Saint Anne Catholic CommunityPaths

Confirmation Program

2014-2015

reparation for Confirmation should aim at

leading the Christian toward a more intimate

union with Christ and a more lively familiarity

with the Holy Spirit—his actions, his gifts and his biddings

—in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic

responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for

Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging

to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well

as the parish community. The latter bears special

responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.

P

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1309

Welcome to Saint Anne Confirmation Process

Thank you for taking the time to consider your full initiation into the Roman Catholic Church. We believe that you are a significant part of our community and have been given special gifts by God for the benefit of our Church community.

We hope the time that you experience with others within our preparation process will help to nurture and support you in your faith. Confirmation is the final leg of the tripod of your initiation into the Catholic Church. The first two legs are the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist. These three are the sacraments of initiation. Confirmation is an important step for you in your faith journey. Committing yourself to our Christian Catholic community comes with much responsibility. Through the nurturing of a faithful community, including your parents and relatives, we hope that you also see the value of this commitment. We pray that you enter into the process openly and freely. Be assured of the support of all the members of the St. Anne Community that includes our pastor, associate pastors, our professional staff and all of St. Anne parishioners.

The true meaning of Confirmation emphasizes the desire of the Candidate to freely and without coercion enter into and make a commitment of the activity of the Christian community. The challenge for us today is to make this an authentic experience for the willing Candidate. What confronts us is our strong cultural instinct to simply “get confirmed” without showing any signs of spiritual maturity or being involved in the Christian community wither prior to the reception of the sacrament or any sincere desire to be involved in the community once one is confirmed.

Any baptized member can fully participate in the life of the Catholic community. No one gets “left back” for not having celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation. Therefore, the Sacrament of Confirmation does what it is meant to do—to let the St. Anne community know that this candidate is serious about his/her commitment to the Catholic faith. This marks the beginning of a journey toward a deeper knowledge of God.

To have a successful and meaningful Confirmation process, a candidate would already be showing signs of their interest, desire and readiness in being confirmed through the following ways:

1) Signs of trying to live a life according to that modeled by Jesus. 2) Regular attendance at Mass 3) Involvement in the life of their Church community. 4) A life of prayer. 5) Knowledge of our fundamental Catholic teachings.

Requirements for Acceptance

In order to begin St. Anne’s confirmation program, each candidate must meet the following criteria:

Is a registered parishioner of St. Anne: The candidate’s family must be registered parishioners of the parish, if not when they begin the program, certainly before they are confirmed by the bishop.

Must be at least a freshman in high school: Students can be a sophomore, junior or senior; but must at least be freshmen.

The Philosophical and Theological Foundation of the Paths High School Confirmation Program

Community, Conversion, Catechesis, Compassion, Christ-Consciousness

Confirmation is the final of the three sacraments of initiation. The person’s entry into the Catholic community is through Baptism, in which the life of sanctifying grace enters the soul. This grace is the very life of God, the seed of God’s love that, if nourished by love over the course of one’s life, will bring the person into final unity with God, and those God loves forever. The second sacrament of Initiation is the Eucharist, the meal of remembrance of Jesus’s last day on earth in which he imparted his very life into bread and wine to nourish that baptismal life in those that follow him. “The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever.”

In the sacrament of Confirmation one moves through the final of the three gates into full adult

membership in the Catholic community of believers. Throughout the history of the Church, this sacrament has been celebrated at a variety of places in a person’s life cycle—from immediately after infant baptism all the way up to adulthood. St. Anne has chosen to position Confirmation during a person’s high school years, specifically sophomore year. The reason for this is simple. A sophomore in high school, more than a younger person, is better able to make a decision about whether he/she is willing to fully embrace the call of Jesus to become a disciple.

Guiding principles for the PATHS program are captured in the words: Catechesis, Community,

Conversion, Compassion and Christ-Consciousness. Let’s talk about the place of each of these in the life of the St. Anne Confirmation candidate.

Catechesis concerns itself with the imparting of knowledge of the Catholic faith to the candidates,

best expressed in the words of John Paul II: “Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life.” The word literally means “oral instruction”. PATHS’ catechesis is taught by lay and religious members of the St. Anne community.

Students meet on the campus of St. Anne for major presentations held 4 times throughout the year in the Parish Center gym. There is a two year cycle of presentations in which both 1st and 2nd year candidates attend three of the four sessions together. The first session for the 1st year candidates is a dramatic presentation on the life of Jesus. The first session for the 2nd year candidates is on the Christian vocation that underlies all vocations, the vocation to love God and neighbor. The remaining themes embrace the full continuum of Christian life offered in a way that ties into the adolescent experience. Each of these large group presentations is followed by two small classes of 10-12 students that meet either in a catechist’s home or on the St. Anne parish campus. To supplement this confirmation specific program are our Community Events held throughout the year. We encourage parents and their children to attend these as they can and when topics catch their attention.

