What is Confirmation?
“Confirmation is the sacrament that gives the Holy Spirit to the baptized in order to root them more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate them more firmly into Christ and the Church, strengthen their bond with the Church, associate them more closely with her mission, and help them bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.” (CCC 1285)
The sacrament of Confirmation is understood to complete and perfect the grace of Baptism, providing the recipient with the fullness of the Holy Spirit to live out their Christian faith more fully. It is often associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and involves a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit to empower the individual for active participation in the life and mission of the Church.
Process Overview
Notice, the use of the word process and not program. A Sacrament is received when the recipient is ready. This is determined by a clear conversion of faith of the Candidate and a confidence of this verified by the pastor and the Confirmation preparation team.
Less is not more in any situation. At St. Christopher, the best proven practices are used to prepare the whole person to not only receive the Sacrament, but to truly understand, love, and live their Catholic faith. Please keep that in mind when learning about the process.
Families desiring the Sacraments should be registered in a Religious Education program beginning in grade 1 and continuing throughout their lifetime. Sacraments are indeed Spiritual milestones, but they carry great responsibility to be used throughout life. In other words, the Sacraments are not stopping points, like graduation, but more like a springboard to grow deeper in one’s faith.
Preparation for Confirmation requires a process of conversion that naturally progresses with the child’s mental and physical maturity. Therefore, we begin the formal process in grade 7 with the Sacrament ideally being received in grade 9 with a seamless transition into their next phase of formation, QUEST, our high school youth ministry.
If you still have questions, please reach out, and a process can be developed that’s specific to your needs if possible.
WHAT IF I MISS A SESSION?
We completely understand how busy our students are which is why we put the schedule out so far in advance. However, sometimes conflicts just can’t be avoided. We also know that when something is important to us, we make time for it. Please read the missed session policy below.
First Absence (excused or unexcused) – You will receive a phone call from Suzy or Greg followed by an email with a missed session assignment. The student will watch the videos from home, complete their journal, and answer a few short questions.
Second Absence (excused or unexcused) You will receive a phone call to set-up a meeting with Greg and Suzy to refocus and make a plan to get back on track. The student will watch the videos from home, complete their journal, answer a few questions, and write a one-page report on the missed lesson.
Third Absence (excused or unexcused) You will receive a phone call to set up a meeting with Greg, Suzy, and Fr. James to identify the problem and to determine whether you are able to continue this year or need to resume the preparation the following year.
WHAT IF I MISS AN EVENT OR SERVICE PROJECT?
If you are unable to attend any of the service options we have lined up, you will have to schedule one with your sponsor to be completed by the end of the summer. Service must be pre-approved by Greg or Suzy.
If you miss the retreat, you will be required to attend another within the family of parishes, vicariate, or diocese. We will provide you the contact information and dates for these, but you will need to set it up on your own. If a retreat is not completed prior to Confirmation, Confirmation may be delayed.
Any Questions – email Greg Crachiolo at 810-364-4100 gcrachiolo@stchrismi.org or Suzy DeVeny at 1000MichiganAve@gmail.com