St. Patrick Church Confirmation Orientation

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St. Patrick ChurchConfirmation Orientation

• Faith does not only mean believing with the head
  but also committing your heart and your life.
• --Archbishop Martyr Oscar Romero (El Salvador)

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Opening Prayer
Leader Grace and peace from God our Creator and
the Lord Jesus Christ. With these words, St.
Paul greeted the believers of his time,
reminding them of the great gift they had been
given in Jesus Christ. Almost two thousand
years later, St. Pauls letters continue to
guide the church and inspire believers. As we
pray this litany of Pauls words, we ask the Holy
Spirit to make us enthusiastic in living the
Gospel message.
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• Reader 1 Reader 1 There is no longer Jew or
  Greek, there is no longer slave or free,
  there is no longer male and female.
  (Gal328)
• All For all of you are one in Christ Jesus
  (Gal 328)
• Reader 2 We know that all things work together
  for the good of those who love God (Rom828)
• All If God is for us, who is against us? (Rom
  831)
• Reader 3 The message about the cross is
• foolishness to those who are perishing(1Cor118)
• All But to us who are being saved it is the
• Power of God (1Cor118)

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• Reader 4 For once you
  were darkness, b but now in
  the Lord you are light(Eph58)
• All Live as children of
  lightfor the f
  fruit of the light is found in all
  that is good and right and true(Eph58-9)
• Reader 5 Do not worry about anything,
  but in everything by prayer and
  supplication with thanksgiving let your
  requests be made known to
  God (Phil46)
• All And the peace of God, which
  surpasses all
• understanding, will guard your hearts
  and
• minds in Christ Jesus (Phil47)

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• Reader 6 We urge you,admonish
  the idlers, encourage the
  fainthearted, help the weak, be patient
  with all of them. See that none of you repays
  evil for evil but always seek to do good to
  one another and to all (1Thess514-15)
• All Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give
  thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will
  of God in Christ Jesus for you (1Thess516-18).
• Reader 7 As Gods chosen ones, holy and
  beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
  kindness,
• humility, meekness and patience (Col312)
• All Above all, cloth yourselves with
  love, which binds everything together in
  perfect harmony (Col314)

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• Leader
• I thank my God every time I remember you,
  constantly praying with joy in every one of my
  prayers for all of you, because of your sharing
  in the gospelI am confident of this, that the
  one who began a good work among you will bring it
  to completion by the day of Jesus Christ
  (Phil13-7)
• We make our prayer in
• the name of Jesus Christ,
• our Lord.
• All Amen.

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Religious MMs

• A question Ive always wanted to ask
• God is? OR An image I had of God
• when I was a kid was
• When I was a kid, I used to think that going to
  Mass was
• If I were to have a theme song that best
  described me, it would be
• I always wondered why Catholics
• What was the best advice you have ever been
  given?
• If you had only 24hours to live, what would you
  do and why?
• What do you think is the ideal age to be and why?

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Youth and religion

• NSYR is longitudinal study of youth parents,
  began in 2002
• 3,370 English Spanish-speaking 13-17yr olds
• Phone interviews with youth and parents,
  face-to-face interviews with a small sample

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1 True or False?

• Teens find their parents religious beliefs and
  practices old and meaningless and want little to
  do with any of it.

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Question 1 False

• 3 out of 4 teens consider their own beliefs
  practices somewhat or very similar to their
  parents.
• 79 (RC 74) say they are somewhat/very similar
  to mom.
• (Soul Searching p.35)
• 72 (RC 70) say they are somewhat/very similar
  to dad.
• Only 6 (RC 6) consider their beliefs very
  different from mom only 11 (RC 13) from their
  dad.

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2 True or False?

• Faith is important to teens and shapes their
  daily life.

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Question 2 True (but False)

• 84 of Catholic Youth say it is somewhat (42),
  very (31), or extremely (11) important in
  shaping their daily life. (NRCYM Report, p.34)
• According to Dr. Smith, religion actually
  appears to operate much more as a
  taken-for-granted aspect of life, mostly situated
  in the background of everyday living, which
  becomes salient (significant) only under very
  specific conditions (Soul Searching, p.130)

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3 True or False

• For Catholic youth, participation in youth group,
  religious education, or being a Catholic School
  student results in an increase in religious
  practices and a decrease in at-risk behaviors.