Our parish calls itself the “St. Anne Catholic Community” which is all that needs to be said about

the second element of the PATHS program. Community means that we are all in this “Catholic thing” together. We worship, pray, work and learn together. The hope is that candidates do not see this third sacrament of initiation as a sacrament of “exit” from the community until they need it again, but an “entrance” into the fullest participation in the community in the remainder of their high school years and beyond. There are a variety of liturgical and community events our high school students can be involved with and attend. There is a youth ministry program that fosters ongoing growth through retreats and peer

ministry. Being part of community means that we both receive and give—teens need to learn about how to be generous in their giving back to others.

Compassion has been said to be the word that best describes our Trinitarian God. The Psalms

attest to the compassion of God in so many of their verses, such as in Psalm 102, “The Lord is merciful and full of compassion.” Compassion means “to suffer with” but even more than that. It means a person wants to relieve the suffering of another. Our candidates, in order to fully understand the Christian calling, must be willing to “lose oneself” as Jesus demands and serve others. “The greatest one among you is the one who serves the rest” (Matthew 20); and “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” (Matthew 25) A major component of the candidate’s preparation is to choose to be involved in service project and minister to other people. Ideally this is a ministry that takes them outside their comfort zone, to work with people whose abilities, economic means and physical abilities are different than those who serve them. This service has manifold ways to be done—individually or in a group. The summer service trips offered at St. Anne to Chicago, Kentucky or West Virginia capture student’s zeal for compassion and service. Upon completing it, a reflection will be written and discussed during the final interview before the rite takes place.

At the very core of the Christian kerygma, the proclamation of religious truth is the call to

conversion, to learn to see the world as God sees the world, as Jesus saw the world when he walked the earth. The Ash Wednesday rite of putting ashes on the faithful’s forehead is announced with these words, “Repent and believe the Good News.” Repent means to be sorry for how one has failed to see the world and act in it as God would have us; but it contains a second important act—to change one’s ways. Our candidates must learn the great truth of their faith—“To love God with one’s entire heart, soul and mind and one’s neighbor as oneself.” This can only be accomplished by conversion, and conversion can only be accomplished by God’s grace sought through persistent prayer and the reception of the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Hopefully throughout the course of the program, with the steady influence of catechesis, discussion, Mass and prayer the candidate will find him/herself turning more and more to God. Another aid in this process is the Spiritus retreat which is offered in the second semester of the second year of the program. It provides a more intensive immersion in catechesis, conversion and community. It is a peer and adult led retreat that offers witness talks that penetrate deeply into the candidates that listen to these talks of witness and conversion.

A final and less tangible aspect of the PATHS program is Christ-consciousness. If the first four

facets spoken of above are fully operational what begins to occur is that the candidate begins to see, feel, taste, smell and hear the world differently than he/she did before. The hope is that one’s consciousness of a loving, caring, merciful God will slowly envelope the candidate and, as St. Ignatius of Loyola said, one will “find God in all things”. A Christ- consciousness senses the world differently, a concept woven throughout the sayings of Jesus: “The first shall be last and the last first”, “The greatest one is the one who serves others”, “Blessed are the poor, woe to you rich”, and so forth. Thus being a Christian is not reserved solely for Sunday morning Mass; but an attitude that is pervasive throughout one’s entire week—24/7 as is said. Every place and every time becomes a way of encountering God. One’s consciousness therefore doesn’t separate sacred and profane, but as St. Paul said, “”Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the honor and glory of God.”

These are the guiding principles of the PATHS confirmation program. They are touchstones of a

process that intends to prepare St. Anne’s young people for this most important sacrament of initiation. Prior to the rite itself, each candidate will be interviewed by a member of the St. Anne community. During this interview the candidates’ experience of confirmation preparation will be reviewed through the lens of these five “C’s” as well as through the assignments that will be required over the two years.

The Confirmation Sponsor and Choice of the Candidate’s Name

The SponsorI want to inform you of some important information that you need to consider as you move forward

with the Confirmation process at St. Anne. In time, more immediately for second year candidates than first year, we will need to know who you want to have as your Confirmation sponsor. We also want to know what name you hope to take as your confirmation name.

Second year candidates may already know about both of these items; but it is still worth the reminder. Second year candidates will be asked to submit both their sponsor’s name and their Confirmation name a few months before the scheduled date of Confirmation, June 9. (Please note that it has happened that either the date of the service or the time of the service has been altered by the diocesan office. At this time, June 9th is our assigned date for Confirmation.)

