NAME_______________________

Confirmation Booklet Year II

ST. JAMES THE GREATER

2019-20

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Table of Contents

CONFIRMATIONEXPECTATIONS 3

CONFIRMATIONEXPECTATIONSEXPLANATIONS 4-6

CONFIRMATIONYEARIICALENDAR 7

SERVICEHOURSGUIDELINES 8

FAITHENRICHMENTACTIVITIES 9&10

FORMSTOCOMPLETE

CONFIRMATIONSPONSORFORM 11

CONFIRMATIONSERVICEHOURSLOG 12

FAITHENRICHMENTFORM 13-14

INTERVIEWWITHFATHERTOMFORM 15

CANDIDATEFORM/CONFIRMATIONNAME 16

CONFIRMATIONEVALUATION 17

LETTERSTOTHEPRIEST&BISHOP 18

EXAMPLESOFLETTERS 19-21

DRESSCODE 22

CANDIDATE&SPONSORACTIVITIES

CANDIDATE&SPONSORACTIVITY1 22-26

CANDIDATE&SPONSORACTIVITY2 26

CANDIDATE&SPONSORWORKSHEET2 27

CANDIDATE&SPONSORACTIVITY3 28

CANDIDATE&SPONSORWORKSHEET3 29-35

SAINTREPORT 36

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Confirmation Expectations Year II

• Classes of Key Church Teachings

§ Mass Attendance

• Daily Prayer

• Service of Others

• Confirmation Name – Saint Name

• Overnight Retreat

• Candidate & Sponsor Activities

• Faith Enrichment Activities

• Saint Report

• Sacrament of Reconciliation

• Interview with Father Tom Krieg

• Letters to Pastor and Bishop

• Baptismal Certificate

• Bringing up the Gifts

• Confirmation Rehearsal

• Confirmation Mass & Ceremony

“Confirmation unites us more firmly to Christ. It strengthens our relationship with the Church, and it gives us a special strength from the Holy Spirit to defend the faith and confess the name of Christ.”

Pope Francis

Confirmation Expectations Explanations

Classes of Key Church Teachings Canon Law requires candidates to be adequately instructed in the Faith. There will be 8 class sessions to attend. However, since everyone experiences occasional conflicts, candidates are allowed 1 non-emergency absence. Non-emergency reasons include school events, family trips, sporting events, ect. If you are going to miss a class for whatever reason, please call or email Kelly to let her know. 715-835-5887 or Beaudrie.kelly@gmail.com

Mass Attendance

Active Participation in the Sacrament of Sunday Eucharist. The grace received through the Eucharist is indispensable in preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Daily Prayer

Strengthen your relationship by spending time with God on a daily basis.

Service

Each candidate will be required to complete 15 hours of service – at least 5 of which must be within the St. James the Greater community. A resource list and log sheet of hours can be found in this packet. Candidates will be responsible for completing and keeping track of service hours. On-line forms can be found on stjameseauclaire.org website.

Confirmation Name – Saint Name

Candidates will need to choose a Confirmation name. This can be the name of a saint they admire, or their own baptismal name. The Saints act as role models for us and inspire us to live holy lives. Learning about the lives of the Saints can be a fun way to grow in faith. You can read about individual Saints at www.catholic.org/saints or other websites. If you feel moved or inspired by a Saint you learn about – that may be a good choice for a Confirmation n

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Retreat

Confirmation Year I students will attend a retreat as required by the Diocese. Year II students will attend 2 retreats, one of which is an overnight retreat. The overnight retreat will have candidates participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. These retreats are designed to give candidates a chance to internalize what they have learned and spiritually prepare for the sacrament.

Sponsors

Each candidate will need to choose a sponsor. A sponsor must be:

• A practicing Catholic who has been Confirmed and is at least 16 years old • A good role model for Catholic Christian living • Someone with whom the candidate can discuss their faith • Since Confirmation is tied to the sacrament of Baptism, godparents can be a good option • As per Canon Law, parents may not be sponsors

Sponsors will meet with candidates throughout the 2 years to complete projects/activities. Sponsors should be available to help guide the candidate as they grow in faith. A sponsor form can be found in booklet. 3 student/sponsor activities are included along with follow up forms. See calendar for due dates.

