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Confirmation

Confirmation
Welcome Letter 2023
Schedule for 2023
Confirmation Sponsors

Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation

Confirmation is the completion of our Baptism. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and equiped for life as Catholic Christians. Confirmation is celebrated with youth in or above grade 7. This generally takes place in the spring for our parish, with formation throughout the school year to prepare candidates to receive the grace of the sacrament. For those in Catholic schools, the preparation is in partnership with the elementary school.

*Anyone who has not yet been baptized, and is in grade 7 or above, will be prepared for Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation together. If this is applicable, make sure to indicate this in your registration.

Welcome Letter 2023

To download a PDF printable version of this letter and an information package including dates for preparation, click here.

Questions? Please contact Mary Forcier at mforcier@hamiltondiocese.com

October 3, 2022

Dear parents and guardians,

Confirmation, together with Baptism and the Eucharist, form the Sacraments of Initiation in our Catholic faith. In Confirmation, the baptized are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and are strengthened to live as followers of Christ. It is with great joy that St Anne and St Joseph parishes extend an invitation to your family to join our Sacramental Preparation this year.

Those preparing for Confirmation are called “candidates.” They grow through prayer, spiritual instruction, and time spent in community with other Catholics. As a pastoral team at St Joseph and St Anne, we provide a combination of take-home resources for families, preparation sessions in the Church, and visits to St Anne and St Bernadette grade 7/8 classrooms.

To begin preparing for Confirmation, families are asked to attend one of two Information Sessions:

Sunday October 16, 7 pm, at St Joseph Parish (148 Madison Ave. S.)
OR
Monday October 17, 7 pm, St Anne Parish (268 East Ave.)

This information meeting is for the candidate (student) and parent/guardian(s) together.

The St Anne and St Joseph faith communities work closely together, with a single pastoral team. Therefore, you may choose between Sunday evening at St Joseph or Monday evening at St Anne for the Information night. You will also have a choice for the later preparation sessions.

At our Information Session, we will discuss the Sacrament of Confirmation and its importance, provide dates for the coming year, and explain how registration will work. We will also talk about Sponsors, a faith mentor chosen by each candidate for Confirmation.

All young people in grade seven and above are invited to this preparation process. We would like to extend a particular invitation to young people with special needs who may require any accommodations or adaptations needed. All are welcome in God’s kingdom. If you have any questions or concerns, please call your parish office, email us, or speak to us at Mass.

Yours in faith,
The Pastoral Team of St Anne and St Joseph
Father Brian Quigley
Father Mussie Keflezghi
Mary Forcier, Youth Minister

And at the moment of anointing, the Bishop says these words: “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit”: the Holy Spirit is God’s great gift. And we all have the Spirit within. The Spirit is in our heart, in our soul. - Pope Francis

Schedule for 2023

2022/2023 School Year
Schedule for Preparation

Downloadable Information Package for Confirmation 2023 (PDF)

Families with young people in grade 7 or above are asked to attend one of two information sessions:

Sunday October 16, 7 pm, at St Joseph Parish (148 Madison Ave. S.)
OR
Monday October 17, 7 pm, St Anne Parish (268 East Ave.)

This information meeting is for the candidate (student) and parent/guardian(s) together.

Preparation Sessions
Our Confirmation sessions are for all candidates. Parents, guardians, and sponsors are welcome (but not required) at these opportunities for prayer, learning, and community. They are offered from 7-8:30 pm at St Joseph Church on Sundays, and St Anne Parish on Mondays. You may choose the location and date that best suits you for the year, regardless of which church or school you attend.

Our retreat, rehearsal, and Confirmation itself will take place at St Joseph Church for all families.

Sundays (at St Joseph)	Mondays (at St Anne)
October 16 7-8 pm	October 17 7-8 pm	Information Session for candidates and parents/caregivers
January 15 7-8 pm	January 16 7-8 pm	Session for candidates and parents/caregivers
Friday January 20		Registration Due
January 29 7-8:30 pm	January 30 7-8:30 pm	Session for candidates
February 26 7-8:30 pm	February 27 7-8:30 pm	Session for candidates
March 26 7-8:30 pm	March 27 7-8:30 pm	Session for candidates
Saturday, April 15 1-6:30 pm at St Joseph Church		Retreat for candidates 1-5 pm Mass and rehearsal for Candidates, families, and sponsors (if available) 5-6:30 pm
Late April St Joseph Church		Confirmation Liturgy for all Candidates

Individual Preparation

Prayer and Personal Faith Life
As you approach Confirmation, we encourage you to explore ways you can deepen your faith life individually. Prayer – communication with God – is critical for both Confirmation preparation and for your faith overall, but it will look different for each of us.
To help you in this journey, we have a small book for you. In My Encounter: How I Met Jesus in Prayer, author Chika Anyanwu shares her story of prayer — the highs and lows, the joys and challenges. It is a practical resource for growing your prayer life, filled with story and conversational advice.

Sponsor-Candidate Conversations
All candidates for Confirmation choose a sponsor to accompany them in their faith journey. We will be sending conversation guides for candidates to complete with their sponsors throughout the preparation process. These will include scripture, questions to discuss, and opportunities for prayer. All activities can be done in person, over the phone, or virtually. Resources and tips for choosing a Sponsor will be provided at our October Information Session.

Confirmation Sponsors

Choosing a Sponsor
We do not journey alone in the Catholic community. A sponsor is a person who encourages and assists a candidate to embrace and actively practice the Catholic faith both before and after Confirmation. The sponsor also presents the candidate to the bishop (or his delegate) at the celebration of Confirmation.

Choosing a Sponsor is an important spiritual decision. For more information on the requirements for Sponsors, and advice for choosing, click here for our "Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor" handout.

Being a Confirmation Sponsor
If you have been asked to be a sponsor for Confirmation, a young person in your life has recognized you as a spiritual role model and mentor!

First and foremost, as a parish pastoral team we thank you for being a sponsor. In the Gospels, Jesus walked alongside his disciples in friendship. He patiently answered their many questions, teaching them to know and love God. In a similar way, you have agreed to walk alongside your candidate in their journey of faith. In the months and years ahead, your prayer and compassionate guidance will help them to grow into the fullest person God has called them to be.

As part of your Sponsor relationship, you are invited to meet with your Candidate several times before their Confirmation. We will send you conversation guides to help you connect with your candidate and suggest topics for discussion and prayer.

Crucially, these discussions are not a test or an interview. Neither you nor the candidates will be graded or marked on your answers. Instead, the guides are a request that for 20-30 minutes each month, you have a purposeful conversation about faith. The topics connect directly to the material candidates cover in their preparation sessions, and we hope they will set you up for a life-long relationship of faith. You are of course welcome and encouraged to connect in other ways that foster a strong, healthy relationship.

Young people look for authentic witnesses. They search for role models who live out the Gospel, celebrating the truth and beauty of salvation. Your candidate and their family have chosen you as a companion on their journey: a strong sign that they see God’s presence in you. On behalf of our entire parish pastoral team, thank you for journeying with your candidate toward Confirmation and beyond. We are praying for you both.