Confirmation
Downloadable Forms
Click here to download Confirmation Packet Year 1 2011-12
Click here to download Confirmation Packet Year 2 2011-12
Click Here to view the Service Experiences Information sheet.
Click Here view the Confirmation Session Dates for 2011-12
August 2010
Dear Guardian Angels Ninth and Tenth Grade Confirmation Families:
We are approaching another year of our newest Confirmation process. We have made a few adjustments to the format and are looking forward to another exciting journey with your family!
First, confirmation registration forms are available via the above links. Please complete those forms and return to Guardian Angels Parish office with the requested fees by October 11, 2010. Yes, we need registration forms and fees for each year of the two-year program. Please indicate on the form Year One or Year Two.
The program will continue to be a two year process. Faith Formation students will continue to attend Wednesday night classes. All confirmation candidates and their parents are required to attend Sunday evening sessions. In your second year, sponsors will also be required to participate in these sessions with the parents and students. All parents and students are required to be at ALL the sacramental prep sessions. Only ONE session per year may be missed due to an illness. Please call Emily Klinker before missing the session. These sessions must be attended in order to be eligible for the celebration of the sacraments. In order to be enrolled in the sacramental preparation class you must be actively participating in an approved religious education program, either ninth or tenth grade Faith Formation or a Catholic High School.
On Friday, October 15, 2010 we will be having our mandatory retreat for both ninth and tenth grade confirmation students. Students must come to the entire retreat in order for it to count as their requirement. The retreat will start at 4:30pm in St Francis Hall and continue until 10:00pm. There will be a mandatory parent meeting in the Church from 6:30pm until 7:30pm the same evening, October 15, 2010.
Confirmation Service Hours have changed dramatically from years past. Included in this packet is detailed information about service experiences as well as other important information regarding the process. Additional service experience reporting forms are available on the GA website. Parents and sponsors are encouraged to arrange group service experiences for their candidates. We are also requiring attendance to at least one Lineline Teen Mass at the Net Center in St. Paul. The students will need to turn in a brief essay about the Teen Mass to receive credit for their attendance. We will be providing a bus for the Teen Mass on Saturday, January 8, 2011. If not attending in January, candidates are required to research another date to attend and provide own transportation. Each ninth grade confirmation student must also work with our hospitality ministers to host the tenth grade confirmation breakfast in April.
We are looking forward to beginning your Confirmation journey with you this year. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding any of our Faith Formation Programs. You may also click here for a list of FAQs.
Ms. Emily Klinker M.A.
Director of Faith Formation
Guardian Angels Church
952-227-4007
eklinker@gachaska.orgConfirmation
As a sacrament of initiation, Confirmation is intimately related to Baptism and the Eucharist. Christians are reborn in Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation, and sustained by the Eucharist. Specifically, in Confirmation, they are signed with the gift of the Spirit and become more perfect images of their Lord.
Confirmation emphasizes the transformation of life by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Confirmed Christians claim as fully their own the new life into which they were initiated by Baptism. The Church expresses its continued support and concern for the spiritual growth of those who are confirmed and at the same time looks to them to assist others to grow and mature in the Christian life.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recommends the Confirmation be during the tenth grade year. At Guardian Angles we have a two year process which begins in the ninth grade.
Confirmation Program Frequently Asked Questions
Does G.A. need the original baptismal Certificate? No. If you give us the original, we will make a copy and give the original back to you. If you give us a copy, we will keep it for our records.
What if my teenager was baptized at G.A.? You do not need to give us a copy of the certificate. Just let us know when your teen was baptized here.
What if my teenager was baptized in a different parish, but made his/her First Communion at G.A.? We may or may not have the baptismal certificate on file. Please submit a copy, if you are able, because that will expedite our process.
What are the goals of the retreat? The retreats are meant to draw youth into a closer relationship with God. They are also meant to draw the youth into a closer relationship with other persons from their parish community. Many of the retreat options specifically have Confirmation as the theme of the retreat, which will offer the opportunity for additional understanding of the sacrament they are preparing for.
Can the retreat that my teen does at a Catholic School count for their Confirmation Retreat requirement? No. One of our primary goals is to connect the youth to their local church community and/or provide a retreat experience specific to Confirmation; therefore, school-based retreats do not fulfill this requirement.
Why do we do five different service experiences rather than a number of hours? Our ministry or service requirements are understood as a kind of apprenticeship in the Christian life. We hope that participation in several different experiences, some performed in a group with other parishioners, will give your youth exposure to a variety of types of service. This will help build an understanding of a Christian community working together toward a common goal. Each candidate is asked to complete at least one experience each with his/her sponsor, family and small group. For most candidates, one or more of the experiences may be a long term or even year long commitment, but most are several hours or part of a day. Each experience must be a minimum of 2 (two) hours to be considered a completed project. Completing the service experience records will help the candidates reflect on their service. This record is a permanent reminder for future needs such as college applications.
Can my spouse or I be a sponsor for our teenager? No. Canon law states that sponsors must be people other than the parents, since Confirmation sponsors take the place of the parents in the same way that godparents do at Baptism. This also means that stepparents cannot be sponsors either. However, it is okay to ask Baptismal godparents to also serve as Confirmation sponsors.
My teen would like to ask a relative/friend that lives out of state to be Confirmation sponsor, but they will only be able to come for the ceremony. Is this wise? This is a tough call. It is possible, but not ideal. A sponsor really needs to be a person who is actively in contact with the teen. Sometimes this can be done well through phone calls and emails. This mentoring sponsor relationship is one that lasts longer than the Confirmation ceremony-ideally throughout the candidate’s life. It really depends on the ability of the two people to establish and maintain a relationship even though it is long distance. During the candidates second year of preparation the sponsor will be required to attend all formation sessions. Please contact Emily Klinker if your teen has chosen an out-of-state sponsor so a proxy sponsor can be chosen from Guardian Angels Parish.
What if the candidate’s Baptismal sponsor is no longer in our family due to divorce? Or what about choosing a relative who is not or is no longer Catholic? For Baptism and for Confirmation, candidates can have a Christian witness, but they also need a Catholic sponsor who will be written in the church records as the sponsor for Confirmation. A Catholic sponsor per Canon Law is sixteen years of age, confirmed and actively participating in the Catholic Church.
Who should we choose if we are from out of the area and don’t know anyone who is Catholic? You may want to choose the parent of one of your candidate’s friends. If you still have difficulty finding a person, please call Emily Klinker. Every year we are happy to match up parishioners who would be honored to be a Confirmation sponsor for a candidate who does not have one.
When do candidates choose a “Confirmation name”? During one of our first sessions of Year 2, we will present the concept of Confirmation names. This is really not about choosing a name, but instead about selecting a saint who might be a role model or “patron saint” for them. We will give guidance, some great resources and plenty of time to make their selection.