Faith Enrichment Activities

In order to give candidates a wider and deeper experience of their Catholic faith, students will be required to complete 3 enrichment activities. Faith enrichment activities are designed to give you a taste of the Catholic Church outside what your “normal” experiences might be. You may discover something you didn’t know you liked!

Reconciliation

Each candidate is expected to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Communal Reconciliation during Advent is offered in our deanery. Dates to come for this week of confession.

Saint Project

Each second year Confirmation student will do a report on a Saint. This research will help candidates choose a saint name for their Confirmation Day. These will be due throughout the year.

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Interview with Father Tom Krieg

Father Tom will meet individually with each candidate to visit about Confirmation. All interviews must be completed by April of Year II. Advent and Lent are busy times for a pastor so please do not schedule during these times of the year, December, February and March. An interview completion form can be found in the packet.

Letters to the Bishop and Priest

Year II Confirmation students are asked to write letters to both Bishop Callahan and Father Tom stating why they would like to be Confirmed. Letters are due in late March. Sample letters have been included in this packet to help guide the student if needed.

Certificate of Baptism

If you were NOT baptized or received First Eucharist at St. James the Greater you will need to contact the church of Baptism and request an updated copy of the Certificate of Baptism be sent to St. James. Check with Kelly if you are unsure if your Baptismal information is needed.

Bringing Up the Gifts

Confirmation students in Year I and II are strongly encouraged to sign up with their families for bringing up the gifts during a mass of their choosing. Sign up will go out electronically during the month of November.

Confirmation Rehearsal

A rehearsal for the Confirmation Mass and ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 6th. This should be attended by both the candidates, sponsors and parents.

Confirmation

The Confirmation Mass is May 12 at St. James the Greater Church in Eau Claire starting at 9:00. Arrival time is 8:45. Candidates from Elk Mound and Rock Falls will also join us for this special celebration.

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September 18 Speaker at Regis

for Faith Enrichment Activity October 2 Class – Faith Enrichment #1 due 20 Raking Leaves Service Project 30 Dinner & Speaker at Church on Church History November 6 Class – Candidate/Sponsor Activity Due

13 RETREAT: Movie Night at Micon Downtown Budget Theater – bring money for concessions if you wish!

December 18 Class- Faith Enrichment Activity #2 Due January 15 Class – Sponsor Activity #2 Due 29 Class February 2 Souper Bowl Sunday Charity Collection after each mass 19 Class – Sponsor Activity #3 Due 26 Ash Wednesday Service 6:15 – Regis excused March 8 Parish Mission Speaker and Serve Soup Dinner 5:30-7:30

14 ALL DAY RETREAT at Town of Pleasant Valley Community Center

18 Class – Letters to Father Tom & Bishop Due April 8 Class –Service Hours and Google Form Info Due

29 Last Class Interviews with Fr. Tom Due Bonfire 7:00-8:30 Bring a lawn chair & insulated mug

May 3 Rehearsal 6:30-7:30 with sponsor if possible or a parent 9 CONFIRMATION MASS 9 AM

Confirmation Year II Calendar

2019-20

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Confirmation Guidelines for Service Hours Purpose As a Confirmation candidate, the Diocese of La Crosse requires service to others which demonstrates your faith in the world. St. James the Greater requires 15 hours of service experiences including at least 5 hours for parish. In James 2:17 we find, “faith by itself, if it has no works is dead.” As Catholic Christians, we need to follow the example of Jesus who often reached out to the outcast and marginalized people of his day including tax collector, lepers, the blind, the lame and the poor. A few service opportunities have been scheduled already but you may set up others if these do not work for your schedule or for additional hours. Organizations/ideas to complete this service include

