Confirmation

Confirmation preparation involves much more than classroom learning. In addition to regular sessions, there will be retreats, service opportunities, and gatherings outside of class time to help form the whole person in faith. The Quick Date guides linked above list all of the requirements that take place outside of class time over the two years of the program. You can find additional information about all of these requirements in the Confirmation Handbook, also linked above.

We look forward to journeying with your family as your student prepares to receive the Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way, strengthened to live their faith with purpose, joy, and courage. 

For more information about Confirmation preparation, please contact our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, Elise Flick, at elise@oldstmarys.com. 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Details about Sunday Faith Formation classes – find information here: www.oldstmarys.com/sundayfaithformation
2. Children who started sacramental preparation at another parish – we can often accommodate students transferring between parishes without delaying their sacraments. If this is your situation, reach out to Elise Flick as early as possible. To count previous classes toward your child’s Confirmation requirements, we will usually need a signed and sealed letter from your last parish specifying which requirements have been met.
3. Older Students preparing for Confirmation – if your student did not participate in the Confirmation program in Grades 6 and 7, we can help. Our exact approach will depend on your child’s current age and whether they are missing any other sacraments – we try hard to keep them with other students their age. To get the ball rolling, reach out to Elise Flick and let her know what grade your child is starting, whether he/she has been baptized, and what previous religious instruction he/she has had (such as attending a Catholic school or participating in a Sunday School program). 
4. Children raised in a non-Catholic religious tradition – we’re excited that you would like to bring your child into the Catholic Church! If your child was baptized in another Christian tradition, we’ll make sure that baptism was done properly, ask them if they want to be Catholic, and then move on to First Communion and Confirmation as if the baptism happened in a Catholic Church. If your child has not yet been baptized, we can work with that too! Reach out to Elise Flick for next steps.
5. Sponsor Requirements – your child’s sponsor needs to be a practicing Catholic, meaning that he/she identifies as Catholic, received all his/her Sacraments of Initiation, attends Sunday Mass each week, and participates in Reconciliation at least twice a year. The most important thing is that the sponsor can mentor your student as a young Catholic. While our students may have wonderful, non-Catholic mentors in other contexts, these are not the right people to help them practice living as Catholics.
6. Sponsor Age – your student’s sponsor must be 16 years old by the date of Confirmation. Some teenagers can be great sponsors, if they meet the standard described above. Many teenagers have not yet reached that point in their life of faith, so you should consider the individual’s spiritual maturity carefully before making this choice. We want to set our students up for success by providing strong spiritual friendships and mentorships.
7. Sponsor isn’t local – this is fine! As long as you can use technology to communicate with your sponsor, you’re all set. If your sponsor cannot attend the Confirmation rehearsal due to distance, you will need a parent or other individual to stand in his/her place at the rehearsal.
8. Sponsor can’t attend the Confirmation Mass – this is also okay. While we like for sponsors to be present in person on the day of Confirmation, a parent or other confirmed Catholic can stand in for them at the Confirmation Mass and rehearsal. This is even true if the sponsor becomes unavailable at the last minute (usually due to health limitations or inclement weather when traveling).
9. Service Hours – at least 50% of your service hours must be completed within our Catholic community, but there is no reason you couldn’t do all your hours at Old St. Mary’s if you prefer. Service Hours are considered in-parish when they serve our local Catholic community, usually on campus. On occasion, students have organized groups from the parish to volunteer with Catholic organizations that provide support to our local Catholic community such as the Archdiocese’s SPRED ministry, which provides religious education opportunities for students with special needs at many parishes, including Old St. Mary’s. If you are volunteering with other Old St. Mary’s parishioners and serving Catholics in our community, these are considered in-parish service hours. While you can complete all of your service hours at Old St. Mary’s, we ask that you try volunteering with at least two different ministries if you do.