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Confirmation
Classes begin on September 6 at 9:45am.
Register today!
Here is a letter we give to the parents of the young people preparing for Confirmation which explains something of the meaning of this Sacrament: Hacer cliq aquí para la versión en español.
Dear Parents,
As you know, these are very important years for the religious formation of our young people. This is the time when they have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. This sacrament has had different expressions throughout Church history, but the one that currently predominates is that of Confirmation as the Sacrament of Christian Maturity. That's why it is received when the young person is more than eleven or twelve years old.
When we baptize a baby, she can't profess her Christian faith because she is still too little. So her parents and godparents profess it in her name. Then she grows up and reaches the age where she can decide for herself if being a Christian is something important to her or not. Normally, Confirmation is the moment when the young person freely gives her 'yes' to the Church's faith and receives from the bishop a special grace of the Holy Spirit enabling her to carry out her mission as an adult in the Church and in the world.
In order for this to really happen, two things are necessary. First, they have to truly understand our Christian faith on a deep level. I know that you, their parents, have been teaching them the Faith throughout the years by means of your word and example. We in St. Procopius want to collaborate with you in this important task. During these two years, we are going to give your children a complete presentation of the most important aspects of the Catholic Faith.
The second thing which is necessary for the Sacrament of Confirmation to happen authentically in your children's lives is that they have absolute freedom to choose. A young person's freely given 'yes' to God requires that a 'no' be a real possibility for her. (Of course a 'no' may be a 'no, for now' and later change into a 'yes'.) It is up to all of us-priests, teachers and parents of these young people-to be patient with them and give them the necessary freedom to say 'yes, I believe and therefore I want to be confirmed' or 'no, I don't believe and therefore I don't want to be confirmed at this time'. I ask you to not force or compel your child to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, because if you did so you would be taking away from her the chance to give God a free 'yes' and thereby experience Confirmation as God wants it to be experienced in this moment in the history of the Church.
Requirements to receive the sacrament:
They must attend class every Saturday, arriving punctually at 9:45am
They must pass the periodic tests and successfully complete the various assignments
They must attend Mass every Sunday
They must do 8 hours of community service
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