Below, we’ve included a number of answers to questions, resources, and other helpful information to support your family in your journey to Confirmation! Please let us know if something would be helpful to add to this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my family can’t make it to a session?
While nothing can truly replace the experience of attending a session, there is a makeup option for each session. We will speak with each family individually if you are missing too many sessions.
Why are there fees for Confirmation?
Most of the fees pay for the materials we use at our sessions. Other expenses include but are not limited to refreshments, books, speaker stipends, resource materials, and props. To save on time and paperwork, we felt it would be advantageous to simply charge once for both years.
Are all the Catechists fingerprinted and Virtus certified?
It is the policy of all Holy Family Faith Formation Ministries to have all of our Catechists comply with the Guidelines prescribed by our Archbishop and the Parish Safeguard the Children Committee, including Livescan fingerprinting and Virtus certification. For more information, please visit the Holy Family Safeguard the Children webpage linked below.
Why are parents asked to participate in the process?
Every time Msgr. Connolly celebrates a First Eucharist Celebration, as a part of his reflection, he shares the importance of parents, sharing faith with their children. He remembers learning all of his prayers from his parents–not from the catechist, nor the priests of the parish.
“As a child I could not wait to learn more about God and the Church. My mom was always trying to get me enrolled in some kind of catechism class. So as a very small child I went to Catholic pre-school. The parish where my family worshiped did not have a Catholic School so I went to a public school and CCD classes throughout my childhood and teen age years. Throughout my life I always enjoyed my religious education and could not wait for the next session. But my most fond remembrances of my faith formation, are my mom teaching me my prayers, helping me learn the English responses at Mass (yes I’m that old!). I also cherish the deep conversations I had with my dad as I tried to make the faith my own. I caught the faith my parents lived and prayed.”
Confirmation is not about what we can make the teens learn. It is about discovering faith, sharing faith with others, and fostering households of faith. Our hope is for parents to become so strong in their own faith and knowledge that they naturally share their faith with their children and bring faith into their family’s everyday moments.
We believe making disciples is the primary function of the Confirmation preparation process. A few years ago a group of committed parents, catechists, and youth ministry people gathered to make plans for a meaningful and enriching Confirmation program. Over and over again, we read, discussed, and discovered the following: if you want teen disciples, work with the teens AND their families. Discipleship begins at home.
The challenge we present to our households of faith is to live the faith, even behind closed doors at home, day in and day out, in a dynamic way so that their children and teens will “catch it” from their families, as well as from their sponsors and from this community of faith. In addition, these few sessions will support their efforts and further equip them as parents/guardians to pass on the faith in the most effective way possible.
Parents who would like their teens to prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation make a commitment to their teen, to the parish community, and to themselves to be a part of this preparation period. This includes:
- Keeping your teen and all those preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation in prayer,
- Attending at least eight sessions (four each year),
- Helping your teen participate in a Liturgical Ministry, and
- Volunteering as you’re able.
If you’re interested in volunteering in any way, please contact Sally at scunningham@holyfamily.org.
View an interesting video on the domestic church.
Confirmation Names
We’re gonna try and clear this one up…
- The History
Not long ago, it was a custom to adopt a saint’s name at Confirmation. This was done in order to adopt the saint as a special heavenly patron and/or to honor a saint to whom one had a special devotion. In short, the purpose was to give the candidates an opportunity to develop his/her understanding of and reliance on the Communion of Saints. However since the changes in the Rite of Confirmation, the Church has encouraged returning to the older tradition of not picking a new name at Confirmation. - Prioritizing Baptismal Names
The idea is to link Confirmation to Baptism. Therefore, the candidates are encouraged to use their baptismal name. Usually during the first family interview, we ask the teens to spend some time looking up their baptismal name and looking into the saint they are named after (if any). Some people are named after a popular saint, others are names after the “saints” in one’s family. Whatever the case, each candidate is encouraged to look to that saint for guidance and inspiration. - Choosing Another Name
The use of the baptismal name on the occasion of Confirmation better expresses the relationship between Baptism and Confirmation. If a special Confirmation name is taken, it must be the name of a recognized saint (such as St. John, St. Martha, St. Teresa, Blessed Junípero Serra) or an acceptable recognized Christian name (such as Faith, Charity, Prudence). Individual teachers must guide their students in the selection of a Confirmation name, and those names are to be approved in advance. Only full names are to be used, e.g., “Joseph, Robert, Barbara, Gabriela;” not shortened names such as “Joey, Bobby, Barbs, Gabby.”
“We need saints without cassocks, without veils – we need saints with jeans and tennis shoes. We need saints that go to the movies that listen to music, that hang out with their friends. We need saints that place God in first place ahead of succeeding in any career. We need saints that look for time to pray every day and who know how to be in love with purity, chastity and all good things. We need saints – saints for the 21st century with a spirituality appropriate to our new time. We need saints that have a commitment to helping the poor and to make the needed social change. We need saints to live in the world, to sanctify the world and to not be afraid of living in the world by their presence in it. We need saints that drink Coca-Cola, that eat hot dogs, that surf the internet and that listen to their iPods. We need saints that love the Eucharist, that are not afraid or embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends. We need saints who love the movies, dance, sports, theater. We need saints that are open sociable normal happy companions. we need saints who are in this world and who know how to enjoy the best in this world without being callous or mundane. We need saints.”
– Pope Francis, World Youth Day 2013
Adopt-A-Family (Christmas)
With the help of your donations, we can make a family’s Christmas wishes come true this year! We will get the names of the members of our assigned family just around Thanksgiving, at which time we will update the signup link below. We usually ask that gifts be dropped off at the Eden Center by December 10th (but stay tuned for an exact date for this year). Please wrap each gift individually and label it with the specific family member’s name.
Some of the individual items on the list may be too expensive for one Confirmation/Youth Ministry family to purchase alone (ex. a carseat). Families can couple up with each other and help purchase these more expensive gifts.