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Question 3 True

• Catholic data revealed that participation did
  make a significant difference (p.58 NFCYM)
• According to Dr. Smith, we nevertheless observe
  sizable and significant differences in a variety
  of important life outcomes between more and less
  religious teenagers in the U.S. Highly religious
  teenagers appear to be doing much better in life
  than less religious teenagers (Soul Searching,
  p.263)

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4 True or False

• Teens have a solid knowledge of their faith and
  can articulate their basic beliefs about God and
  religion.

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Question 4 False

• According to Dr. Smith, In our in-depth
  interviews with U.S. teens, we also found the
  vast majority of them to be incredibly
  inarticulate about their faith, their religious
  beliefs and practices, and its meaning or place
  in their lives (Soul Searching, p.131)
• Catholic teens also tended to be particularly
  inarticulate about their faith (p.132).

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5 True or False

• In comparison to other religious traditions, the
  Catholic Church was equal to or better in most
  variables measuring religiosity.

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Question 5 False

• Catholic teens scored 5-25 lower than their
  conservative, mainline, and black Protestant
  peers on a variety of religious beliefs,
  practices, experiences, commitments, and
  evaluations (Soul Searching, p.194)
• In observing the energy of the NCYC, Dr.
  Smith noted the great potential but great
  attention resources required to meet that
  potential in the church.

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6 True or False

• Parents religiosity is the single best predictor
  of their teens religiosity.

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Question 6 True

• There is a correlation between parents religious
  practices beliefs with their teens 68 of
  youth that attend Mass more frequently discuss
  religion in the home more often (NFCYM report,
  p.59)
• Parents will get what they are when it comes to
  religion faith. They are still primary
  religious educators of their children.
• See next slide for quote from Dr. Smith

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Question 6 True

• the best social predictor, although not a
  guarantee, of what the religious and spiritual
  lives of youth will look like is what the
  religious and spiritual lives of their parents do
  look like. (Soul Searching, p.261)

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Mass/Religious Service Attendance
(NFCYM,pp.15, 19)
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Other interesting Findings

• Only 20 of Catholic youth say that Mass is
  usually boring (40 say sometimes).
• 76 of youth feel at least somewhat close to
  God.
• 67 say that God is a personal being involved in
  their lives.
• In general, regular participation in Mass leads
  to increased participation in program for youth.

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Religion and Life Outcomes

• The Devoted (8 of American Youth)
• - Attend religious service weekly
• - Faith is very/extremely important in daily
  life.
• - Feels very/extremely close to God
• - Currently involved in youth group
• - Prays few times a week or more
• - Reads scripture once/twice a month
• The Regulars (27 of American Youth)
• The Sporadic (17 of American Youth)
• The Disengaged (12 of American Youth)

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What Difference does Religion Make on Life
Outcomes of Teens?

• The more Devoted Teens are
• Less likely to smoke, use drugs or get drunk
  regularly.
• Less likely to cut class, be suspended, expelled
  or get Cs, Ds, Fs as grades.
• Less likely to spend hours at the TV, watching
  R-rated movies, view pornographic websites and
  play video games.
• Nearly ALL Devoted teens believe in waiting for
  marriage to have sex.
• The Devoted Teens feel less alone, more cared for
  by people responsible for them, think more about
  the meaning of life and their plans for the
  future.

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What Difference does Religion Make on Life
outcomes of Teens?

• The Devoted are more likely to
• Feel close to a parent and feel parents
  understand them often.
• Get along with their siblings.
• Personally care about the needs of poor people in
  the U.S.
• Care about the needs of elderly and equality
  between different racial groups.
• Regularly to volunteer work.

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Conclusion of Study

• Youths lives are being at least in part
  significantly shaped by religious and social
  identities, practices, cultures, relational ties
  and institutions in ways that many teens
  themselves often cannot even recognize or
  describeit appears that religion does really
  matter(it just means we need) a little more
  faith in (our) own faith.
• (Soul Searching pp.257-258)

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Religion (Faith) Does Matter

• Holy Cross Church
• Deerfield
• Adult Teen
• Testimonies

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Confirmation Program General Overview

• Upon Completion of IMPACT (6th-8th) or Catholic
  School,
• a teen will begin St. Patricks
• Confirmation Program
• Two-Year
• High School Program
• (Freshman Sophomore Years)
• Celebration of Confirmation
• (Spring Year Two)

