Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation through our youth programs is open to students in grades 10, 11, and 12 who have not previously received the sacrament and who feel ready to become fully initiated members of the Church. As with youth group, this year we have virtual and in-person preparation options.
To help you navigate this information, the page is organized as follows:
To help you navigate this information, the page is organized as follows:
- *Recently added* Final preparation checklist and details
- In-person preparation - details and schedule
- Online preparation - details and schedule
- Documents needed
- Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
- Mr. Steven's contact information - for additional questions or concerns
Final preparation checklist and details
It's hard to believe, but we are now less than 2 months away from our Confirmation liturgies! Thus, now is the time to finalize our preparations and make sure we are ready to receive the sacrament. To help you in this regard I have created this checklist (available here as pdf) of all the remaining tasks that need to be accomplished between today and your Confirmation. It might seem like a lot to keep track of, but it really just boils down to four main tasks: turn in your paperwork, sign up for a liturgy, attend the remaining sessions, and complete the online retreat. However, here are a couple further highlights to help you prioritize next steps:
What should I do now?
How do I complete the retreat?
What should I do soon?
I hope that all makes sense - please let me know right away if you have any questions or concerns. God bless you all as you prepare for this important sacrament - please be assured of my constant prayers for you all.
What should I do now?
- Plan to attend the third Confirmation module either in-person (Sun. Jan 31st at 2:30-4:30 at the OLL Social Hall) or online (via zoom Sun. Jan 31st at 6:30-8:30). An adult - parent or Confirmation sponsor - should attend with the student.
- Turn in your paperwork - a copy of your baptismal certificate (unless you were baptized at Lourdes) and the sponsor attestation form. You can turn in paperwork in-person at the next module or by sending attachments via email (feel free to just take a picture with your phone and send away - just make sure it's legible!)
- Email Mr. Steven and tell him what liturgy you would prefer to attend (Wednesday, March 10th at 7:00pm or Thursday, March 11th at 7:00pm) and how many guests you would like to invite
- Complete the online Greater Confirmation Retreat
How do I complete the retreat?
- Check your email for the message Mr. Steven sent out on January 24th with the registration info. For a number of reasons we cannot publicly post the retreat registration link here - if you need it again, please write or call Mr. Steven ([email protected]) and ask him to re-send it to you.
- Adults and sponsors should support their student throughout the retreat process with frequent discussions and check-ins. Materials to help do this are available at: https://greaterretreat.com/adults/
- Sign up for a retreat check-in/Confirmation interview with Mr. Steven
- Complete the online retreat and Confirmation interview during the month of February (it must be completed by March 7th)
What should I do soon?
- Attend the fourth and final Confirmation module and liturgy rehearsal either in-person (Sun. Feb. 28th at 2:30-4:30 at the OLL Social Hall) or online (via zoom Sun. March 7th at 6:30-8:30). An adult - parent or Confirmation sponsor - should attend with the student.
I hope that all makes sense - please let me know right away if you have any questions or concerns. God bless you all as you prepare for this important sacrament - please be assured of my constant prayers for you all.
In-person preparation - details and schedule
When: As a rule, our in-person Confirmation workshops will held on the fourth Sunday of the month from 2:30-4:30. Our first two workshops will be on October 25th and December 6th (note this second module has changed from it's original date in November)
Where: We will meet in the Social Hall (downstairs) of the main Church building.
What/Who: These workshops will cover all the information the diocese requires for you to know as your student prepares for the sacrament of Confirmation and to become a fully initiated member of the Church. Confirmation preparation is more about becoming a mature disciple than it is about learning information; as such, we are asking that an adult mentor or parent attend the workshops along with the student, as throughout the workshop we will frequently take time to allow the student and their adult mentor to discuss what they are learning. Ideally this will be done with the person they are choosing for their Confirmation sponsor - however, in the event that is not possible, than any adult mentor or parent that the student is comfortable discussing matters of faith with is fine.
What to bring: This year we are very limited in our ability to pass out supplies to our students. If you could please plan on attending each week with a bible, a notebook or journal, and a pen or a pencil, that would be greatly appreciated.
