Mission Statement
To
journey with teens and guide them by the way of teaching, action, prayer, and
community to form a deeper relationship with Christ and a better understanding
of faith, that they may be properly prepared to receive the sacrament of confirmation
and live as disciples of Christ.
Requirements for Youth Confirmation Preparation
A Roman Catholic at least a freshmen in high school
Teens and parents attend an informational meeting with the
Youth Ministry staff where the staff outlines the Confirmation Preparation
Process.
Complete all requirements of the Confirmation Preparation
Process (see below).
One must select a sponsor to aid in the preparation process.
Requirements for Sponsors
A sponsor must be a confirmed Catholic who lives their
faith and is willing to accept the responsibility of supporting their candidate
during the confirmation preparation and beyond.
A sponsor may not be the candidate's parent or spouse.
Sponsor Qualifications
A confirmed, PRACTICING Catholic, of at least 16 years of age,
in good standing with the Church.
Can
be
either male or female.
Should
reflect
Catholic values in work and action.
Must be available to participate in activities during the 2 year
process with the candidate.
Must be available to meet personally with the candidate to discuss
his/her prayer life as well as journey through the candidates Confirmation
process and throughout his/her life.
The Confirmation Preparation Process-
Year I and Year II General Information
The confirmation journey is a 2-year preparation process which consists of:
The following is a list of certain
pieces which make-up The Journey of your Confirmation process.These pieces are intended to help you, the
Confirmation candidate make decisions which prepare you for the spiritual
formation that lies ahead.
1.Two-Year
Monthly Model
Monthly we will gather as a large group community for prayer and
praise.Immediately following, speakers
and presenters will be invited to present the teaching for each Sunday on
various topics approved and mandated by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.After the teaching, Confirmation Candidates
will break into Saint Communities for discussions and activities.We will re-gather for final announcements and
then head over to the 5:30 pm Mass.Each
day we will begin at 3:00 pm with Check-In and Registration and will end by approx.
6:45 pm (depending on the length of Mass).
Since we will gather only once a month(unless otherwise
specified),it is mandatory that each Candidate participatesand attends each and every session. If, for
emergency reasons, you are not able to make a session,out of respect and
for safety reasons, PLEASE make sure to call or e-mail us and let us
know the reason for your absence.We
will call you and set up an appointment to fulfill your make-up requirement.
On various Sundays we will ask for either the Confirmation Sponsor
or a Parent to attend with their Candidate.
2.Service, Outreach,
and Stewardship
Candidates are asked to follow Christ and imitate His example of
serving others.This year we are
requiring that all confirmation candidates participate in (at least) one
service and outreach opportunity within your Saint Community.Service and outreach opportunities will be
calendared at various times throughout the year in order for you to have the
opportunity to serve in a variety of situations and organizations.Parents and sponsors are encouraged to work
with their teen to complete the Saint Community Service and outreach
opportunities.Without your support,
the projects will be impossible to facilitate and complete.
Stewardship is an important part of any persons’ commitment and
obligation to a group or organization.Stewardship is composed of three areas: time (service), treasure
(financial responsibilities), and talent (using your abilities to make the
group better).In order to better
understand what WE are responsible for in our Church and community, every
Confirmation candidate should act to fulfill his/her share of the
responsibility.
This can be done in the following ways:
Participation in
service projects throughout the year
Participation in
workshops with an open mind and a willingness to serve others
Participation in
evaluation at the end of the year
Participation in
contributing whatever they can financially to help support the parish in
the weekly Mass collection.
Each week you should do your own self reflection on the following:
Time – What time have you given to God through the week in PRAYER
or devotion?
Talent – In what ways have you shared the gifts God has given you to
SERVE the community of Christ?
Treasure – What financial treasure can you give this week?
It is important that you are also
involved in at least one ministry here at Holy Family throughout the year.Ministries include: Lectors, Ushers, Video,
Choir, Giving Bank, Toddlers, Pre-school, Religious Education, etc.
3.Liturgy and Rites
At the center of the Catholic Christian faith is the celebration
of the Eucharist, the real presence of Christ in the bread, wine and the people
who eat His body and blood.It is at
Mass, at Liturgy, where we come together with all of our Catholic Christian family
to celebrate as one church.It is only
fitting for the people of our parish community to celebrate and walk with you
on your journey toward being a full member.The best way to include others as well as to make your journey special
is to celebrate important stages of your preparation.This is done through weekly Mass, Rituals, or
special celebrations marking important steps toward Confirmation.
See calendar for dates of the Rituals which will take place with
your Sponsor.
4.Retreat
Retreats are such an important part of the Confirmation process;
they are even important in life.How
many times do we look forward to a vacation from school or from our everyday
lives?We go to the beach, or the
mountains, Hawaii, Disneyland,
just about anywhere to “get away” and recharge our batteries.
Retreats are intended to do the same.They give people the chance to “get away”
from things that prevent them from focusing on our Lord.Retreats allow candidates to go away to have
fun, relax, but more importantly, to recharge the spiritual battery.
Year I weekend retreat dates are:October 17-18 OR November 14-15
Each
candidate is required to attend one retreat per Confirmation year.
There are 2 retreat weekend dates available for 1st year
Confirmandi. Check your calendars that you may sign up for the most
convenient date. First come, first serve. These retreats will be an
overnight lock-in here on parish grounds, Saturday, 8:00 am to Sunday, 5:00pm. The WEEKEND RETREAT is MANDATORY for Candidates
choosing to be Confirmed.You will be asked in this registration packet to pick the weekend you
would like to attend retreat and circle it.