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Confirmation Year One

• 9 Monthly Sessions (Parish Center)
• - September-May
• - 1130 a.m. Mass Candidates families
  encouraged to attend (Name Tags)
• -1230 p.m. Fellowship Lunch
• -1-230p.m. Large Group (speaker)
• Small Group Activities (8-10 youth
• 4 small group facilitators)
• - Parents are welcome to stay for Large Group
  Speaker.
• - Sick/Missed Days (Make up Work)
• One Day Retreat (Techny Towers)
• Service Component
• Family Component
• Sponsor Selection

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Calender Overview 2009-2010
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One-day Retreat Jesus MissionTechny Towers
Sun, Jan. 24, 2010

• Parents will be asked to drop off youth at Techny
  Towers. Parent(s) welcome to attend please
  RSVP with teens.
• Lunch is provided.
• Closing Mass Families invited to join.
• Postcard Reminders/Instructions will be sent.

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SERVICE The Son of Man did not come to be
served but to serve Mt 2028

• ReflectRespondRecord
• Year One
• Individual Service for Family Church
• Each candidate is asked to do both a (1) Family
  and (2) Church Service.
• Both areas of service must be worth at least 3
  points for a total of 6 points for the year.
• See Service Component Pamphlet (purple) for
  details
• - Includes list of opportunities forms
• - Youth are given an opportunity to brainstorm
  ideas with their small groups about the family
  service.

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Family Component

• Family Newsletter At Home with our Faith
• Hospitality Fellowship Lunch Families are
  asked to help with the main course for the
  fellowship lunch once a month (dinner for 8).
  See Yellow letter with letter schedule.
• Special Blessings November Session families
  will be asked to come forward for a blessing
  before the formation portion of Confirmation and
  invited for lunch session about Relationships.

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Sponsor Component I cannot believe without
being carried by the faith of others, and by my
faith I help support others in the faith
Catechism, 166
Special presentation with parents/candidates
during a Fellowship Lunch in April or May 2010
about choosing sponsors. When you register for
Year Two of Confirmation, you will provide the
name contact information of the candidates
sponsor. Sponsors should attend October 2010
session with candidate. He/she will attend the
Confirmation Rehersal Reflection Evening (night
before ceremony 2011)
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Confirmation Registration Fee

• Cost 200-250
• (financial aid available)
• Included
• Leather Catholic Youth Bible (50 value)
• Confirmation Faith Journal
• At Home with our Faithfamily newsletter
• Session materials/supplies
• Large Group Speaker Fees
• One-Day Retreat deposit
• Lunch supplies
• Postage/Administrative Costs

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Confirmation Team
Katie Andersen, Ann Maine Anita Klueg
(Service Component Coordinators) Lorraine
Freedman Deborahanne Reimer Deacon Frank de
Frank Sally Willis, Anita Klueg, Ann Maine
(Confirmation Curriculum) Joe McJohn Liz
Looby (Liturgy Special Blessings Coordinators)
Adult Small Group Facilitators
Joan Lynch Frank de Frank Mary Kay Jaekel Jon
Testwuide Marianne Seiler Ed Wynn Pat
Plodzeen David Yunez Natalie Cabernoch Ann
Maine Victoria Galliani Pete Froelich
Peer Leaders
Michael Spehlmann Jennifer Leahy Drew
Pesman Stephanie Allen Laura Goodell Melanie
Foster Emily Pagano Stephan Pavlick Connor
Simms Carolyn McDonough Katie Kasten Andrew
Haffner
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Closing Prayer
1. We stand before you, Holy Spirit, Conscious of
our sinfulness, But aware that we gather in
your name. 2. Come to us, remain with us, And
enlighten our hearts. 1. Give us light and
strength to know your will To make it our own
and to live it in our lives. 2. Guide us by your
wisdom, support us by your power, For you are
God, sharing the glory of Creator and Son. 1.
You desire justice for all enable us to uphold
the rights of others do not allow us to
be misled by ignorance or corrupted by fear
or favor. 2. Unite us to yourself in the bond of
love and keep us faithful to all that is
true. 1. As we gather in your name may we temper
justice with love, so that all our decisions may
be pleasing to you, and earn the reward promised
to good and faithful servants. 2. You live and
reign with the Creator and the Son, one God, for
ever and ever. AMEN.