The Church’s for the sponsor for Confirmation is as follows: An exemplary Catholic who is himself/herself already confirmed Has received the Eucharist Is at least 16 years old. Should not their parent That only one person act as your sponsor Need not be of the same gender

It is recommended (but not necessary) that the candidate take as a sponsor one of the godparents who

represented them at Baptism. The sponsor need not be of the same gender as the candidate. The role of sponsor is not an honorary status, but one carrying real obligations.

The sponsor is to be the one who gives the right example - - a role model of the Catholic faith - - one who can and should be looked up to, someone involved in the spiritual formation of the candidate.

The function of the sponsorship is adjunctive, to assist parents in the Christian upbringing of their children. Sponsors represent the larger faith community of the Catholic Church as it supports parents and candidates.

If the person you choose to be your sponsor cannot attend the liturgy itself, arrangements should be made to have someone else to be his/her proxy, i.e. to stand in the place of your sponsor.

Canon 879: The sacrament of Confirmation impresses a character and by it the baptized, continuing on the path of Christian initiation, are enriched by the gift of the Holy Spirit and bound more perfectly to the Church; it strengthens them and obliges them more firmly to be witness to Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith.

Canon 892: As far as possible a sponsor for the one to be confirmed should be present; it is for the sponsor to see that the confirmed person acts as a true witness to Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations connected with this sacrament.

The NameThe choice of the Confirmation name can be an exciting activity for both the candidate and his family.

A child does not choose his baptized name—his parents do. However, with Confirmation, a candidate has a chance to choose a new name that will confirm his decision to follow Jesus more intentionally, or keep his/her baptized name, giving it more emphasis in Confirmation. The choice of the name has two paths:

1. A candidate can simply confirm the name that his/her parents chose at his/her birth. This has been occurring more often in recent years. The advantages of this route are that the candidate can take a closer look at his/her name and

why his/her parents chose it. There may be a good story behind this about his/her parent’s own faith journey.

Going this route may also be an opportunity for the candidate to “add on” to his/her baptized name. For example, if the child was named John, he could choose to complete this name John with, John the Baptist, John Vianney, John of the Cross, John Bosco etc. The same would be true for female names.

The disadvantages might lay in the fact that the Baptismal name does not represent a saint or Biblical name, which will lack the connection to the community of saints.

2. The candidate can choose a completely different name from his/her baptized name. This can be an

occasion for some research on the part of the candidate and his/her family. This is where the concept of the patron saint comes into play. If a family has a strong affiliation

with their ethnic culture they could choose a name of a saint from that country—Maximillian Kolbe (from Poland), Anthony (Italy), Gregory (Germany), Theresa (France), Rose (Peru) etc.

If a candidate is a male athlete he could choose the name “Sebastian” who is the patron saint of athletes. There is a patron saint with pretty much every vocation or avocation. This is where the candidate can invest in some online research about saints’ names.

What is important in this consideration is that the parents and the candidate talk about this choice with each other to come up with a thoughtful name that will be inspiring to the candidate. On a personal note, my parents gave me the middle name “Vianney” which was an embarrassment to me as a child since kids would make fun of it. However, when I learned more about the man who had this as his name, John Baptist Marie Vianney, I was intrigued and chose the name “John” as my confirmation name, thus completing my baptized name. He is the patron saint of parish priests and in time when I considered joining the priesthood, this name served as an inspiration for me.

We will be asking you to submit these names in the early months of the new year. Please pay attention to your emails from St. Anne’s Gift Office. Thank you.

Educational Expectations forPaths Confirmation Candidates

1. Attendance at all the sessions is expected of you. There are 12 sessions in the course of the year—4 parish center and 8 home sessions—sessions that demand your full participation. The time is relatively short—one hour and 30 minutes—please be on time.

2. If however there is a legitimate reason for your absence, please do the following: A. Email your catechist and let him/her know that you won’t be there. In addition, email Darla

Holtz (dholtz@stannebarrington.org) informing her of your absence. B. If the reason for your absence occurs on the day of your meeting, please call your catechist

to inform him/her. Please email Darla Holtz as well about your absence.

3. The small group sessions will focus upon both the large presentation in the parish center gym, material from* Decision Point (Matthew Kelly) and short readings of holy men and women—saints, prophets and witnesses. There will be an expectation for you to read short passages before each session so as to be able to discuss the material. Please do these readings since the heart of the program is small group discussion.

4. If you are absent from a sessions, you will be expected to read the material covered for that day and any written journaling or reflections contained within. Your catechist will follow up with you upon your return.

5. Both 1st and 2nd year have two projects to do with dates to be turned in. These will be part of your permanent folder that will be used for your final interview. The explanation of the assignment on the web site under 1st or 2nd year. As with your assignments at school, the expectation is that these are done thoughtfully on a word processor and turned in on time.

