Who Should Register?
Students who were either in Year I of our Confirmation program last year, and therefore are ready to start Year II; or if you are of the age, at least beginning High School, when you can decide if you would like to begin the Confirmation program at Blessed Sacrament.
When you were younger, you were either part of the religious education program at Blessed Sacrament or another church; or you received your religious education at your Catholic school. But this is different; the Confirmation program is a two-year program which helps to prepare you to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
Even if you attend a Catholic high school, you still participate in preparing for Confirmation through a parish, whether that be Blessed Sacrament or another church.
What it Means to Participate
Receiving the sacrament of Confirmation does not mean you have “graduated from CCD”, or that you have learned all there is to know about what it means to be a Catholic. What it does mean is that you are ready to be initiated into the Catholic Church as a young adult; that you want to continue along the faith journey that your parents started you on, when they had you baptized many years ago.
Once You Decide
If you decide you want to begin the Confirmation program, or that you want to continue it, please fill out the registration form and send it in by September 11. Perhaps you will decide that you’re not ready at this time; or that your schedule is too busy right now to commit to the Confirmation program; or that you would prefer to participate in a program at a different parish. That is your decision to make.
The program has four expectations:
1. Attend and Participate in ALL Monthly Sessions, as well as the Orientation in September.
Sessions are once a month on Sundays from 4:30-7:30PM, and include everyone participating in our 5:30PM Mass; pizza is served after Mass; followed by our small group discussions.
Confirmation candidates are expected to be there for the entire session, (before Mass, during Mass, and after Mass…) in order to be considered to have completed the program.
If candidates have some other regular commitment that occurs on Sunday evenings, that they cannot miss for our monthly Confirmation sessions, then they will not be able to commit to the Confirmation program at our parish this year. The dates for this year’s orientation and monthly sessions are on the Schedule page.
2. Participate in a Service Project with Your Group
In addition to the sessions, Confirmation candidates participate in one service project each year, with their small group, not on their own. We focus on one of the corporal works of mercy, doing what Jesus called us to do: feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned. Catholic faith grows and matures in shared community; therefore candidates will be expected to complete this service project with their small group, not as individuals. We know that many of you are doing community service with your schools or other organizations; however those will not count towards your Confirmation service project.
3. Participate in a One-Day Retreat
All Confirmation candidates will be expected to participate in our day-long retreat; a time for prayer, discussion, group activities, food, and fun. These retreats are not optional; it is an intentional piece of our program, and its goal is for us to build community together.
Retreat for Year I Candidates: Participate in a retreat day at an outdoor ropes course.
This retreat offers exhilarating and adventurous activities which encourage personal growth, group unity and spiritual development; and it accomplishes one of our biggest goals: to build community. And even though it’s fun, it does have a theological purpose too… it helps us to see how we are “The body of Christ” for each other. This has been a big hit with the Confirmation candidates in the past! This retreat is held in the fall, so that all Year I Candidates will have the chance to get to know each other sooner.
Retreat for Year II Candidates: Participate in a retreat day at the Connors Retreat Center in Dover, MA.
This day has also been successful in the past; this is due in great part to our Peer Ministers, who share their faith stories and coordinate the whole day. It is a chance for the Confirmation candidates to come away together, before being confirmed, to realize that they are the “church” at Blessed Sacrament; that this is their own faith, not just their parents’ faith.
4. Write Monthly Reflections
Each month, Confirmation candidates will be asked to write a one-page reflection, which will be collected at the next meeting. These will give candidates a chance to think more about what was discussed, and how it impacts their lives as Catholics. It is a key learning component, and so the expectation is that these reflections will be turned in on time.