• Beacon House • Community Table • Bolton Refuge • Sojourner House • St. Francis Food Pantry • Feed My People • Hospitals • Helping others in various ways • St. James the Greater Church: SonShine Days, Summer

Fest, Hospitality after masses, Child care for Parish Mission, Religious Educ. helper, Sunday Preschool Helper, church ground clean up, inside church clean up day, Souper Bowl collection at church entrance for charity, pack and deliver Christmas donations from parish, Confirmation retreat planning committee, custodian helper for evening, choir

Your Service Must Be… • 15 hours of service either at scheduled opportunity or self-assigned • Minimum of 5 hours within Parish • 10 hours or remaining hours in community service • Must not be for a relative Document on Service Hour Log in booklet

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Faith Enrichment Activities – Try 2!

What is a “faith enrichment activity” and why do I have to do it??????

In order to give candidates a wider and deeper experience of their Catholic faith, students will be required to complete enrichment activities. Faith enrichment activities are designed to give you a taste of the Catholic Church outside what your “normal” experiences might be. You may discover something you didn’t know you liked! Do as many as you like but complete the Faith Enrichment form for 3 of them.

For each activity, answer the questions on the Faith Enrichment Form.

Oodles of Suggestions…

v Attend speaker at Regis in September v Attend parish mission - March v Read a spiritual book v Watch a movie with a religious/spiritual theme for example: “The Shack”, “The Case for

Christ”, “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone”, “God Bless the Broken Road”, “God’s Not Dead I or II”, “The Reliant”, “The Star”, “Same Kind of Different”, “Heaven is for Real”, “Miracles from Heaven”, “Woodlawn”

v Do a Catholic Bible Study (independently or with a group) v Listen to Christian music for an hour v Help the ushers at church during Mass – learn about this ministry by doing v Visit the Shrine of Guadalupe in La Crosse v Head to Wisconsin Dells to attend the Immersion Retreat (Diocese Retreat) Nov. 8-10 v Grab a friend and go to a Lifeline Program at the NET Center in St. Paul (1st Sat. of every month

6:00 Oct.-May) v Attend an additional retreat – Action City in January? v Attend Triduum services (Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday Easter vigil) v Attend Catholic Mass in Latin, Spanish or another language. I.E. St. Mary’s 1:00 Sundays v Read up on a saint and write about him/her or do a collage of pictures that tell about him/her. v Take an hour to pray at Adoration v Go on a mission trip v Feel refreshed by going to a Communal Reconciliation (December)

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v Read one of the Gospels from the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) v Talk with adult about their faith journey – make a timeline of important events in their faith

life v Spend 20-30 minutes viewing the icon wall in the St. James sacristy v Pray with Lectio Divina – praying with a scripture, usually a Gospel reading. Ask a parent,

grandparent, sibling or friend to do it with you. (One of my favorites!) http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/catholic/2000/08/how-to-practice-lectio-divina.aspx

v Sing in one of the choirs at church v Go to a St. James baptism class to re-learn the details (last Sunday every other month) v Attend a mass at a church out of town – maybe while you’re on vacation or away for sports or

music activities v Pray by Daily Examen method – “reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s

presence and discern his direction for us.” http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen

v Watch 3 different videos on busted halo http://bustedhalo.com/category/video v Other ideas you have???? Ask Kelly if they’ll qualify.

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St. James the Greater

Confirmation Sponsor Form If any changes from last year!

Due September

Candidate Information:

Full Name: ___________________________

Telephone Number: _____________________

E-Mail: _____________________________

Sponsor Information:

Full Name: ________________________________

Full Address: ________________________________

________________________________

Telephone Number: ____________________________

E-Mail: ____________________________

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Confirmation Service Hour Log Sheet – Due April 10 Name_______________________ Year 2

In Parish Service (at least 5 hours)

Date Service Performed #of Hours

Contact Person’s Name & Phone

Signature

Community Service (the rest your 15 hours)

Date Service Performed #of Hours

Contact Person’s Name & Phone

Signature

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Faith Enrichment Activity Form – Event 1 Name: ____________________________________________ Year II Event/Activity 1 Date Describe the event you attended or activity you completed. On a scale of 1-5 being terrible to awesome, how would you rate the event/activity?