6. At the close of the second year of the program, students will be asked to have an interview with a staff member or parishioners committed to the youth program in their capacity as catechists/retreat leaders/mission leaders or other related areas. This is a simple exercise in which the candidate talks with and adult to share how the process has been for them over the two years, to have them comment on their own faith development and to provide an opportunity for the parish to welcome them (within the next month) into the full life of the Catholic Church.

6. If at any time you have any questions or concerns about your sessions, please feel free to email me or call: Mr. Michael Hugo, 847-322-7585; mhugo@stannebarrington.org. I hope your experience is a positive one.

*The entire content of Decision Point can be found on line at dynamiccatholic.com. This includes the book material plus all the videos attached to the lessons within the book. This presents an ideal way for parents (and sponsors) to participate in the ongoing education that the candidate is receiving. Good and thoughtful discussions can arise from this co-education approach.

The Service ProjectThe Why and How of a Service Project?

A major component of the Paths confirmation program is that we ask each candidate to be immersed in a community service project over the course of two years. We do not ask for a specific number of hours as some programs do. What we desire is for students to be part of something that is primarily focused on interacting with people who are in need. The idea of service is inextricably connected to being a follower of Jesus. At the close of the second year, students will be expected to write an essay on how this project impacted them and their faith life.

Here are some guidelines for your service project/work that is to be completed by the close

of the second year. The First Epistle of St. John defines God as love: “God is love, the one who lives in love lives in

God and God in him/her.” Love is the root and core of being a Christian. When you accept Confirmation you accept your calling to be a witness to love. In the Letter to St.

James the author states clearly, “My friends what good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save one.”

Thus the expectation of a candidate is to put your love into action serving other people. The people we seek to serve are those who are physically, society.

In making your decision as to what to do, our guiding principle is the corporal works of mercy, first found in chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel. The spiritual works of mercy can be used with some selectiveness—specifically “instructing the ignorant”.

You are free to choose a site to do your work at alone or you can do it with others, either from your small group or outside your small group.

We do not “require” certain hours. However a reasonable expectation over the course of 2 years would be anywhere between 5 and 20 hours (more if you like). This minimum would give you enough time to truly experience service in a meaningful way.

The target of your service should be for those who most need our help, the “challenged” I refer to above. Tutoring students in an underserved elementary school is okay. Tutoring students at your high school is not really meeting the correct criteria.

This choice of project should occur in this first year and even begin then. Your summary of the experience will be a second year reflection essay. It will simply be a

presentation of the experience and what you gained from it. If unsure about what you want to do being the best choice, please call me.

The Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the hungry.

Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked.

Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick.

Visit the imprisoned. Bury the dead. (Today: Comfort the bereaved.)

The Small Home Group Format

Guides for Catechist/Information for Parents and Students

Goal: To create a safe and hospitable environment for students that will facilitate discussion on the themes of the session and develop group cohesion. To introduce them through a “user friendly” manner, what is being asked of them if they are to take seriously their confirmation vow.

Note: It is vital for the group leader to hold two attitudes in balance. In the first place, the gathering space and time is to be inviting, warm and friendly. Yet, a counter point to that is the need to hold students to appropriate attentive behavior and to hold them responsible for attending each session, keeping you informed of reasons for missing and for doing any homework assigned.

The group leader should feel free to work with a variety of the suggested ideas to use within the allotted group time. He/she needs to ascertain the nature of the group and what will work best with the group in terms of activities and strategies of learning.

Confidentiality: In the first session it will be important to establish some basic elements of these sessions. A primary one is that students should know that anything shared amongst them is to remain within the group and not to become conversation outside the group. This is vital for creating safety within the group. Of course if one was to share feelings of wanting to hurt him/herself or another, this would be important for the leader to discuss this with them and eventually have them talk with his/her parents. Every adult is a mandated reporter and by law must do this. However, most conversation will not fall into that category and will remain within the group.

Respect and Responsibility: Each student is expected to attend the 4 large group sessions (plus the initial first year gathering to welcome students) and 8 small group sessions in the course of the year. For some reason if they can’t they (student, but if not, a parent should) must call the group leader and tell them of their absence. Absences should be kept to a minimum or not occur at all since you are meeting for so few sessions.

Tied in with this is the importance of respect for the group members for one another and their adult leaders. We laugh with people and not at them. Put downs, sarcasm and any other negative behavior is to be discouraged and addressed by the group leader.

0-20 minutes: Opening prayer initially led by adult leader and in time, it can become the responsibility of one

of the students. The core of the prayer should be the scripture selection that was the lead off into the large group presentation that preceded the small group.

