances are good that we will go to Divine Redeemer parish in Faribault sometime in early May for Confirmation. We’ll let you know as soon as we know.
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