Confirmation:
Confirmation for Young Adults
High School Religious Education – Confirmation for Teens at St. Robert and Holy Family
Religious education for all high school aged teens occurs in the context of preparation for Confirmation, usually during the student’s Junior year. Confirmation celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a Christian, strengthening him or her for the Christian life. Classes for all high school grades are held twice per month on Sunday nights from 7PM-8:30PM. First Semester classes for all students are held at St. Robert Parish and, during the Second Semester, classes move to Holy Family Parish. Classes and gatherings are a mix of academic presentations, small group discussion, scripture reading and prayer, social gatherings and/or work service opportunities. For more information or questions, please contact Caitlin Raether, High School Youth Minister (craether@strobert.org)
Requirements for Confirmation
Baptism:
Baptism is the “gateway” to all the other sacraments. A copy of the candidate’s baptismal certificate is required unless it has already been submitted.
Parish Membership:
We celebrate the sacraments in our parish communities. If you are registered at another parish, we will need a letter from your pastor agreeing to your preparation and celebration of the sacrament through Holy Family. If you are not currently registered at any parish, please do so. To register at Holy Family, click here.
Sponsor:
A sponsor must be:
• a baptized, confirmed, practicing Catholic
• at least 16-years-old
• NOT the candidate’s parent or adoptive parent; grandparents and siblings CAN be sponsors
• able to attend as many of the Confirmation preparation sessions as possible
Sponsors may be either male or female; there is no gender restriction.
Age:
In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Catholics who were baptized as infants are confirmed at age 17 or when the candidate is in the 11th grade. Candidates in the 12th grade who have not yet been confirmed are invited to participate in Confirmation preparation along with Juniors.
Letter to the Confirming Bishop:
The local bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation. To provide a link between the confirming bishop and the candidates, each candidate is to write a one-page letter to the bishop introducing him/herself and indicating the reasons for wanting to be Confirmed. More instruction about the letter will be provided. The deadline will be approximately six weeks before the date of Confirmation.
Interview:
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee likewise requires an interview of the candidate in order to get to know his or her preparedness for and understanding of the sacrament of Confirmation.
Service project:
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has asked that service be a component of preparation for Confirmation and delegates each parish to determine what that component will look like. There is a ten hour work service commitment for Confirmation candidates…five hours for the parish and five for community outreach.
Retreat:
Retreats are part of the Christian spiritual heritage, which is why the Archdiocese requires a retreat for Confirmation.
Other Expectations of the Candidate:
- Weekly Mass Attendance
- Full participation in the preparation sessions
Frequently Asked Questions:
May I ta ke a confirmation name? Yes. For many years in the Catholic tradition, candidates for Confirmation were asked to select a patron saint to whom the candidate had a particular devotion. When choosing a name for Confirmation, the name must be of a canonized saint.
What if I can’t find a sponsor? Some candidates struggle with selecting a sponsor who meets all the requirements. Ask your parents to help you decide. Consider aunts, uncles, neighbors, family friends, or other mentors. Talk with us if you have difficulty.
May I have two sponsors? While only one sponsor may have a role in the Confirmation liturgy, if you struggle with your decision, both sponsors may be listed in the sacramental registry of the church.
What if my sponsor can’t come to the Confirmation liturgy? Illness, emergencies, or other difficulties sometimes make it impossible for sponsors to come to the celebration of the sacrament. If that’s the case, the candidate should select a proxy to stand in for the sponsor. The name of the sponsor, not the proxy, is recorded in the sacramental records of the church. |
