Tuesday, October 22
7:30 pm
Monday, May 12 7:00pm
Tuesday, May 13 4:30pm
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONFIRMATION AT ST. PATRICK’S
Baptismal Certificate
A copy of your child’s Baptismal certificate is required for ALL candidates (even if baptized at St Patrick’s). You will be contacted by staff if we do not have one. Please provide a copy immediately. Copies can be scanned and emailed to our office.
Assessments
Students in Religious Education Classes will be assessed on different Church Teachings and Traditions throughout the year. Each student should have received a Study Guide at the end of 7th Grade from the Religious Education Office. The Study Guide covers basic Catholic Teachings that all students are expected to know prior to their Confirmation. Please review the guide with your children and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Religious Education Office for an extra copy. Answers to the guide may be found in the Outlines of the Catholic Faith booklet given to the students with their Study Guide. The corrected Study Guide (due at the Parent/Student Meeting on October 22) should be used to prepare for the Exam on March 18.
Confirmation Interview - By appointment/Sign-up Genius
Each Candidate will meet with the Pastor in small groups of 6-8. A Sign-Up Genius link will be provided via email.
Sacrament Materials Fee
Confirmation Robe and Retreat fee is $85.00. The fee helps to cover the cost of robes, the Letio Divina book, and the Confirmation retreat. If paying by check, it should be made payable to St. Patrick’s and can be turned in at the Parent/Student meeting on the same date. Please include your child’s name on the “memo” line.
Selecting a Sponsor
Sponsor Forms are due promptly on December 3.
The following are directives regarding sponsors from the Archdiocese of Washington:
It may take some time to get the necessary signature from the sponsor’s parish, please begin this process immediately.
Confirmation Name
Students may use their Baptismal name for their Confirmation name. In this way, they state that the promises made for them at Baptism by their parents and godparents will be lived out in their life by their own choice. Alternatively, students may choose any saint’s name as a Confirmation name. Either way, the students should read about the saint they have chosen and discover how he or she came to be so transformed by the grace of Christ, and how that grace manifested itself in their lives. It can be very helpful and meaningful if students talk with their parents and godparents about various saints and the importance of these great souls in their lives. The students will be given a form to fill out the saint’s name they have selected.
Confirmation Retreat
The retreat is mandatory for all students. Mark your calendars now. The retreat is scheduled for March 29. Failure to join the St. Patrick retreat will require the student to attend a retreat with another parish. Arrangements must be made by the parents with other parishes.
Saint Poster
Each candidate selects a Patron Saint to emulate in their walk in faith toward our Lord. The research he/she does will help the candidate to know more about the saint and more about the life of faith. Since the goal of every Catholic is to become a saint, it is good to know what that looks like! The candidates will also learn the process of declaring sainthood in the Catholic Church. This year we are starting something new. We will have a Cloud of Witnesses Saint Tailgate on Sunday, November 3 following the 12:00pm Mass. Students should bring their posters with them for the event. Details will be sent at the beginning of classes. The posters will be collected following the tailgate, held in the Religious Education Office and displayed in the church for their Confirmation. Posters are due on November 3.
Adoration Hours
Students are encouraged to include acts of faith as part of their preparation for Confirmation. Specifically, they are asked to spend time adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The intent of this approach is to mirror the Gospel rather more closely than focusing on simply accumulating hours. As the apostles were sent on a mission to others, so too the Confirmation students are sent to share in the apostolic mission of the Church to bring Christ to others. Because this mission comes from Jesus Christ, all of our service must be rooted in and received from Him through time spent in his Eucharistic Presence. Students will complete an Adoration sheet to be turned in after each session in Adoration, like the Faith in Action sheets. The eight required hours may be completed in ½ hour or full 1-hour increments and will be due on April 29.
Faith in Action
Each student is expected to complete their Faith in Action project (2 projects minimum) by April 29, 2024. It is the family's responsibility to make sure the child accomplishes the service in their own local community and in the parish. The Religious Education office will provide an opportunity for Faith in Action in St. Patrick and will inform parents when that date is identified. A Faith in Action form tailored to each individual project will be provided to the students. All projects and forms must be completed and turned into the RE Office by April 29. Students who have not completed their hours/projects by this date will need to meet with the DRE.