CONFIRMATION PREPARATION FOR YOUTH
Welcome to the Youth Confirmation Process at the Catholic Parishes of Arlington, where our mission is to “form loving disciples who will change the world.” Over the course of our Confirmation Process, we will journey together and explore and enrich our faith by following Christ and being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is not just a catechetical program where we instill knowledge in the minds of young Catholics. It is a process where teens experience God in their lives through the signs, symbols, rituals, and sacraments of the Church. By our baptism, we are all called to be disciples of Christ in our world. The Sacrament of Confirmation is an extension of our baptism and first communion, where we realize the gifts that the Holy Spirit has instilled in us and we go forth and use those gifts for the glory of God, however we may be called to that.

I. Purpose and Goals
Confirmation affirms the confirmed as believers continuing the lifelong journey of faith and service to the community. Its purpose is to confirm faith in, acceptance of, and hope in Jesus Christ, person, God, Savior, and Redeemer. Its goals are:
1) to foster in youth a faith in Jesus as Lord through Scripture, prayer and life experience. 2) to invite youth to fully participate in the traditions of the Catholic community both by worship and the development of a youth community and 3) to empower the youth to adopt a lifestyle of service in God’s Kingdom of justice and peace.

II. Process
Confirmation Preparation specifically, includes the following four elements:

A. Prayer and Worship: participating in the prayer life of the Church.
Celebrating and working to deepen young people’s relationship with Jesus Christ through the bestowal of grace, communal prayer and liturgical experiences; it awakens their awareness of the spirit at work in their lives; it incorporates young people more fully into the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist; it nurtures the personal prayer life of young people, and it fosters family rituals and prayer.
* in order to assist the candidate in becoming a person of prayer, retreats are included. These retreats provide the young people an opportunity to reflect on their personal faith experiences, as well as grow in fellowship within the Arlington Youth and Young Adult community.

B. Catechesis: continuing our learning.
Helping adolescents to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increasing their knowledge of the core content of their Catholic faith. The ministry of catechesis helps young people to enrich and expand their understanding of the Scriptures and the sacred tradition and their application to life today. Also, to live more faithfully as disciples of Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. The ministry of catechesis fosters growth in Catholic faith in all three dimensions — trusting (heart), knowing and believing (mind), and doing (will).

C. Community Life: belonging to the Catholic Church at large and St. Agnes and St. Camillus specifically.
Creating an environment which nurtures meaningful relationships among youth and between youth and adults characterized by Gospel values (eg. acceptance of all people, trust, respect, cooperation, honesty, taking responsibility, willingness to serve): helping young people to feel that they are an important part of the Church community; providing opportunities for social interaction and meaningful participation in the life of the Church and the civic community. The ministry of community life is not only what we do (activity), but who we are (identity) and how we interact (relationships).

D. Service and Justice: witnessing Christ’s life of service.
Guiding young people in the development of a social consciousness and a commitment to life of justice and service grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ, in the scriptures and in Catholic social teaching; empowering young people (and their families) to work for justice by concrete efforts to address the causes of human suffering, to serve those in need, to pursue peace, and to defend the life, dignity, and rights of all people; infusing the concepts of justice and peace into all Youth Ministry efforts.

III. Roles
A. Candidates: Anyone who is baptized has a right to be confirmed because Confirmation seals and brings Baptism to fulfillment. Our parish’s definition of a candidate for Confirmation is a teen who wants to be confirmed, knows the basics of Catholic tradition, and participates in Mass.

B. Parents: As primary role models for their children, parents are the key to their child’s preparation. Parents are not alone, they are supported by the parish and the sponsor. Parental involvement is integral to the spiritual growth and faith formation of young people. Generations of Faith will help parents fulfill the family’s mission by sharing concrete ways to bring the sacred and the ordinary together. We will provide parent and youth gatherings monthly, as well as take-home packets designed to assist parents with nurturing Catholic values, family togetherness, and spiritual growth at home.

C. Sponsors: It is the sponsor’s privilege to see that the one confirmed acts as a true witness to Christ. The following is expected of sponsors:
* by his or her own life becomes a model of the Christian life,
* is not a parent of the candidate,
* ideally, is also the candidate’s baptismal sponsor (godparent).

D. Priests, Youth Minister, Leaders: serving as witnesses to their Catholic faith through example, guidance, and instruction.

E. The Bishop - The Minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation: As the Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, “The original minister of Confirmation is the bishop.” Each bishop is a successor to the apostles, upon whom the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, the first Confirmation. The Acts of the Apostles mentions the apostles imparting the Holy Spirit to believers by the laying on of hands (see, for example, Acts 8:15-17 and 19:6).

Your Letter to the confirming bishop:
Once you feel that you really understand the sacrament of confirmation, and you have decided that you wish to accept this great gift from God, it is time to express this decision by asking to be confirmed. You should then write a personal letter to the confirming bishop, requesting that you be confirmed. This one-page letter should include (1) information about yourself – your interests, hobbies, sports, family; (2) an explanation of how and why your faith and the Church are important to you; (3) why you are choosing to be confirmed; (4) who you chose for your sponsor and why; (5) what you chose for a confirmation name and why did you choose it; and (6) what have been some highlights during the preparation process.  The letter should also clearly express the facts that receiving the sacrament of confirmation is your decision;  that you have prepared for the sacrament through study, instruction, and prayer; and that you have already accepted the responsibility of living a more mature Christian life by being of service to the community.

Confirmation and Youth Ministry
The emphasis of Youth Ministry in the Catholic Parishes of Arlington is on the experiential nature of our faith. It is by integrating our faith experiences with life that we make the transition from head knowledge to personal relationship with Christ as members of Christ’s Body, the Church. While emphasizing the experiential, the ministry also seeks to provide solid teaching on Christian discipleship within the framework of Catholic theology.

Confirmation is celebrated by the entire parish!
There is a misconception that this celebration is for the candidates preparing for the sacrament, their sponsors, and their families. This is true, but more accurately, it is a celebration for the whole parish community. We should all be encouraging the candidates to become confirmed along with assisting the newly confirmed to engage and involve themselves in the Church as ministers in some way. Ultimately, the whole parish supports the candidates as they continue in their faith journey, sharing their experiences of faith with them. That is why we celebrate Confirmation at the local parish. It is a day that not only the newly confirmed can celebrate, but also the whole community celebrates with them.

Confirmation! Whose decision is it anyway?
Does the decision to be a Confirmed rest only with the teen? Only with the Parents/guardians?
The first answer is that God is the one that calls you to the Sacrament. God is in charge.

The second answer is that this is a family decision, between parents and teen. How does being Catholic fit into the entire family life? Does being Catholic make any difference? Do the adults in the family practice their faith or is this some kind of “get it over with” thing? Will this program interfere in the activities of the teen’s life? Being heavily involved in school, sports, and other extracurricular events may not allow time to let the teen participate in this process. Make a family decision that is best for everyone. What if the teen is unsure about being involved? We suggest that if you are thinking “Maybe I should do this… at least to find out more…” — Come and join us.

The third answer is that you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by joining us. You may believe we are supposed to say this — although, we want you to know: we truly invite you come learn more.