A second component will be a prayer taken from any number of books, ideally related to teens that could be read. Some selections will be made available for group leaders. (Leaders will be provided with a few prayer resources: Prayers for the Domestic Church—Fr. Ed Hays, Driftwood—Fr. Don Kimball, Catholic—Prayer for Catholic Families—Loyola Press)

A third component option is to begin with a musical score with lyrics provided for students. That piece can then be a start off point for reflection. Students then could take responsibility for the next week’s song. The music should be their own that has some redemptive meaning in their lives.

The next important part of this section of the time would be having the students share highs/lows of their past week (s). The format is to start with a volunteer and then proceed clockwise or counterclockwise and go through the entire group. The adult should always share. It is important to give the students some time to come up with some stories from the week, and over time,they should feel more comfortable sharing.

20-70 minutes: In this time the major theme of the day from the book Decision Point would be discussed.

Students will be asked to read the material before coming to class. There will be short biographies on the lives of saints, prophets and witnesses that students

will need to read. This too can be found on the web site under the students particular year of the program.

The dynamic for discussion will always be to go around the circle so everyone can speak. 70-80 minutes: Do a go around with the students. What did you remember about tonight’s session that was new

interesting, upsetting, disconcerting, troubling, interesting? This is a time to determine what they are taking away from the session.

This question above could first be journaled for a few minutes and then discussed. 90-90 minutes:

Complete each session with the* Examen of St. Ignatius, led by the adult leader. This should always be done so students can begin to develop the ability to reflect upon the place of God in their lives on a daily basis.

Conclude: Join hands and say the Lord’s prayer or Pass a candle for prayers of petition

Post meeting: If students want, close with a little “agape” a small snack or drink or eat it during the course of

the class. * Daily Examen of Consciousness

Based upon the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

This is to be done with reverence, silence and very deliberately—not rushing through but giving each sentence time for the students to ponder them.

1. God I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.Pause

2. God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and this morning.

Pause3. God, help me be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.

Pause4. God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me and continue to bless me.

Pause5. As I look to the remainder of this day or tomorrow, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.

Pause6. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer

Saint Theme of the PATHS program

Overview:Another component to the PATHS program is the focus upon the lives of the saints. In each small

group session, time will be spent reviewing and reflecting upon the life of a person who has been formally canonized by the Catholic Church or, in some instances, is a person whose life reflects heroic holiness and courage—whether Catholic or non-Catholic.

The purpose of this exercise is to help remind us who are seeking Confirmation as a Catholic Christian, that there are many people who have sought to live the challenging life of loving God and neighbor and have succeeded. The pioneer of our faith is Jesus. For many Christian, his way of life seems too hard to achieve. Yet when one reads the lives of one of these holy people, it can appear that being a faithful follower of Jesus is realistic and possible.

“We believe in the community of saints” is a doctrinal belief found in the Nicene and Apostle’s Creeds that is said during our Sunday liturgy” The Church in the Modern World”, states that all people are called to holiness, that is, to become saints. With this double pronged focus upon living a saintly life, we would do well to reflect upon those people exemplify the virtuous life and seek to follow their example.

Format: Each week students will be expected to read a short biography of a saint taken from the book “All

Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for our Time” by Robert Ellsberg. Reflection points will be provided for the reading and become the foundation for the group discussion that will take place in the small group. There are simply certain people that Catholics should be familiar with if they are full members of the Church. These brief bios are posted on the St. Anne Web under the Paths program and under Year 1 or Year 2.

Saints, Prophets and Witnesses

St. Francis of Assisi (1st year) Franz Jaggerstatter (2nd year)Hans and Sophie Scholl (1st year) Edith Stein (2nd year)Dorothy Day (1st year) Fannie Lou Hammer (2nd year)Therese of Liseaux (1st year) Mahatma Gandhi (2nd year)St. Ignatius (1st year) Oscar Romero (2nd year)St. Damien (1st year) Thomas Merton (2nd year)Baal Shem Tov (1st year) The Jesuit Martyrs (2nd year)Maximillian Kolbe (1st year) Bishop James Walsh (2nd year)Anne Frank (Alternate) (1st year) Thomas More (Alternate) (2nd year)

Points of reflection to ponder upon completing the reading: What is it in this person’s life that they did or how they lived that makes them heroic in the practice

of love, that in a way makes them holy? It is said that during certain periods in history, God brings forth saints who become “prophetic”

voices to the culture of the day that stands in opposition to how God desires humans to live and behave. In your mind, does this person represent one of those prophetic voices and if so, what element of the culture do they stand in opposition to?

What is an element or quality in this person’s story that you most admire? Is there any aspect of this person’s life that seems similar to your life or to the person you aspire to

be? Another way to pose the question, can you relate with this person, does any aspect of his/her life intersect with your own life? If so, what is it?

