Receive the Holy Spirit
In Confirmation, Christians receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit and deepening of baptismal graces needed to grow as mature disciples of Christ in the life of the Church. Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, the other two being Baptism and First Holy Communion.
ROLE OF THE CANDIDATE
As candidates continue preparing for Confirmation, they must:
- Listen attentively and participate willingly in religious education
- Respect each other’s point of view
- Ask questions – this helps to develop a more mature understanding of Christian beliefs and make their own commitment stronger
- Attend Mass weekly
- Invite a practicing Catholic to be their Confirmation sponsor
- Participate in the Youth/Parent Session, Youth/Sponsor Session, and Retreat
- Complete the Required Confirmation Checklist.
- Participate in Pastoral Team Interview
- Remain an active part of the Catholic community, continuing to learn about and practice their faith
- Dress appropriately for the Confirmation Mass
ROLE OF THE PARENT(S)
Parents play a vital role in their children’s continuing initiation into full membership in the Christian community. Parents of Confirmation candidates:
Are the primary educators of their children.
- Represent the Church by showing their child a Christian example and the importance of faith
- Are responsible for initiating their children into the sacramental life
- Serve as models for their children by being committed Catholic/Christians
- Encourage their child to worship with the parish community
- Nurture their child in the faith
- Should encourage their child to reflect on and thoroughly consider the decision to receive the sacrament of Confirmation
- Are asked to attend meetings and programs that are planned to help their child prepare for the sacrament
- Are not permitted as Confirmation sponsors of their own child
- Are asked to assist their child with the immediate preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation through prayer, study, and Christian service
- Should stress the initiation aspect of the sacrament by encouraging their children to continue learning more about their faith
- Should help their child in understanding that Confirmation service projects are the beginning of a life committed to Christian service
- Encourage their child to participate in parish activities
- Commit to daily prayer for the candidates
Confirmation Journey
Confirmation for students at St. Lawrence is a journey.
It’s your chance to say YES to God, YES to faith, and YES to the church.
We want to help you build relationships that help you know whether you want to make that choice at this critical point in your life.
At St. Lawrence, here are the steps you will take on your Confirmation Journey:
- Attend Student/Parent Meeting
- Attend Student/Sponsor Meeting
- SPARK NIGHT
- Performs Acts of Service
- Attend 2 Sponsor and Student sessions
- Attend Retreat
- Confirmation Mass
- ENGAGE Night.
Attend Retreat
One requirement for confirmation is for students to attend a retreat. We hold a one-day retreat at St Lawrence, on a Saturday where students will have breakout sessions, speakers, adoration, and activities, closing with Mass.
Holy Fire Conference for Jr High Students (in October)
Holy Fire presented by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and the Archdiocese of Nashville, TN is for young people in grades 6-8 and is a one-day experience of dynamic speakers, music, and the Sacrament of the Eucharist, as they have never before experienced.
At Holy Fire, young people will be invited and challenged to embrace their baptismal call and embrace the relevant and powerful Gospel of Jesus. This is a one-day trip and includes lunch at the conference. We hope all 8th graders will consider participating in the Holy Fire conference as part of their Confirmation preparation. Holy Fire will give the middle school students a glimpse at what NCYC (The National Catholic Youth Conference) is like for high school students.
Choose a Sponsor
We ask you to choose a sponsor to be a part of your journey. A Sponsor is like a spiritual coach, someone who lives our faith and can share their experience with you. Pick someone you admire for their faith and who can help you grow closer to Christ.
ROLE OF THE SPONSOR
In accordance with Canon 874 of the Code of Canon Law, the Confirmation Sponsor must meet the following criteria:
- Your Confirmation Sponsor must be a practicing Roman Catholic who has celebrated the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Eucharist
- Your Confirmation Sponsor must be at least 16 years of age.
- Your Confirmation Sponsor must regularly attend Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation and give witness to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
- Your Confirmation Sponsor must be free of all Canonical impediments. (a legal obstacle that prevents a sacrament from being performed validly)
- Your Confirmation Sponsor may not be your Mother or Father.
- Your Confirmation Sponsor is open to the Living Word of God in sacred scripture and the Church.
- If your Confirmation Sponsor is not able to attend your Confirmation Mass, a proxy may be used. The proxy represents the Sponsor and must fill the same Sponsor Criteria.
Confirmation Sponsor Requirements:
- Fill out the Sponsor form.
- A parent or sponsor should participate in a service experience with the candidate if possible.
- Attend the Youth/Sponsor Information Session
- Attend the Youth/Sponsor Workshops
- Attend the Confirmation Mass to present the student to the Archbishop to be Confirmed.
