Welcome! The Confirmation team looks forward to sharing the journey of faith with you as you prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. They are very excited that you are choosing to receive this sacrament, and pray that it will be a time of great spiritual growth.
Confirmation preparation involves learning, sharing, serving, fellowship, spiritual growth, and some fun, too. During this journey, you will be given the opportunity to learn more about your Catholic faith and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus the Christ.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian (you) toward a more intimate union with Christ and more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit . . . To this end, catechesis (preparation) for Confirmation will strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community.”

Our goal is to be true to this statement of preparation for Confirmation, so that by the end of this process you have a good understanding of who God is and how the Catholic Church helps us to know, love, and serve God. It is our hope that by the end of the Confirmation program you will:

• Develop a more personal faith with the help of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• Develop a deeper sense of belonging to the Catholic Church. 
• Develop a more active relationship with Christ through prayer.
• Become a more active, visible sign of Christ’s love at home, school, and here at QMHR through the liturgical ministries, social activities, and special annual events.

Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation is far from the end of your spiritual growth. It is another step as you continue your life long process of becoming like Christ! The Confirmation Team is here for you if you need anything! God bless you in this coming process.

WHAT ARE THE CLASS RULES THE STUDENTS SHOULD FOLLOW?

1. Actively participate in all activities
2. Treat others the way you would like to be treated
3. Class time is cell phone & electronics free
4. No Gum, Candy, or Food

Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor:

Imagine having the opportunity to choose your own coach in the sport or activity of your choice. You would choose someone who is familiar and knowledgeable about the sport or activity, and actively involved as a participant. Your coach would be someone who could help you become a better athlete or participant. Your coach is often a role model for you as well.

Living as a Catholic today is more than just showing up at Mass. It involves the conscious choice to live as a Catholic and to be “Catholic.” The individual you select as a sponsor will be a type of spiritual coach – someone who goes beyond just “looking Catholic” and is an individual who makes the internal choice to “be Catholic”. Your sponsor will be a role model and guide who will help you to grow in your faith, guide you in what steps you need to take to do that, and make suggestions to help you in the right direction for your life. Your sponsor also will be responsible for making sure you act as a true witness to Christ and that you have prepared for this Sacrament.

Guidelines for Program Requirements

The information that follows will explain the particulars of the Program Requirements for your Confirmation.

• Write a Letter of Intent to the Pastor
  Each candidate must write a letter of intent, addressed to the Pastor, Father Joseph Baidoo. The purpose of this letter is for the candidate to demonstrate in writing his or her desire to be Confirmed, and the willingness to make this commitment. Please use the following guide for the letter:
      i: Begin with your greeting: “Dear Fr. Joseph,
      ii: Introduce yourself and share some information about yourself, such as your family, your interests and hobbies, and a little about your  background. Six to eight sentences should do it.
      iii: Tell why you want to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and explain (in one or two paragraphs) why you want to be confirmed. It may help you to think about
  1. The ways in which the sacrament will strengthen your relationship with Jesus.
  2. The role of faith in your life.
  3. What it means to be part of the parish community and/or, 
  4. How the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to be witnesses for Jesus.
     iv: Close your letter with a quotation from Scripture, which will serve as your inspiration as you prepare for Confirmation. This can be a sentence or two and please remember to tell why you chose this quotation.
      v: Use the closing phrase “Very truly yours,” or Sincerely, “ and sign your full name on the line below this phrase. You will Write also to the bishop and the confirmation team.
• INTERVIEW
  You will have an interview with the Pastor to explore the meaning of the Sacrament and respond to the grace it gives; to speak about concerns, hesitations or questions you may have; and to encourage you to process and personalize your Confirmation experience.
• Choose a Confirmation name and write a biography about that saint.
  A part of the Confirmation process is choosing a saint and writing a report about that saint. The name of the saint you have chosen is the name that you will be confirmed under. For example, if you choose Saint Anthony, you will be confirmed: “Anthony, be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” There is a great significance in taking on the saint’s name as your own. In both the Old and the New Testament, when God had a mission for someone, He often gave them a new name when God asked them to take on new duties and responsibilities. For example, Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, and Simon became Peter. (To find out what happened to these people, check out Genesis 17:1-8, 32:23-29 and Matthew 16: 13-20).
• Presentation to the Parish Community
  Candidates for Confirmation will be presented to the parish community. At this Mass you will be introduced to the QMHR faith community. At that time, you will declare your intent to seek the Sacrament of Confirmation with the parish community as witness. In return, the community will agree to support and pray for all of you involved in the journey of faith.
  Participate in the Confirmation Retreat
  Retreats provide a unique opportunity for you to spend extended time in discernment and reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, your relationship with God, and your faith life. Once the actual date is set, you will be informed. The retreat will end with Reconciliation.
• Perform Service / Social Justice Activities
  Throughout Scripture we are called to love our neighbor and to serve as Jesus did. A true spirit of service is not just about accumulating a certain number of service hours or completing a number of projects. It is, instead, about the desire to help others and a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
  In the preparation for Confirmation, you are asked to make service projects a priority. Serving others is not something you do “just to get it over with.” Service is doing what Jesus did and making a commitment to use the gifts and talents God has given you to serve others. There are many opportunities in the parish where you can provide service. The Confirmation Team will work with you to finding openings for those activities.

So what does all of this mean for you?

I am sure that you have heard the comment, “Don’t just talk the talk; walk the talk”. It is easy to just say you are going to do something but it is much more difficult to promise and actually “do” what you said you would do. In preparing for Confirmation, we, the Team, have asked you to “walk” a journey of faith. Now, we are asking you to commit to that walk. As always the Confirmation Team will be there to help you fulfill this pledge and walk beside you during this journey.

A Few Closing Words
The Sacraments of Initiation were instituted by Christ to open the way of salvation for us and to lead us in the life of grace. All of us need the grace of Confirmation to support us in carrying out our baptismal vocation not only to live the faith but also to witness to it. The guidelines that direct your Confirmation preparation are designed to help you make a deeper commitment to a relationship with the Lord that Confirmation encourages. Confirmation allows you to receive and use the gifts and grace that you receive in the sacrament of Confirmation to contribute to building up the Body of Christ and serving others in the parish of QMHR here in Roosevelt.

CLOSING PRAYER

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your divine love.