Is this a person you would like to meet if you could do so? What question would you like to ask them?

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Assignment for 1st year candidates Background:

As you anticipate your confirmation in another year, it is important to meditate upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit, seven graces that are poured out upon you when you receive the sacrament. These seven gifts are not magic-dust that give you super hero powers. They do however give you God’s power and the content of each of these seven gifts. Like any gift, however, if one doesn’t care for it—whether a toy truck or a Barbie doll—the gift will fall into disrepair—a truck will rust if left in the rain, the Barbie lose hair and limb if left around for the dog to play with.

Such it is with the seven gifts. If they are not nourished with both prayer and practice, they will fade into oblivion. We are not robots—robots cannot love. God gave us free will and God will never force us to do anything that we don’t want to do. So if you choose not to nurture these seven gifts after you are confirmed, they will fall away from you as rotten fruit falls off a tree or is consumed by birds or insects.

In this assignment we want you to reflect upon a person in your life, or a person in history that you admire—living or deceased—and how he/she has exemplified any of these seven gifts. Simply, who is a heroic person in your life that you admire. This can be an aunt, uncle, sister, brother, mother, father, grandparent, coach, teacher, celebrity—anyone who, in your mind, has lived out any or all of these seven gifts in a profound manner—a heroic manner. Assignment:

Your essay should contain these reflection points: A little background on the person you are writing about. Where they grew up, some of the

challenges they faced in life, the work they do (did), a story from their life. What are the aspects of his/her life that exemplify some of these gifts of the Holy Spirit? Connect

these gifts to the person. For example, “My Uncle Joe exemplifies for me the gift of courage. As a fireman, he is always putting his life at risk to save others.” Or “My mother is a great example of the gift of fortitude in that she has been caring for her sick mother for the last three years, going over to her home daily with dinner.”

Share how you have seen this person live out these gifts, or write about how he/she lived out these gifts through his/her life.

A good effort at this project would be about a page and a half, 12 point font—longer if you are inspired.

Students in the past have often given their essay to the person they wrote about. One such person had the essay framed for their home. Do a nice job.

The gifts are listed below for you to study and determine how you might use them in writing about your heroic person.

What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

As Baptism, we receive seven special gifts from the Holy Spirit. These gifts are freely given to us to help us live as followers of Jesus and to build up the Body of Christ, the Church. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are sealed and strengthened within us at Confirmation. These seven gifts help us to respond to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to make good choices, and to serve God and others.

Wisdom is the gift of knowing the right choices to make to live a holy life. The gift of wisdom helps you to avoid the things that could lead you away from God.

Understanding is the gift of comprehension, or the ability to grasp the meaning of the teachings of the Church. The gift of understanding helps you be tolerant and sympathetic of others. It helps you sense when someone is hurting or in need of compassion.

Right Judgment, or Counsel, is the gift of prudence. The gift of right judgment helps you make choices to live as a faithful follower of Jesus.

Courage, or Fortitude, is the gift that helps you stand up for your faith in Christ. The gift of courage helps you overcome any obstacles that would keep you from practicing your faith.

Knowledge is the gift of knowing and enlightenment. The gift of knowledge enables you to choose the right path that will lead you to God. It encourages you to avoid obstacles that will keep you from him.

Reverence, or Piety, is the gift of confidence in God. This gift of reverence inspires you to joyfully want to serve God and others.

Wonder and Awe, or Fear of the Lord is the gift of wonder and respect that encourages you to be in awe of God. The gift of wonder and awe moves you to so love God that you do not want to offend him by your words or actions.

My Personal CreedAssignment for 1st year candidates

Background:As a young person growing up in a family, it is pretty well understood that we often quietly and

unquestioningly accept the beliefs of our parents and their religious framework of life. That is appropriate and the true task of parents—to pass on to you, through their early decision to bring you into the Catholic community through your baptism, what are the foundations of Catholic belief and thought. We call the core beliefs of our faith our creedal beliefs. Creed comes from the Latin word “credo”—which means “I believe”.

Now is a good time for you to examine these beliefs in earnest as you anticipate your further and final entry into the Catholic community through the third sacrament of initiation—Confirmation. The core of our Catholic beliefs are found in our two creeds: the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. They are essentially the same with some minor variations. The Nicene Creed has some more flourishes of philosophical language within it to distinguish it from the simpler, plain language of the Apostle’s Creed.

What we are asking you to do with this assignment is to fashion and create your own, personal creed that represents who you truly see yourself at this time of your life. This is meant to bring together your perspective on a variety of things that constitute your life in this world. If this is a successful project, it will only be so if what you write represents yourself. Assignment:

Reflect on these points before writing: What do you believe about God—God’s existence, origins, place in our lives, how God

communicates with human beings. What do you believe about Jesus? Son of God? Just a good man? Did he resurrect from the dead?

