As the Sacrament that completes our Baptism, Confirmation and the associated catechetical program encourages faith development and maturation through study, service and prayer. The two-year program challenges our youth to deepen their faith and embrace the mission of service to others in need. Adult mentors and volunteers offer meaningful support and catechesis to promote the religious development of our young adults.
Our Collaborative Sunday 5:00 PM Mass – a more deliberately youth focused liturgy that rotates from week to week between St. John Church and St. Paul Church – is at the center of preparation for Confirmation. Our hope is that this full, active participation in the liturgy, the source and summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed, will give our young people a lived connection to Christ Jesus and the community of the Church.
The program is designed as a two-year commitment which begins in the fall of ninth grade and is usually completed by the Spring of tenth grade. Individuals enrolled in a Catholic school may be exempt from attending the first year. The program is centered on the students’ participation at Mass, supplemented with classroom work driven by the Dynamic Catholic curriculum. It is a requirement of the program that students attend Mass regularly. Attendance is taken with a card system, and we will stay in communication with students and parents to accommodate students who might attend Mass at different locations. We will have various ways to monitor and track participation but in the end we will look to the student to assure us that they have fulfilled this requirement.
We also encourage participation in our newly reinvigorated Youth Ministry program. This focus of this program is to help give our young people a lived connection to Christ Jesus and the community of the Church, and help them to grow in faith as young adults. Youth Ministry also offers service opportunities within and outside our Collaborative, as well as social and recreational activities, to help our young people strengthen their connections to each other and to their community.
For more details and specific requirements, please see the Confirmation Details and Requirements below.
(A printable version of the Confirmation Details and Requirements as well as printable versions of the Confirmation Calendar, Youth Ministry Calendar and other important documents can be accessed from the Confirmation Menu.)
For More Information
Please email Linda Messore at linda.messore@sjspwellesley.org
CONFIRMATION DETAILS AND REQUIREMENTS
Calendar
The calendar for the upcoming school year is emailed to all registered families and posted on the website in August. There are also Google Calendars for the Confirmation Program, the Youth Ministry Program, and the Sunday 5pm Mass schedule that can be added to your Google account.
All Confirmation Students (Grades 9 and 10)
Attendance:
All Grade 9 & Grade 10 Confirmation students must go to Mass regularly and attend Religious Education classes. Excused absences from class must be documented and signed by a parent.
Community Service:
All Grade 9 & Grade 10 Confirmation students should complete twenty-five hours of service over the two year period. Students should keep a log detailing the service(s) completed and the number of hours associated with each type of service. Upon completing the twenty-five hours and before being Confirmed, all students must submit a Community Service form signed by the student and a parent.
Grade 10 Confirmation Students Only
Retreats:
All Grade 10 Confirmation students should participate in at least one retreat.
Sponsor:
All Grade 10 Confirmation students must choose a sponsor. Sponsors must be Confirmed, practicing Catholics and not the parent. Students must complete and submit a Sponsor Form form.
Confirmation Name:
Grade 10 Confirmation students may choose a Confirmation name or may use their Baptismal name. (Today, the Church recommends using the Baptismal name.)
Letter to Fr. Jim Requesting Confirmation:
All Grade 10 Confirmation students must write a letter to Fr. Jim requesting the sacrament of Confirmation. Guidelines for the letter are available on the menu to the right. Letters are due in the spring.
Robes:
Robes will be ordered for all Confirmation students. Sizing information will be collected in the spring and robes will be distributed at Confirmation practice.
Confirmation Practice:
Confirmation practice will be held the evening before the Confirmation Service and is required of all Confirmandi. Sponsors do not need to attend this practice.