Confirmation

“A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.”

It is with great excitement and anticipation that we welcome you to Confirmation Preparation at Sacred Heart. Confirmation is the third and final Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Church (the first two being Baptism and Holy Eucharist). According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Confirmation is a sacramental outpouring of the Holy Spirit that leaves a permanent imprint on the soul, completes Christian initiation, and empowers us to be witnesses to Christ.

While Jesus was on earth, the apostles were witnesses of the faith. They brought people to Christ, learned from His teachings and watched as He performed miracles. But at Pentecost, the apostles became witnesses of faith in a totally new way! Receiving the Holy Spirit turned the apostles into leaders in the faith, rather than followers. The Holy Spirit’s graces enabled them to boldly proclaim the faith themselves. When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are transformed in the same way! Since our Baptism, we have been witnesses of Christ. But in Confirmation, the Holy Spirit gives us many new graces, including new strength to share and defend the faith.

Our youth prepare to receive this sacrament in the fall of their 8th grade year with confirmation taking place in the spring of each year. Non-Catholics seeking the Sacrament of Confirmation will go through a process called OCIA. To learn more about this process, please contact Char Mies at charlene.mies@shoj.org.

8TH GRADE CONFIRMATION REGISTRATION

*For students older than 8th grade wanting to complete their Sacraments of Initiation, please reach out to Jen at jen.zans@shoj.org or 913-276-3147.

If your student attends Sacred Heart Catholic School:

Confirmation preparation will take place in the classroom once a month during Religion class with Mr. Nguyen. Mr. Nguyen will communicate ahead of time what dates these classes will be completed and what topics will be covered.

• Outside of Religion Class: There are still some requirements that will need to be completed outside of Religion class, these include completing and turning in paperwork by the due date. Paperwork includes sponsor forms, Saint projects, Baptism certificate and service hour log.
• Catholic School students must also attend the day-long retreat on January 10th and Rehearsal (with Sponsor) in April, date TBD.
• Students who attend Catholic School are welcome to also attend Middle School Youth Ministry on Wednesday nights at either 4:30 or 6:30, while some of the curriculum will be the similar, it will be taught in a different way that helps students put into practice what they are learning in the classroom.

If your student attends public school:

Confirmation preparation will take place during Wednesday night Middle School Youth Ministry. Students will need to enroll and participate in one of our weekly sessions: 4:30-5:45 or 6:30-7:45 p.m. Once or twice a month, 8th graders will break off into the Middle School classrooms to complete Confirmation specific curriculum.

• Outside of Youth Ministry: There are still some requirements that will need to be completed outside of Youth Ministry, these include completing and turning in paperwork by the due date. Paperwork includes sponsor forms, Saint projects, baptism certificate and service hour log.
• All students must attend our day long Confirmation retreat on Saturday, January 10th and the Rehearsal (with Sponsor) in April, date TBD.
• Enrollment Form for Middle School Youth Ministry & Confirmation Prep: https://web4u.forms-db.com/view.php?id=2602649.