Is he part of a Trinitarian Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Which of the creedal statements in the Apostles Creed do you believe in? What do you believe about evil in the world, why it happens, why innocent people suffer, about

whether there is an evil spirit called the devil and this spirit’s impact on the world? What do you believe about money, power, wealth, poverty? Are there “deserving and undeserving

poor”, do wealthy people need to be more generous with their wealth, are poor people poor because of some flaw in their character?

What do you believe about death and the world to come, or if you believe there is even a world to come?

In short what are some of the essential, core beliefs that drive your life and guide you in how you live?

This should be a typed, well thought out essay. There is no expectation of length. However it should be thorough and cover the various points listed above. This will be part of your portfolio that will be brought to your final interview before you are confirmed.

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy Catholic Church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

1l. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

My Saint EssayAssignment for 2nd year candidates

Background:

A great British writer, Leon Bloy, in his work “The Woman Who Would be Poor” stated this in the last line of the book: “There is only one unhappiness, and that is not to be one of the saints.” This one sentence captures the goal that every confirmed Christian should be about—“loving God and neighbor with one’s whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Catholics believe that a person who does this consistently, faithfully and devotedly throughout his/her life will, upon his/her death, be with God and all those who love God forever. Eternity is a profound concept—no, it is a profound reality. There is no theory in eternity. Please try to imagine time that has an end point, or a universe that has a final outer wall. Your confirmation and the fulfillment of its expectations has a most wonderful and beautiful prize—eternity with God and God’s friends.

One of the dogmatic beliefs of Catholics (dogmatic means this truth is indisputable) found in our creed is the “community of saints”. These saints, or preferably and more familiar to us, these friends of God are our models of how we can live by faith. These are the people that, in the face of horrible oppression or suffering, continue to witness to the conviction that God is love and that God will have the final word. Their stories contain valuable lessons for Christians on the “how to” of becoming saints. Jesus can seem so distant to us as a role model due to the period of time in which he lived—over two thousand years ago—as well as in the fragments contained in the Gospel accounts of his life. When one reads the story of a person who lived in the last 50 to 100 years, their heroic life can seem more achievable or attainable—they can seem to be more like us.

One of the rituals of the confirmation rite is for the confirmand (the candidate) to choose a new name to reflect his/her reception of the Holy Spirit and its graces to transform his/her life to be more like Jesus’. The Church also suggests that if no new name is chosen, the candidate can take of their baptismal names (first or middle) and use that as the confirmation name. In this assignment we would like you to write an essay on the saint’s name you intend to use for your confirmation name. You can either choose a new name of reinforce your baptismal name.

It would be important that you discuss this name choice with your parents since they may have some thoughts on what they think would be a good name. Some families have traditions associated with

confirmation names. Assignment:

Your essay should contain most of these reflection points: A little background on the saint you are writing about--where they grew up, some of the challenges

they faced in life and the work they did that defined their life. What was it about this person that characterized them as being worthy of being a saint (either

formally canonized or beatified, the stage before canonization)? What is it within this person ‘s life and story that you are personally attracted to, that appeals to you

and that you might want to emulate in your life? A short story from his/her life that you found interesting. What is it in this person’s life that they did or how they lived that makes them heroic in the practice

of love, that in a way makes them holy? It is said that during certain periods in history, God brings forth saints who become “prophetic”

voices to the culture of the day that stands in opposition to how God desires humans to live and behave. In your mind, does this person represent one of those prophetic voices and if so, what element of the culture do they stand in opposition to?

What is an element or quality in this person’s story that you most admire? Is there any aspect of this person’s life that seems similar to your life or to the person you aspire to

be? Another way to pose the question, can you relate with this person, does any aspect of his/her life intersect with your own life? If so, what is it?

Is this a person you would like to meet if you could do so? What question would you like to ask them?

There is not required minimum length to this essay. However, I can suggest that to cover the above points it can be at least 1and a half to two or more pages. If you want to go more, please do so.

There are many resources for your work online. These online resources can be found within material posted on the web.

Summary of Service ProjectAssignment for 2nd year candidates

Background:

Now that you have completed your service project, we would like you to sum it up in a short essay. Within the essay we would like you to address the following points.

Assignment:Your essay should contain these reflection points:

First, describe the nature of the agency/program/site you did your service work in. What is its name, a little of its history, its clientele etc.

What was the nature of the service that you did at this place? Were you involved with much person to person work, was it clerical work, was it work you were familiar or comfortable with?

Of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy listed below, what did your service work most reflect of these works of mercy?

Were there any new insights gained of yourself, others and God through the work you did? If so, what were these insights?

Was there a particular person that you established a relationship with? Talk about that relationship and person briefly and how it impacted you.

