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2500 Limmer Loop, Hutto, TX 78634

Confirmation at Saint Patrick

"Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" Acts 8:17

Saint Patrick Youth

Confirmation Preparation

Because we understand the sacrament as one of a lifetime commitment, we feel that the first step should be making Confirmation preparation a family priority. The diocese requires that Confirmation be celebrated in the high school years and requires that there be a minimum of two-years (four semesters) of formal Catholic education immediately prior to celebrating the Sacrament. The youth of St. Patrick will be eligible to celebrate Confirmation beginning in the spring of their sophomore year provided they have met the two-year prerequisite.

Important Confirmation Preparation Dates:

Sunday SPY Nights is the weekly requirement as well as the following:

Session #1: January 8^th, 3:00-4:30pm
Confirmation Retreat: February 17^th-18^th
Session #2: March 3^rd, 3:00-4:30pm
Session #3: April 14^th, 3:00-4:30pm
Confirmation Interview (TBD)
Confirmation Rehearsal: June 1^st
Confirmation Day: June 2^nd, 10am Mass
Location: Main Church

Faith Formation Team Volunteers Needed

Confirmation Information Sheet

PAPERWORK FOR CANDIDATE:

Copy of Baptism Certificate
To obtain an up-to-date Baptismal Certificate, contact the Church of Baptism with the following information: Name of child, date of birth, date of baptism, Father's name, and Mother's name including maiden name
Saint Patrick Registration form and payment

Information needed before you can be formally registered in the Youth Confirmation Program

Before you complete the Youth Confirmation Preparation program (Confirmation Year 2), the Candidate must complete the following:

Diocese of Austin Sponsor Covenant Form
Baptismal Certificate of Sponsor
Confirmation Interview

Paperwork can be dropped off at the parish office or emailed to confirmation@stpatrickhutto.org

ATTENDANCE POLICIES:

Absences: Since there are only three sessions, students will need to make sure to attend all sessions. If these must be missed, please notify us as soon as possible so we can discuss ways to make up for the missed session.
Tardiness: Student who arrive 20 minutes or later after confirmation classes begin will be counted as absent for that class.
Retreat: Candidates are expected to attend a retreat prior to receiving Confirmation. If your child cannot attend our retreat, you must notify us immediately so that other arrangements can be made.*
SPY (ST. Patrick Youth): Candidates will be expected to attend SPY. Candidates will have no less than 75% attendance at SPY.

After missing more than one Confirmation sessions without making up the missed sessions, a meeting will be held with the student, parent(s), and the Director of Faith Formation to determine the student's readiness for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

*Confirmation students are expected to attend a retreat both their first and second year, prior to receiving Confirmation. Our retreat will be February 17-18th at Eagle's Wings Retreat Center. More details to follow.

Confirmation Retreat Permission Form

CONFIRMATION REQUIREMENTS:

The following is reprinted from the Pastoral Manual for the Diocese of Austin.

Age of Confirmation: The age for the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation will be the early years of high school between fourteen (14) and sixteen (16) years.

QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES:

Each baptized Catholic has the right and the obligation to receive the sacrament of confirmation, but the candidate has the personal responsibility to choose to complete initiation into the faith life of the Church.
Candidates may request the sacrament if they:
Are baptized and able to renew baptismal promises, unless a grave reason suggests otherwise
Exhibit an active faith life and knowledge of the Church
Participate in the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Mass
Are willing to commit to active involvement in the parish confirmation catechesis
Are willing to respond to the call to active participation in the church
Are willing to continue to l earn and grow in faith following confirmation and throughout their lifetime

CONFIRMATION SPONSORS:

The sponsor represents in a personal way the witness and support of the parish community
Opportunities for catechesis should be offered to the sponsors in order to assist them in fully understanding their role in the ongoing formation of the candidates
The sponsor should participate with the candidates in their preparation as well as the celebration
To perform the role of sponsor, it is necessary that a person:
Be designated by the one to be confirmed, by the parents or the one who takes their place, or, in their absence, by the pastor or minister and is to have the qualifications and intention of performing the role
Have completed the sixteenth (16) year, unless a different age has been established by the diocesan Bishop or it seems to the pastor or minister than an exception is to be made for a just cause
Be a practicing Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the sacrament of the Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with faith and the role to be undertaken
Not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared
Not be the father, mother, or spouse of the one to be confirmed (c.874)

ROLE OF THE SPONSOR:

The sponsor's function is to take care that the person confirmed behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the duties inherent in this sacrament.

A sponsor is:

A role model, a person who fully embraces and lives the Catholic faith fully together with complete participation in their local Catholic Church
A mentor, someone to help guide and encourage the candidate. Walking side by side as the candidate seeks to respond to God's call
A trusted adult, who is willing to stand with the candidate not only during a ceremony but throughout life's journey

Code of Canon Law # 893 states:

“... that a person who would undertake the office of sponsor must fulfill the conditions mentioned in Can. 874 and that it is desirable that the sponsor chosen be the one who undertook this role at baptism.”

Canon # 874 states:

“ To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:

Be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or minister. To be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it.
Not be less than 16 years of age.
Be a baptized Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and a person who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken; (Must attend Sunday liturgy every week, be in a valid marriage if married.)
Not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared; (Must be in a state of Grace.)
Not be either the father or mother of the person to be confirmed."

IN ADDITION, SPONSORS ARE ASKED TO:

Pray for and with the candidate
Either a parent or sponsor are asked to attend Confirmation sessions
Actively participate in the process, while sharing their faith with their candidate
Attend the Confirmation rehearsal before Confirmation, and attend the Confirmation ceremony

As we will be asking sponsors or another adult if they are not available to attend the confirmation sessions, sponsors must be chosen before our first Confirmation session, January 7th, 2024.

