Confirmation: One of the Sacraments of Initiation into the Church, together with Baptism and the Eucharist. Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism by an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which seals or “confirms” the baptized in union with Christ and equips them for active participation in the worship and apostolic life of the Church.
Please contact our Youth Ministers
Allison Bednar at [email protected] or
Dominic Susanka at [email protected]
to make sure your 7th/8th grader is registered
or if you have special circumstances.
The formation of children into the sacramental life is first and foremost the responsibility of the parents. At St. Michael’s Parish, we are here to help you and be part of your team, but it is crucial that you are exemplifying the Christian Faith in your home through prayer, reading scripture, formation, and the reception of the sacraments. As mentioned before, we are here to help you form your children in the faith. One of the ways we want to help you is by offering Parent Formation Nights. We ask that parents of Confirmation Candidates attend the Parent Meeting with Father Brian and two of the three Parent Formation Nights each year of Confirmation Preparation. Parent Formation Nights have parents attend a night specifically for parents in the parish hall while their teen can attend the EDGE Night from 7-8:30 p.m.
Parent Meeting with Fr. Brian, 7-8:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Parent Formation Nights, 7-8:30 pm in the Parish Hall
To be recommended to the Archbishop for Confirmation, candidates must satisfy the following requirements:
Documents and Paperwork:
Confirmation is closely connected to Baptism. Confirmation completes the graces you received at Baptism. In order to keep the connection with Baptism, it is recommended that the Godparent also be the sponsor. It is permissible to choose a different sponsor. If you choose someone other than your Godparent, this should be someone who has a daily prayer life and is committed to their faith. You should trust this person and be willing to open up and talk to them. Most importantly they should be a person that is willing to take this responsibility of getting you to heaven seriously.
A brief overview of the responsibilities of a Confirmation Sponsor.
A sponsor must be 16 years old, a practicing Catholic and have received Baptism, Confirmation, and first Eucharist. You can only have one sponsor and they cannot be your father or mother.
Sponsors are required to complete the sponsor eligibility form from the Sponsor's home parish and attend a minimum of two Sponsor Nights, Confirmation Rehearsal in person with your candidate (Sun. May 4, 2025), and Confirmation Mass (Mon. May 5, 2025).
Sponsor Nights
We ask that Sponsors attend a minimum of 2 Sponsor Nights with their candidates. Being that confirmation preparation is a two-year process, the candidates and sponsors can work with what's best for their schedules regarding the Sponsor Nights offered over the course of the 2 years. The nights will be audio recorded and posted with additional content to aid the sponsor and candidates in the preparation leading up to Confirmation.
For our out-of-town sponsors, we ask that a parent attend the night with their teen, we will audio record the night's talk and post it to our confirmation webpage along with a discussion guide under the Sponsor Night section. We ask that sponsor and candidate simply find a time to have a discussion about the night's information. These nights are to facilitate a conversation and be a resource for our sponsors to lean into as they walk with their candidates to and through this preparation time.
Year 1 | Year 2 | |
---|---|---|
Baptismal Certificate | October 9, 2024 | October 9, 2024 |
Saint Form | January 15, 2025 | October 9, 2024 |
Sponsor Selection | January 15, 2025 | October 9, 2024 |
Christian Service | April 30, 2025 | February 26, 2025 |
Letter to Archbishop | Spring 2026 | February 26, 2025 |
...Baptismal certificate?
In order to be confirmed, one must first be baptized. If you were not baptized at St. Michael, we need to know that you were baptized and where you were baptized.
…A patron saint?
In choosing a confirmation saint, we are choosing someone we want to be like and someone who can pray for us from heaven. A saint is someone who has walked the Christian walk before us and we can pray to them just as we would talk to a friend. They help us in our own journey towards sainthood. We also take on their name. This has biblical roots. Just like when Simon's name changed to Peter when he took on a new mission - you take on a new name as you take on a new mission in the Church.
…A sponsor?
The life of a Christian believer is not easy. We need to have people around us to support and uplift us as we journey closer to Christ. The Church requires a candidate for Confirmation to have a sponsor to provide prayerful support and guidance on this walk. This is a lifelong commitment that must be taken seriously. A sponsor’s responsibility is to disciple the candidate and help them fulfill their baptismal promise and live a life of prayer, sacraments, and evangelization.
...Christian service?
Confirmation is calling us to live a life of discipleship. Part of being a disciple is living a life of service. We also know that when we encounter the poor, we encounter Jesus Himself. As we do service to prepare for confirmation, we will come to know Christ in a new way and come to live a life of discipleship. This year we are not asking for a specific number of hours of a certain type to fulfill but rather a self-directed service project that should be a cumulative of 10-15 hours and share your experience by submitting a report under the 'Submission Forms' section on the side of this page.
Need ideas? Check out THIS link!
…to write a letter to Archbishop Naumann?
It is important that you personally desire the sacrament of Confirmation. It doesn’t matter if your parents want it for you or your youth ministers or even your pastor - you must desire this sacrament for yourself. The Archbishop is the one who is administering the sacrament to you and needs to know that you desire this sacrament. The letter is the way to show the bishop that you want to be confirmed.
REHEARSAL: Sunday, May 4, 2025
**if sponsor cannot be present for rehearsal, a parent must accompany teen**
6:30pm - Check-in for Sponsors & Confirmandi (teens)
7:00pm - Rehearsal promptly begins
CONFIRMATION MASS: Monday, May 5, 2025
6:30pm - Check-in for Sponsors & Confirmandi (teens)
7:00pm - Mass promptly begins
While the Church greatly respects the uniqueness and individuality of each of its members, modesty is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and “Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening in them respect for the human person.” (CCC 25234).
It is in this spirit of fostering respect for each other and for the sanctity of the Sacrament of Confirmation that we set forth a code of dress consistent with the Church’s view of modesty for the solemn beauty of this occasion.
Ladies:
Dress in good taste and should be appropriate for important life occasions—Church, banquets, and special occasions (but not formal or semi-formal). Shoulders must be covered. No plunging or revealing necklines. No bare midriffs. Skirts and dresses should fall in length below the knee and not be tight/suggestive or have leg slits above the knee. Pantsuits or full-length pants with an appropriate top are acceptable. Please no shorts or capris. Shoes should be appropriate for outfits and church (no flip-flops or tennis shoes).
Modesty should be your overriding fashion choice for this occasion.
Gentlemen:
Dress in good taste is requested and should be appropriate for important life occasions (Church, banquets, and special occasions). Dress shirt with collar and tie (sports coat or suit jacket optional). Shirts should be tucked in and pants fitted at the waist with a belt. Shoes should be appropriate for outfits and church (no flip-flops or tennis shoes). Socks should match your pants color or belt color. Don’t wear white athletic socks.
Manner of the dress shows self-respect, respect for one another, and respect for the occasion.