Year II
Candidates will experience a weekend
retreat at The Sacred Heart Retreat Camp in Big Bear on the weekend of:FEBRUARY 19-21
The WEEKEND RETREAT is MANDATORY for Candidates
choosing to be Confirmed.If you are
unable to attend this particular weekend it will be your responsibility to
locate a parish that will take you on their 3 day retreat and receive a written
letter signed by their Confirmation Coordinator that you attended their
retreat.We truly hope all will attend
the retreat we have planned for you to share in one experience together.
5.Sponsors
Sponsors are people who you can rely on during your faith
journey.They should be people with a
deep commitment to the Catholic faith and who are active, confirmed members of
their parish.They should be willing to
listen to you, help you answer questions, and be willing to share their faith
and example with you.Sponsors are
expected to maintain REGULAR contact with their candidate to not only pray, but
to socialize and develop a stronger relationship.
Confirmation Sponsors will be required to attend 2 Sessions per
year with their Candidate.The Sessions
will give you a chance to connect spiritually throughout the year along with
personal time you schedule together.
Please take time to discern your Sponsor and have them complete
the Sponsor Information Form in this Registration Packet.
6.Holy Family Youth
Ministry
Youth Ministry Mission Statement: The Youth Ministry program is committed
to bring youth closer to Christ by providing a faith-filled environment based
on love and trust that supports and encourages young believers, fostering a
community of disciples in hope of preparing them to become adults in their
faith.
Every Thursday Evening “Drop-IN” from 7:00 -9:00 pm @ the EdenCenter
We feel your journey in faith during the high school years will
not be easyand Holy Family Youth Ministry is here to helpgive you a more complete experience.Confirmation sessions focus primarily on faith and religious formation.Youth Ministry “Drop-IN” nights are designed
to create a place where teens can supporteach other
and grow in faith and friendship while learning how to apply your Catholic
values and beliefs into your daily life.Holy Family Youth Ministryalso sponsors many social activities so you can start to
meet others whose faith is important to them.
7. Parent Involvement
It is absolutely essential that the parents are involved in the
Confirmation Process in some way.This
program relies on volunteers to make it possible.With that in mind, we ask that you consider
where your talents and time can be used to make the Confirmation Process the
best!Each Parent Team will be known by
their Patron Saint.
·St.CharlesBorromeoTeam-St. Charles Borromeo
is the Patron Saint of Catechists.We
are always looking for parents to help facilitate the Saint Community Break
Outs that take place on the Sunday
sessions with teens.The commitment will involve 1 monthly meeting with the Confirmation
Coordinator, Small Group Facilitation on these Sundays, Coordinating 1 Service Projects a year with your
Saint Community and continual outreach to increase relational ministry to the
teens throughout the month.Training,
Safe Environment Training and Fingerprinting are mandatory for this ministry.
·St.ExpeditusTeam- St. Expeditus is the Patron Saint of
Procrastination and Organization.Every time we gather we will need parents to coordinate
the Check-In process.This is a volunteer ministry that will take 1 to 2 hours
a month and requires that you come 1 hour early to the Sundays to helpset banners and
nametags up.This also will include
making phone calls, for safety purposes, to the parents of teens who are not in
attendance.
St. Gabriel Team- St. Gabriel is the Patron
Saint of Communications. This team will help with any video taping or video
management, picture taking, and the like.
·St. Catherine of Alexandria
Team- St. Catherine of Alexandria
is the Patron Saint of Secretaries. This team will be needed in the office for phone
calls, organization, mailings…
·St. Joseph Team- St. Joseph is the Patron
Saint of Parents. We are looking for parents who will assist the Catechists
with the annual Service Projects.Safe
Environment Training and Fingerprinting are mandatory for this ministry.
·St. Martha Team- St. Martha is the Patron
Saint of Cooks. We are looking for parents who are willing to coordinate the
provide snacks for the Sundays as well as our Retreats. This could be as little as a
once a year commitment if we get enough parents help.
·Guardian Angels- Guardian Angels are our Prayer Warriors. This
is a group of parents that will gather for Adoration in the Church once a month
on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 7-8 pm in the Church.The purpose of this group is to pray for the
teens of our parish.
8.Dress Code
Because we will be attending 5:30 Mass and are on Church
grounds it is important to come dressed appropriately. Parents,
if needed, we will call you to bring your teen a change of clothes.
GENTLEMEN: Nice jeans are ok (please no holes); Please no saggy pants
with boxers showing, nice shorts allowed; proper logos, advertising, pictures
and other messages on t-shirts (and sweatshirts), No tank-tops for Mass. Please!
LADIES: Clothing should fit properly and allow ease
of movement for participation in activities, as well as for Mass. Nice jeans are ok (please no
holes). No spaghetti strap dresses, tank tops, belly shirts or halters (without
cover-up). No sleeveless tops.Proper
logos, advertising, pictures and other messages on t-shirts and sweatshirts)
Please!
Skirts and Shorts no shorter than 2 inches above the knee
(we will be sitting on the floor occasionally).
9.E-mailing
Please
provide us a working e-mail address!Because
we are working with over 200 families, E-mailing is our main source of
communication.Please check your e-mail
regularly and respond as needed. This is VERY much appreciated and needed.
10. Tuition
The fee for the year is $250.You may pay all at once, make a payment plan,
or apply for a scholarship.The scholarship
form is attached to the registration packet.
If you need a payment plan, please consult
with Thelma (626- 403-6148).
Year 2
Confirmation
All Sunday sessions will meet at
3:00 p.m. on the date
specified.Class will include the 5:30
p.m. Mass so appropriate dress is required.Teens are to be picked up at the Parish Hall following the
5:30 p.m. Mass (approximately 6:30 p.m.). Cell phones and Ipods are NOT to be used during meetings and Mass.
You may drop off certificates and paperwork at the Eden Center Office by placing them through the mail slot of the office door OR leaving them at the front desk of the Pastoral Center addressed to "Youth Confirmation."