SELECTING YOUR SAINT:

The Communion of Saints are the people in heaven who intercede with God on our behalf. Thus, the saints are our patrons in Heaven. In acknowledging the saints, we acknowledge our connection with them through and in Christ and to each other. Teen candidates will be asked to select a Saint to be their patron for Confirmation and will be asked about the saint chosen in their Confirmation interview. Candidates should know the name of the saint they have chosen, their story, and explain why that saint was selected to show they made a thoughtful decision. Reminder, the saint selected must be a fully canonized saint, so look for St. in front of their name (cannot be Bl. or Ven.).

Here are some websites to help in your research:

FYI: Other Christian denominations also have saints but may not be recognized by the Catholic Church. When using the internet be sure the website you are using is Catholic.

OTHER RESOURCES:

● Formed.org - Best described as a “Catholic Netflix” it houses many movies, audio files, interviews, and eBooks which can be downloaded and read on your computer or phone. It can be accessed through an app on your phone, online, and on Roku and AppleTV.

See Movies -> Saints of History, eBooks ->Kids and Teens or Explore the Faith, and the Saint Audio section under Audio. Or search “Saints” in the search bar. See attached Formed document on how you can access this resource through our parish.

● Social media can be used as a tool to learn about the Saints. There are a few Catholics and Catholic businesses who post about Saints on Instagram. Here are a few examples: @mhunterkilmer (Catholic speaker and author, also on Facebook and posts great stories about Saints), @saints.alive.pod, and @_littlesaints.

● Podcasts: The Saint of the Day Podcast by Good Catholic, Catholic Saints by Augustine Institute, Saints Alive Podcast

● Phone Apps: Laudate (see Saint of the Day tab), Online With Saints

● Our St. Patrick Parish Shelf Library - We have a small shelf outside the classroom that has books free to check out. Just make sure to take care of them and return them when you are finished.

SHARING THE STORY OF YOUR SAINT:

The tradition of taking on a new name to show a new rule can be traced back to the Old Testament. When Abram was called to lead his people to believe in the one God, his name was changed from Abram to Abraham, “Father of Many Nations”. Again, in the New Testament, we find Simon’s name changed to Peter, meaning “rock”, because he was to become the rock upon which Jesus founded His Church.

Now that you are about to be confirmed, it is time to choose the name you will take as a sign of your growth in faith.

A name identifies you in a unique way, not just your physical self, but who you are as a person. One of the traditional practices in the Church at the time of Confirmation is choosing a name that will remind you of this sacrament. Your prayerful reflection will help you determine that name. You might want to recommit yourself to your Baptismal name since it expresses the relationship that exists between these two sacraments, especially after you reflect on its meaning and discover some of the people who shared your name in Christian history. You might want to choose the name of a saint who represents the type of Christian you wish to be. It is important to learn as much as you can about your patron saint. After all, you are asking this saint to be your friend and advocate for the rest of your life. Whether you decide to stay with your Baptismal name or pick a new name, take the time to research and explore the root meaning of the name, for as Scripture says, "God calls each of us by name."

● Step 1: Find a list of canonized saints in the Roman Catholic Church by reading a book or doing online research. Saints are people who have lived holy lives and are now in heaven as members of the Church Triumphant. Their life stories provide examples for others on how to overcome spiritual obstacles on Earth. If searching the internet be sure to search on “Catholic saints”. A “Blessed”, not yet canonized a saint, may NOT be used.

● Step 2: Pray to the Holy Spirit and ask Him for help in finding a saint whose life you'd like to imitate. This saint will be bonded with you spiritually, and in essence becomes your heavenly patron who intercedes for you before God.

● Step 3: Narrow your selection to three saints. One of them will be your new Confirmation name. Think about the specific virtues those saints exhibited, such as patience, perfection, diligence, humility, mortification, meekness, obedience, prayer, charity or simplicity. Find a virtue that connects with you. This list should be submitted by March 3rd. Final decision of the saint should be chosen by April 14th.

● Step 4: Consider the one or two special stories told about those saints on your “short list” to help you find a spiritual connection. For example, St. Maximilian Kolbe gave up his life for another person's life in a German concentration camp during World War II, and so showed the virtue of selflessness. St. Francis, a spiritual leader who founded a religious order, led a simple life of poverty and greatly loved animals.

● Step 5: Take your list of saints to a family member or friend who is a practicing Catholic. Talk about the saints’ lives with that person and discuss what attracts you spiritually to these holy people.

● Step 6: Pick your saint to intercede for you!

● Step 7: Before you are confirmed, pray to the saint whose name you have chosen for your Confirmation name. Ask this saint to intercede for you, to help you make the right moral choices, and overall to be a powerful spiritual guide the rest of your life.

GUIDELINES FOR THE STORY OF YOUR SAINT:

Guiding Questions:

What saint did you chose to pray to and imitate in your preparation for Confirmation and why?
What is the summary of your saint's life story:
what point of history did they live
what area/region did they live
what were their struggles and difficulties
how did they follow Jesus in they way they lived
how did they die
Why did you choose this saint?
what makes them meaningful to you?
What event in the life of your saint most impressed you?
why?
What special virtues did your saint possess?
what special ways did they use them?
How can you imitate this saint today?
When was the saint canonized or beatified by the Catholic Church?
what is their feast day (if they have one)
Are they a patron saint? If yes, of what?
Who were your other two saints?
why were they considered (provide two paragraph on each discussing why you considered them)

You will be asked about your saint in your Confirmation interview. Make sure you can explain a bit about them and why you chose them. If you have any questions, please email confirmation@stpatrickhutto.org.