Has this experience altered your view of the world or what you might consider doing with your life in the future? Has your political, spiritual of philosophical belief or value systems been changed by the work you have done?

Each of the above thinking/talking points should merit at least one paragraph or more. This also could become the good basis for part of your college essays in the next year or two. Please give it some good attention.

The Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the hungry.

Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked.

Shelter the homeless. Visit the sick.

Visit the imprisoned. Bury the dead. (Today: Comfort the bereaved.)

The Spiritual Works of Mercy Admonish sinners

 Instruct the ignorant  Counsel the doubtful  Comfort the sorrowful  Bear wrongs patiently

 Forgive injuries Pray for the living and the dead 

Paths Dates for 2014-2015

Event Date Notes1st year Paths Parents’ meeting 9/9 and 9/11 7-8:30 PM

1st year welcome Lrg. Grp. 9/14/14 Introduction to Paths/student only

Peer Ministry #1 9/14/14 Part of Paths sessionCommunity Event #1 9/16, 19 Details in Bulletin

Peer Ministry #2 9/21/14 Catechetical Sunday2nd Year Teacher Meeting 9/24/14 7-9 PM1st Year Teacher Meeting 9/25/14 7- PM

1st Year Paths Large Group 9/28/14 Jesus PresentationPeer Ministry #3 9/28/14 Follows Path’s Session

1st year home group (1) 9/29-10/5 Time and day TBD by teacher

2nd year Large Paths Group 10/5/14 Bishop RassasPeer Ministry #4 10/5/14 Follows Path’s Session

2nd year home group (1) 10/6-10/12 Time and day TBD by teacher

Peer Ministry #5 10/12/14 6:30-8:30 PM1st year home group (2) 10/6-10/12 Time and day TBD by

teacherCommunity Event #2 10/14, 17 Details in Bulletin

Peer Ministry #6 10/19/14 6:30-8:30 PM2nd year home group (2) 10/20-10/26 Time and day TBD by

teacher1st and 2nd year Paths Large Group 11/2/14 6:30-7:45 PM

Parish GymPeer Ministry #7 11/2/14 Follows Path’s Session

Peer Ministry 11/9/14 Pancake Brk. (No session)1st and 2nd year Small group class (3) 11/3-11/9 Time and day TBD by

teacher1st and 2nd year Small group class (4) 11/10-11/16 Time and day TBD by

teacherPeer Ministry #8 11/23/14 6:30-8:30 PM

Community Event #3 11/18, 21 Details in BulletinPeer Ministry #9 12/7/14 Gift Wrapping DayPeer Ministry #10 12/14/14 6:30-8:30 PMPeer Ministry #11 12/21/14 CarolingTeacher Meeting 1/7/15 7-9 PM

1st and 2nd year Paths Large Group 1/11/15 6:30-7:45 PMParish Gym

Peer Ministry #12 1/11/15 Follows Path’s Session

1st and 2nd year home group(5) 1/12-1/18 Time and day TBD by teacher

Peer Ministry #13 1/18/14 6:30-8:30 PM1st year Small group class (6) 1/19-1/25 Time and day TBD by

teacherSpiritus Retreat 2nd year (6) 1/25/15 Serves as 6th session for 2nd

Peer Ministry #14 1/25/14 Spiritus RetreatParish Mission 2/2-2/4 2015 Times will be posted -

bulletinSpiritus Retreat 2nd year (6) 2/8/15 Serves as 6th session for 2nd

Peer Ministry #15 2/8/15 Spiritus Retreat1st and 2nd year Paths Large Group 2/22/15 6:30-7:45 PM

Parish GymPeer Ministry #16 2/22/15 6:30-8:30 PM

1st and 2nd year Small group class (7) 2/23-3/1 Time and day TBD by teacher

Peer Ministry #17 3/1/15 6:30-8:30 PMCommunity Event #4 3/3, 6 Details in Bulletin

Peer Ministry #18 3/8/15 6:30-8:30 PMPeer Ministry #19 3/15/15 6:30-8:30 PM

1st and 2nd year Small group class (8) 3/9-3/15 Time and day TBD by teacher

Peer Ministry #20 3/29/15 Palm SundayPeer Ministry #21 4/12/15 6:30-8:30 PM

Community Event #5 4/14, 17 Details in BulletinPeer Ministry 4/19/15 Pancake Brk. (No session)

Confirmation Interviews 4/18 & 4/21-23 Times TBDPeer Ministry #22 4/26/15 6:30-8:30 PMPeer Ministry #23 5/3/15 Final Session-Sendoff

Confirmation Rehearsal 5/28/15 6-7 and 7:15-8:15 PMConfirmation 5/30/15 10 AM and 1:30 PM