Welcome to the Confirmation program for the Church of St. Pius X community. We hope this year's program will be one of opportunity, spiritual growth, and community involvement. The following is information for you to use as a guideline for this years program. Click on a specific link or scroll down to read about Confirmation preparation. For more information and/or questions, please contact Coordinator of Secondary Faith Formation.

Areas Of Interest: Introduction Sacrament of Confirmation Registration Confirmation Mentor/Sponsor Selection of Confirmation Name Christian Service Projects Faith Sharing Centers Confirmation Retreat Confirmation Interviews Letter to the Bishop Confirmation Rehearsal Rite of Confirmation

Through Faith Formation Candidates will:

• Deepen their understanding of Jesus and his message for us.
• Build a relationship with Jesus.
• Explore the central beliefs of our Catholic faith.
• Understand the meaning of church and the role of sacraments in their life.
• Practice decision making as a Catholic Christian.
• Understand the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the church.
• Understand the Rite of Confirmation.
• Live out their Baptismal call as mature Catholic Christians.
• Grow in prayer.

• It roots us more deeply in the divine filtration which makes us cry, 'Abba! Father!';
• It unites us more firmly to Christ;
• It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
• It renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
• It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the cross." - The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1303

These gifts are Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Fortitude (courage), Counsel (right judgment), Piety, and Holy Fear in God's Presence (wonder and awe) (Isaiah 11: 2-3). By living in accord with the Holy Spirit, we experience the spiritual fruits: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Long-suffering, Mildness, Fortitude, Modesty, Contingency, and Charity. (Gal. 5:22).

"Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and 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."

"To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More intense prayer should prepare one to receive the strength and graces of the Holy Spirit with docility and readiness to act." - The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1309, #1310

• The family of the candidate must be registered as parishioners of Church of St. Pius X. Your family may register at the Parish Office located at the corner of 12th Street NW & 14th Street NW between the hours of 8:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Exceptions may be considered on an individual basis.
• Please contact Sarah Schaller for questions at 289-6317.

• A sacramental fee of $40.00 must accompany the registration if it is a sacramental year for your child, unless your family has made other arrangements with the Faith Formation office. Public school students fee is $55.00. A second student is $25.00. Please make checks payable to Church of St. Pius X.
• The Faith Formation program prepares candidates for Confirmation at the 10th grade level. Students at the 11th or 12th grade level who have not received the Sacrament are also welcome to register.
• The Faith Formation Office needs to have a record of the candidate's Baptism. If you were baptized at Church of St. Pius X, we simply need the date of the baptism. If you were baptized at another parish, we need a copy of the baptismal certificate for you to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
• You must attend all indicated classes, retreats, and activities. If conflicts arise, the Secondary Faith Formation coordinator will consider each conflict on an individual basis.
• Parents must be involved in the preparation for Confirmation.

The Diocese of Winona recommends that the sponsor be the Baptismal godparent of the candidate. However, if this is not possible, the candidate can choose another person. As stated in the Catechetical and Liturgical Guidelines for Confirmation: Diocese of Winona, the qualifications of a sponsor include the following:

• That the sponsor is sufficiently mature for this role;
• That the sponsor belongs to the Catholic Church as a fully initiated member, having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and regularly participate in the Eucharist;
• That the sponsor is not a parent of the candidate.

These qualifications are also stated in Canon Law 874.

Classes & Generations of Faith Events

Selection of Confirmation Name
According to the Catechetical and Liturgical Guidelines for Confirmation: Diocese of Winona, the rite is silent regarding the practice of taking a new name at Confirmation. The candidates may retain their Baptismal name. The use of the candidate's Baptismal name can serve to further emphasize the threefold process of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. When choosing a Confirmation name, designate the specific person, (e.g., Thomas the Apostle, Thomas of Aquinas).

We ask that the candidate choose the name of a saint, especially if their Baptismal name is not the name of a saint by Wednesday, January 28, 2009.

We have resources on saints available in the Faith Formation Office that you may borrow. You are welcome to check out one book for a two-week period. There are also countless websites on the Internet that have information about saints. Here are some examples:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen - This website is a Catholic Encyclopedia and has biographical information on saints.
http://saints.catholic.org/index.shtml - This website has a collection of facts and information on saints.
http://www.catholic.org/saints/stsindex.html - This website has information on saints. The saints are listed in alphabetical order.
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/index012.htm - This website provides a list of prayers to saints.

Download Confirmation Name Form

Candidates are called to participate in two Christian service projects that:

• must completed by Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

We will organize some Christian service opportunities for you, but you are welcome to choose your own service projects.

Confirmation Faith Sharing Centers
You and your parents have the opportunity to spend about an hour talking about faith and the Sacrament of Confirmation. Centers will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Choose one of these dates:

• Wednesday, January 21, 2009 between 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm in Kennedy Hall (School cafeteria).

You may sign up for your interview beginning January 31,2009. Contact Sarah Schaller at 289-6317.   If you leave a message or send e-mail, please give times you are available.

Your letter to the bishop requesting the Sacrament of Confirmation needs to be in the Faith Formation Office by Wednesday, March 11, 2009.  Reminder:  ALL LETTERS NEED TO BE TYPED!

1. Please dress appropriately for this occasion, men are required to be in suit and tie, women in a dress or skirt.
2. The candidates will meet with the bishop before the mass.
3. The mass will be about an hour and a half.
4. The bishop has requested that you refrain from chewing gum during the mass or the meeting with him.