Why Confirmation Classes?

As part of our Confirmation program, all teen candidates are required to be involved in a Confirmation Class. As teens move from middle school and into high school, it is crucial for them to establish faith-based friendships with their peers. It is also important for them to have a sense of what serving others is like. By combining service with friendship, teens are more inclined to get involved in serving the community—it’s no longer a chore—it’s a thing to do with your friends. It is our desire that as these teens serve together and grow in friendship, they will continue to be involved in service throughout their teenage years. The solid, faith-filled friendships that they establish through these classes will also give our Catholic teens an established community that they can carry into high school.

Each Class will have at least one Confirmation Catechist and adult leader to serve as a mentor for our young people, providing inspiration for serving in the Church and wider community and emphasizing ones need to develop a deeper prayer life and relationship with God.

What do they do in these Classes?

The religious education formation component is a top priority for these Classes. Along with the classroom formation, each Candidate must complete three Spiritual Works of Mercy together as a Class Team (Candidates must also complete three Corporal Works of Mercy with their family). These Works are a primary component of the Confirmation preparation program.

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

Fulfilling the Works of Mercy for each of us is a lifelong commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:32-46 tells us that when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, take care of the sick, and visit the imprisoned, we care for Christ himself. The Spiritual Works of Mercy will be coordinated by the Confirmation Catechists, and the Corporal Works of Mercy will be coordinated and recorded by each family.

CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY: recognize the sacredness of human life. We learn through fulfilling these Works of Mercy for others that we are our brother’s keeper. Our feelings of love for our brothers and sisters must be accompanied by acts of charity. With our family, we will reach out to members of our parish and the wider community and allow Christ to be reflected in us by our compassion for our neighbor. Families may keep track of their Corporal Works of Mercy and get ideas for service activities on the Corporal Works of Mercy Log.

SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY: recognize sin, ignorance, doubt, sorrow and other human conditions where we need to reach out in faith and love to others. The purpose of our program at St. Mary is for our teen Candidates to pray together, experiencing different liturgical activities in the spiritual life of the parish. Vatican II challenges us to “be fully conscious and active participants” in the prayer life “of the Church” and this is a good way to engage our teens in that participation. These activities will be done with Confirmation classes.

Confirmation Retreat

As part of the Confirmation journey, all Confirmation candidates are required to attend a Confirmation retreat. This retreat will help our teens better enter into the mystery of God’s love presented to them through the sacrament of Confirmation.

For more details regarding what is expected from each teen Candidate and for our policy for corporal and spiritual works please see our Confirmation Parent and Candidate Handbook.