Covid rules: Along with all the youth programs in the diocese at the moment, we are required to follow all the diocesan requirements regarding COVID-19 rules and regulations (most of which follow local government requirements). That means that masks covering the nose and mouth will need to be worn at all times, students must remain at least 6 feet apart from all non-family members in attendance, and we are required to take a temperature at the entrance to youth group each week (we will use a no-contact thermometer; those with a temperature higher than 100.4 will be unable until their temperature has dropped below that level). In order to have youth programs operate at Our Lady of Lourdes at this time we are required to follow these rules - therefore, your patience and assistance in following them is greatly appreciated.
Where: We will meet in the Social Hall (downstairs) of the main Church building.
What/Who: These workshops will cover all the information the diocese requires for you to know as your student prepares for the sacrament of Confirmation and to become a fully initiated member of the Church. Confirmation preparation is more about becoming a mature disciple than it is about learning information; as such, we are asking that an adult mentor or parent attend the workshops along with the student, as throughout the workshop we will frequently take time to allow the student and their adult mentor to discuss what they are learning. Ideally this will be done with the person they are choosing for their Confirmation sponsor - however, in the event that is not possible, than any adult mentor or parent that the student is comfortable discussing matters of faith with is fine.
What to bring: This year we are very limited in our ability to pass out supplies to our students. If you could please plan on attending each week with a bible, a notebook or journal, and a pen or a pencil, that would be greatly appreciated.
Covid rules: Along with all the youth programs in the diocese at the moment, we are required to follow all the diocesan requirements regarding COVID-19 rules and regulations (most of which follow local government requirements). That means that masks covering the nose and mouth will need to be worn at all times, students must remain at least 6 feet apart from all non-family members in attendance, and we are required to take a temperature at the entrance to youth group each week (we will use a no-contact thermometer; those with a temperature higher than 100.4 will be unable until their temperature has dropped below that level). In order to have youth programs operate at Our Lady of Lourdes at this time we are required to follow these rules - therefore, your patience and assistance in following them is greatly appreciated.
Online preparation - details and schedule
When: As a rule, our online Confirmation workshops will held on zoom on the first Sunday of the month. The time is about the same as our normal youth group, but is slightly longer in order cover all the extra information - 6:30-8:30. Our first two workshops will be on November 1st and December 6th at these times.
What/Who: These workshops will cover all the information the diocese requires for you to know as your student prepares for the sacrament of Confirmation and to become a fully initiated member of the Church. Confirmation preparation is more about becoming a mature disciple than it is about learning information; as such, we are asking that an adult mentor or parent attend the module along with the student, as throughout the workshop we will frequently pause to allow the student to discuss what they are learning. Ideally this will be done with the person they are choosing for their Confirmation sponsor - however, in the event that is not possible, than any adult mentor or parent that the student is comfortable discussing matters of faith with is fine. Adults are welcome to join the meeting through zoom as well (if they are in another location than the student) or to attend by being in the same location as the student and sharing a screen with them - which ever makes more sense based on your situation.
How: To gather for online Confirmation prep, we will be using zoom. You can access our zoom room starting at about 6:20 each night. I (Mr. Steven) send out the link via email to all the parents of registered participants - if you have not received the link (or need it again) then email me at [email protected]. The zoom room will have a waiting room enabled, and I will admit folks from there. Please make sure you are using an identifiable username (consider something like first name last initial, or first initial last name, etc.) as, for security purposes, I won't admit folks I don't recognize.
To foster participation in the group, during times of discussion and prayer (basically anytime except when the video is playing) I am going to ask students to leave their cameras on - so please plan accordingly by helping your student be dressed as you would for normal youth group and in a part of the house that is acceptable for this purpose (i.e. probably not a good idea for them to come in jammies and with the computer perched atop a messy pile of clothes, or such); while this might involve a bit more preparation, it's just not possible to foster any sort of group interaction if everyone has their screens blacked out.