Student and Sponsor workshops
These workshops will be where all the teens and their sponsors gather for information/talks and start the process of the confirmation journey. We’ll have snacks and discussions and activities that sponsors and students can do together to grow in faith and get to know each other on a more spiritual level.
SPARK Night and ENGAGE Night
SPARK NIGHT is where all the teens and their sponsors gather for a night to celebrate the Confirmation Journey, we have dynamic speakers who engage our youth and sponsors and ignite the spark that will become a flame of faith on Confirmation. We ask our students and sponsors to join us for the Saturday 5:00 Mass, then we’ll have a meal and a speaker to celebrate this journey they are on.
ENGAGE NIGHT! is a celebration dinner held after Confirmation where all the teens and their sponsors gather at St. Lawrence to eat, pray, talk, and celebrate the journey they have taken for Confirmation. We have Mass together and then move to the community room for a meal and speakers. ENGAGE is the last step in the confirmation process where our students say Yes to serving the church.
Perform Acts of Service
*Experiences served as part of your stewardship or family chores cannot be counted as fulfilling your service requirements. (Examples: Serving at Mass, running the cameras at Mass, mowing your lawn, taking out the trash, helping a sibling study or do homework, babysitting)
Service is a component of the confirmation process as required by our Diocese.
For our confirmation Service, we are asking that students center their service around the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy with one of the projects under Care for the Common Home (Care for Creation). Students are asked to perform a minimum of six (6) experiences (while we do not require a set amount of hours at St Lawrence, a minimum of 12 hours of service hours is a guideline to provide a real experience)
(Example: A service trip to Franciscan Soup Kitchen 4 hours of service – 1 experience for community, [Corporal Works: Feeding the Hungry, Giving Drink to the Thirsty])
(Example: Cleaning Tables at the Fish Fry could be 1-3 hours and would count for 1 experience for the Parish)
(Example: Baking Cookies or a cake for a Bereavement meal after a funeral counts for 1 experience [Bury the Dead, Comfort the Sorrowful])
A list of organizations for service can be found at the link below. Also, check our Youth Ministry Facebook page for announcements about service trips to Franciscan Soup Kitchen or other organizations. We hope that once you begin serving, you’ll want to continue serving as that is our call as Christians–to love and serve others.
The link below is from the Catholic Charities Office with a listing of the many opportunities for service that they have.
The link below is a list of service organizations and non-profit organizations in the Archdiocese of Louisville.
- Service Ideas Within the Community
- Visit the elderly in a nursing home
- Assist senior citizens with chores
- Volunteer Work at the Hospital
- Volunteer work at a food pantry
- Tutor after school for a younger student
- Volunteer at the Homeless Shelter
- Walk a 5k for a Cause
- Service Ideas Within the Parish
- Attend Adoration for 1 hour
- Help Setup/Clean up for Parish Events
- Volunteer to help a Teacher
- Clean up around the parish grounds
- Write a letter to a seminarian
- Attend a Bible Study or start one
How to Report Your Service Experiences
To report your service, fill out the online service form. You can also print this form out and take it with you if you are performing service at an organization to have someone at the organization sign it for you.
Select a Saint’s Name
Do some research on Saints in the church. Look into their interests and causes and find some that interest you or pertain to you. Your saint name will serve both as your inspiration for being a member of the church and your name when you receive the Sacrament.
Letter to the Pastor
The Pastor of St Lawrence would like to receive a letter from each student prior to the Confirmation Mass that shows that they have prayerfully discerned that they are ready for Confirmation.
Your letter will be approved by your teacher and then given to the Confirmation Coordinator, Mike Raymer at the Parish office.
The following components need to be in the letter to Pastor:
1. What does Confirmation mean to me?
2. What did I do to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation?
3. Which service experience had the biggest impact on me?
4. Why did I choose my sponsor?
5. What is my Confirmation name and why did I choose it?
6. What will I do in the future to live out my Confirmation Commitment and be an active member of my church?
Confirmation Mass
The time has come! The day to officially be a confirmed member of the Church. Our Confirmation Mass will be celebrated with the Archbishop along with our pastor and other confirmation staff.
Confirmation Application Process Forms
Please find below the REQUIRED forms that you will need to submit to the parish office. These are the forms discussed at the parent information meeting.
Online Forms
Below you will find the online forms for confirmation, the Candidate Information and Sponsor information forms are REQUIRED for the candidate to be accepted in the confirmation process.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Mike Raymer
Director of Youth Ministry/ Confirmation Coordinator
Office: 502-448-2122, EXT 231
or stlmichaelr@gmail.com