The 9 C’s of Confirmation at St. Margaret Parish
Confirmation 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Trinity Sunday
8:30 a.m. Mass
Please arrive at the piazza by 8 a.m. and meet at the oval sitting area.
Confirmation Rehearsal
Sunday, May 31, 2009
7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Church
Candidates for confirmation and their sponsors (ideally) should attend. If it is impossible for the sponsor to attend the practice, please have a stand-in come with you who can tell the sponsor clearly what his duties will be.
Contact Person
Max Pawlowski
(760) 941-5560
Choosing a Sponsor
The best choice for a sponsor is a baptismal godparent, but, sadly, these people sometimes no longer qualify. Please choose someone who meets the following requirements and can accompany you in your faith:
1. A practicing Catholic in word and example
2. Baptized AND Confirmed
3. At least 16 years old
4. Participating in Mass every Sunday
5. Single or married in the Catholic Church only.
Confirmation name
- Not strictly required
- Traditional and common practice
- Choosing a patron saint for their good example and power of intercession
- Add the saint’s name after your given name when the bishop asks you your name during the Rite of Confirmation. (For example, if your name is John and your patron saint for confirmation is St. Joseph, call yourself John Joseph during the rituals).
Confession
It is important that you go to Confession in preparation to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Look upon it as tidying up your house before inviting an important guest inside. Confessions begin a half hour before all the Sunday and First Friday Masses. On the pamphlet rack are two helpful pamphlets about “Confession” and “Forming a Catholic Conscience”.
Clothing Standards
ü Men are expected to be dressed formally and respectfully with shirt, tie and dress pants and shoes. Jacket is optional. Don't overdo it with the hair gel!
ü Ladies are expected to be dressed formally and respectfully in dresses that are not designed to draw unnecessary attention or cause distraction. Dresses at least to the knees, with a modest back and modest covering for the shoulders and front. Please wear a sweater or shawl if necessary.
Completing Forms
A. "Sacramental Request Form": A gold leaflet found in the pamphlet rack. This must be filled out completely. We ask for the name and address of the church of your baptism as we send them notification of your Confirmation for their archives.
B. Confirmation Review package (fill in the blanks!): This should be completed and returned to your confirmation catechist.
C. Sponsor Form: This form must be filled out by your sponsor and signed and sealed by the priest or parish representative where they attend Mass.
Catholic Teaching
In order to be confirmed, a Catholic must make a full profession of faith in God and all that the Catholic Church teaches. Candidates for confirmation should understand and accept all of the tenets of the Catholic Faith.
“The sacred power of God the Holy Spirit was ignited in the lives our high school students in the same way as it was given to the apostles on the day of Pentecost and likewise to all of us who have also been “confirmed” in this sacrament. It is a sacrament that can never be extinguished from our lives.”
Fr. Cávana Wallace, pastor
The Purpose of the Sacrament of Confirmation
"Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-17).
from The Catechism of the Catholic Church (pars. 1315-1321)
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace, gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in God and His Church, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. Like Baptism, it imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian's soul. In the Latin Church this sacrament is administered when the age of reason has been reached, and its celebration is ordinarily reserved to the bishop, thus signifying that this sacrament strengthens the ecclesial bond.
A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.
The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized with sacred chrism, together with the laying on of the minister's hand and the words: "Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit). When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, its connection with Baptism is expressed, among other ways, by the renewal of baptismal promises. The celebration of Confirmation during the Eucharist helps underline the unity of the sacraments of Christian initiation.
12 Things to Do Before Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation
1. Enroll in Confirmation Class
2. Turn in Baptism Certificate to Confirmation Catechist
3. Choose Confirmation Saint’s name and have it approved
4. Choose Confirmation Sponsor
and have him/her approved
5. Complete Confirmation Worksheet
6. Prayerfully Read over the Rite of Confirmation
7. Attend Confirmation Retreat
8. Make a full Profession of Faith in God and in all the Catholic Church teaches
9. A good Confession to be in the State of Grace for Confirmation
10. Be ready to assume the role of a disciple and witness to Christ
11. Pray about how The Holy Spirit is leading you to serve Christ
12. Attend the Confirmation Practice