What/Who: These workshops will cover all the information the diocese requires for you to know as your student prepares for the sacrament of Confirmation and to become a fully initiated member of the Church. Confirmation preparation is more about becoming a mature disciple than it is about learning information; as such, we are asking that an adult mentor or parent attend the module along with the student, as throughout the workshop we will frequently pause to allow the student to discuss what they are learning. Ideally this will be done with the person they are choosing for their Confirmation sponsor - however, in the event that is not possible, than any adult mentor or parent that the student is comfortable discussing matters of faith with is fine. Adults are welcome to join the meeting through zoom as well (if they are in another location than the student) or to attend by being in the same location as the student and sharing a screen with them - which ever makes more sense based on your situation.
How: To gather for online Confirmation prep, we will be using zoom. You can access our zoom room starting at about 6:20 each night. I (Mr. Steven) send out the link via email to all the parents of registered participants - if you have not received the link (or need it again) then email me at [email protected]. The zoom room will have a waiting room enabled, and I will admit folks from there. Please make sure you are using an identifiable username (consider something like first name last initial, or first initial last name, etc.) as, for security purposes, I won't admit folks I don't recognize.
To foster participation in the group, during times of discussion and prayer (basically anytime except when the video is playing) I am going to ask students to leave their cameras on - so please plan accordingly by helping your student be dressed as you would for normal youth group and in a part of the house that is acceptable for this purpose (i.e. probably not a good idea for them to come in jammies and with the computer perched atop a messy pile of clothes, or such); while this might involve a bit more preparation, it's just not possible to foster any sort of group interaction if everyone has their screens blacked out.
Documents Needed
In order to correctly record the Sacrament of Confirmation, we need three important pieces of documentation. In-person participants can bring these to either of our first two meetings, while online participants should send them to me as soon as they are able (via email as an attachment, or via traditional mail to the church):
- A copy of your student's Baptismal Certificate (the only exception is if you were baptized at Our Lady of Lourdes; if that is the case, please just let me know)
- Information about your student's First Communion
- Often church's will record this on the back of the baptismal certificate (if you request an updated copy). If it is recorded in this manner, no separate documentation is needed. If not, a copy of their First Communion certificate is the next best thing. Failing that, we at least need to know where and when they received it (date and church).
- The Sponsor's Attestation Form (saying they are willing and able to serve in this role)
Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
Confirmation is far more about becoming a mature disciple then it is about learning stuff about the Church. As such, the mentorship of a Confirmation sponsor - of a practicing adult Catholic who has already received the sacrament - is an incredibly important part of the journey. Your student should pick a Confirmation sponsor as early in the process as they are practically able, in order to involve their sponsor in as much of their preparation as possible. An adult mentor is required to attend each of the Confirmation workshops along with the student, and in an ideal world this adult mentor will be the same one who is serving as the Confirmation sponsor (although I realize that due to practical concerns that might not be possible for everyone).
A Confirmation sponsor should be someone the student feels comfortable talking with about their faith, and should represent a good model of Catholic Christian discipleship. At the minimum, a sponsor must meet the following requirements:
All Confirmation sponsors must submit an attestation form testifying to their eligibility and willingness to fulfill this role for the student who selects them. The form can be found above under the documents needed section, and should be returned to me at their earliest convenience.
A Confirmation sponsor should be someone the student feels comfortable talking with about their faith, and should represent a good model of Catholic Christian discipleship. At the minimum, a sponsor must meet the following requirements:
- Be a practicing Catholic, in good standing with the Church, who has him/herself received the Sacrament of Confirmation
- Be at least 16 years old
- Not be a parent of the candidate
- Be willing to fulfill this role to the best of their ability
All Confirmation sponsors must submit an attestation form testifying to their eligibility and willingness to fulfill this role for the student who selects them. The form can be found above under the documents needed section, and should be returned to me at their earliest convenience.
Questions, Concerns, Comments?
If you have any questions about the Confirmation process or if we can be of assistance in your sacramental journey in anyway, please don't hesitate to contact our Youth Ministry Director Steven Cottam at [email protected] or 804-262-7315 ext 237