Confirmation Program Structure

• Encounter: Students will be asked to truly get to know Jesus not just as the historical figure that saved us from damnation, but as the man that desires to have a personal relationship with us.  It is one thing to know a lot about Jesus, it is something completely different to have a personal relationship with him.  

• Accompaniment: Students cannot be expected to prepare for Confirmation alone.  They need the support and guidance of parents, their sponsor and patron saint. Parents lay the foundation of faith; the sponsor and patron saint help build upon that foundation.

• Community: Faith experiences, like retreats and service activities, foster community and helps students grow in a deeper relationship with one another and with Jesus.

• Send: Through the grace of the Sacrament of Confirmation, students are called to be witnesses of their faith by their lives. Students will be offered a number of ways to continue to nourish their faith through parish youth ministry activities such as the Steubenville Youth Conference.

The Confirmation preparation program is a one year program beginning in the fall and ending in early to late spring (August-May). 

The Confirmation Mass date is scheduled by the Archdiocese and it's based on the Archbishop's schedule.  Once a Confirmation Mass date is known it will be communicated to families so sponsors can be notified and arrangements made.

• Christ the King School Confirmation Formation: In partnership with Amy Feighny, school principal, and Antonio Guzman, Director of Youth Ministry, CK School will have Confirmation faith formation instruction in the school for those students that attend our parochial school.  The elements of service and retreat will be done outside the scope of the school to build community with students that do not attend CK school.  

• In-person Formation: Students can attend class in-person following Sunday Mass.  This form of instruction is done in a small group and big group setting. Small group leaders aid with the instruction and discussion of the faith topics.

• Family Faith Formation: Some families may choose to instruct their students at home.  The curriculum, books, PowerPoint and online assessments will be provided to help parents help instruct their child at home.

• If a student  misses a Confirmation class, the parents will be asked to do family faith formation. The instruction for the missed class session will be done at home by the parents. 

• A parent must email us as soon as a conflict with any of the Confirmation sessions is known. Make-up session for missed classes will be the Wednesday following the session that was missed. The session will be held at the Church from 6pm-7pm.  Students are to meet in the Atrium.
• If your student has to leave early or will not be attending on Sunday, please notify Antonio Guzman at least two days in advance so he can plan accordingly.  If you know that your student is going to miss more than 10 minutes of instruction, it is essential that they attend the following Wednesday rather than leave early. We know that there are many events occurring on Sundays, but Confirmation sessions are only twice a month and it is required that students stay for the full time.
• If a student is unable to attend the Sunday class session or the "make up session", the students will be asked to do Family Faith Formation. Family Faith Formation is when parents are directly involved in the instruction of the faith to keep students up to speed with the other students.

• Students are asked to attend Sunday Mass weekly.
• School or Weekday Masses do not count as having observed their Sunday Obligation.   Please see parish website for a list of Masses.
• Students are asked to be good stewards and refrain from leaving Mass early or sit in the Atrium on their phones during Mass. 
• Being a good steward also entails being respectful of others, especially the small group leaders that volunteer their time to help nurture the student's faith. Misbehavior, during class/retreats/activities, is not tolerated. 

• There is one Confirmation retreat. 
• The retreat is meant to help students encounter God without distractions. Also, within this retreat, students will cover, in depth, some of the topics concerning the Sacrament of Confirmation.
• The retreat is meant to be spiritual, but also fun and enjoyable. We will break away from the classroom setting and enter into a more relaxed atmosphere where the students get to enjoy fun activities, learn, be with their peers and come together as a community of faithful. 
• To go on retreat is an experience that helps the students detach from the outside world, and prepare to listen to God's voice through prayer, the retreat master's talks, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Mass and interactive activities. 
• While on retreat, the students will be asked not to use their cell phones.  Sometimes the retreat master asks for the students to surrender their cell phones so they are not tempted to use them. 
•  Throughout the retreat, the high school leaders and adult leaders will be assisting as small group leaders and chaperones.

A focus of Confirmation formation is how students are going to use the grace of the Sacrament upon receiving it. Being confirmed is not the end to their formation, but the beginning.  A great way for students to use the grace of the Sacrament of Confirmation is to attend the Steubenville Conference. The Steubenville Youth Conference happens in July.  This conference is an excellent way to reignite the student's faith and experience it in a new way.

Students from all over the Midwest travel to this conference to listen to powerful speakers and experience the power of the Sacraments. It has been Fr. Rex's and Antonio's experience that students enjoy their faith more when they have the opportunity to experience it in a new way.  Mission trips, pilgrimages, retreats, conferences, camps and visits to religious communities are powerful evangelization tools. These experiences allow people to put their faith to action and witness how others are living out their call to be holy.  It is our objective to offer faith experiences where students experience their faith in a hands-on way.

• Students are asked to pick a saint to be their patron guide as they approach the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The students are asked to choose a saint because the Catholic Church recognizes the holiness of those people who have been named saints. Saints are actual people who lived out a life of heroic virtue and love of God.  The hope is that students pray to their Confirmation saint for intercession and use them as role models for their lives.   
• Students will be asked to write a reflection on their Confirmation saint as a way to help them thoroughly research the person they will have interceding for them in heaven.
• Parents and students will be emailed with instructions for submitting the patron saint reflection.

Requirements to be a Confirmation Sponsor:
 

• Should be a practicing Catholic that has been Baptized, has received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, 1st Communion, and Confirmation.
• Should be above the age of 18

• If he or she is married, the marriage should have taken place in the Catholic Church.

• The person must have the intention, the ability, and adequate time to be a Sponsor.

• The Sponsor should live according to the Catholic Faith: attend Mass every weekend and receive the sacraments of the Church regularly, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist. A Catholic is required to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist once each year.

• The Sponsor should practice the Faith within a Catholic parish community, and live a moral life.

• Students and sponsors are recommended to meet (in person, by phone, or if necessary by other means such as Skype or email) to discuss their spiritual growth. A sponsor plays an important role in the confirmation student's life and are meant to be a role model of what a good Catholic is. The student should aspire to be like such person.

• Help the Candidate become aware of his or her reasons for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
• Help the Candidate understand and appreciate the sacrament of Confirmation, and have the right intention for receiving it.

•  Help the Candidate prepare for Confirmation by encouraging him or her to pray, to participate in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and to become actively involved in the life of their parish.

• Support the Candidate and their family, and be a good example of Catholic Christian living.

• Meet with the Candidate on a regular basis for Mass, prayer, faith-sharing, reading Scripture, and discussions about the Christian life. If it's not possible to meet, then talk over the phone or via email about spiritual growth at least once a month.
• Help the Candidate understand what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
• Present the Candidate to the bishop for Confirmation. This will be done at the Confirmation Mass.
• Ensure that the confirmed person behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations inherent in this sacrament.
• Continue to encourage the confirmed person to live a Catholic Christian life through:
  • prayer and the celebration of the sacraments
  • living the Gospel of Jesus Christ
  • turning to other Catholics for support and guidance
  • studying the Catholic Faith 

• As a means to help the sponsors and students to foster a closer relationship, our program incorpartes a seminar.
• Parents play a significant role in the faith formation their student.  In Baptism parents attend a seminar to prepare them to guide their child in their faith journey. In the same respect, parents will be prepared to work with their Confirmation students to better help them learn of the importance of the Sacrament. 
• The workshop helps the parents, sponsors and students learn of the role in Confirmation prepartion program.

• The seminar will take place on a Sunday.

• Information will be provided via email.

• All students are required to complete a total of 10 hours of service.
• Students can submit their service hours online.
• Antonio will communicate service hour opportunities as they arise and it is our hope that some service hour opportunities are done within the contexts of our Confirmation formation program.
• The parish offers a number of opportunities so students do not have to strain themselves looking for service projects.  Some of the service opportunities offered in the past include helping with trunk-or-treat, CK Auction clean up, Knights in Service, Vacation Bible School and helping with various youth events.  Students can also fulfill their service hours at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, helping at the Center of Family Love, City Rescue Mission, Feeding the Homeless, Infant Crisis Center, and Feed the Children.
• At least one service project will be done as a group. The date for the class service activity will be provided to parents once it is been made final.
• By January 1st the students need to have completed their 10 service hours.