1 2 3 4 5

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Faith Enrichment Event/Activity 2 Name:____________________________________________ Year II Event/Activity II Date

Activity Chosen

Was the activity worth your time doing?

Defin

itely

Some

what

Not a

t All

Did you do the activity with anyone else, if so who?

Yes

No

Who

What was your favorite part of the activity

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Interview with Father Tom Due in April but can be done any time before!

Call or email Father Tom to set up an interview. Don’t leave this to the end PLEASE!

715-835-5887 or tom4664@aol.com

The questions listed below are what Father would like you to review before meeting with him.

Date of Interview ______________________________________

Father Tom Signature___________________________________

Have you ever felt close to God? Is so, when?

Have you ever felt called by God in small or big

ways to do something or think a certain way about something?

Do you have any questions of me about

anything?

If you could change one thing about the Church,

what would it be?

Why would you stay in the Church as an adult? What good would it do for you, others or God?

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Confirmation Evaluation…

Which class session or activity was most important to you or what did you enjoy in your preparation for Confirmation?

How can St. James create a better Confirmation program for our teens??? Changes?

You are about to become an adult member of our parish! Pray and think about how you can become more connect by helping St. James.

Check areas you are interested in serving at St. James the Greater – be honest Ministries at Mass:

___Music

___Lector

___Greeter

___Adult Server

___Usher

___Eucharistic Minister

___Gift Bearer

___Music Ministry

___Cantor

___Hospitality After Mass

Education Ministries:

___SonShine Days (VBS)

___Catechist for Religious Education

___Helper for Religious Education

___Teen Camping Trip

___Sunday Preschool Helper

___Prayer Tree

Community Service:

___Community Table

___Beacon House

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LETTERS TO FATHER TOM KRIEG & BISHOP CALLAHAN REQUESTING THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

Each candidate is required to write a letter to the Father Tom & Bishop Callahan, stating your desire to be confirmed. These letters are your own description of your personal faith journey so far. They are also a reflection on both you and on St. James the Greater Parish, so please write what is in your heart and take this endeavor seriously. Here are some guidelines. These topics should be covered, in your own words and style. All letters should be typed and you should check your spelling and grammar. GREETING Begin your letter with the greeting – Your Excellency (Bishop) or Father Tom (Priest) BODY OF LETTER

Paragraph 1 Introduce yourself. Say something about your family, your education and your parish

Paragraph 2 Request the sacrament. Give several reasons why you would like to be

confirmed. Paragraph 3 Explain how you have prepared for the sacrament. It is important that you

tell about specific parts of your preparation: your prayer life, your celebration of the other sacraments, your service hours, your sponsor’s name and why you chose them and/or your saint’s name and why you chose it.

Paragraph 4 Tell what difficulties young people today face and how you will continue to

carry out your life of service to God and others through the power of the Holy Spirit. Tell how you plan to make your Confirmation in the Faith real and alive in your life.

CONCLUSION Conclude the letter and include your complete signature There is no “right” way to write this letter. Everyone’s will be different, as each of you have had a different experience. Most importantly is should be your own work and a personal reflection of your journey. Put letters together in an envelope marked “Letters” and

give to Kelly Beaudrie

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Example letters to the Bishop Please use these letters as a general guide.

Do not copy word for word.

_________________________

Letter #1

February 8, 2013 Your Excellency, (This is only how to address the Bishop not Father Tom!!) My name is Jackie Johnson and I am a 10th grade student at St. Phillip’s Parish in Worchester, MN. I am currently preparing for Confirmation and I wanted to share a couple of my experiences.

We were asked to select a sponsor at the beginning of the Confirmation process. I thought it was difficult at first to ask someone to fill this role. But then Tricia, a friend of the family, said yes. During the process, Tricia and I attended a retreat, participated in sponsor and candidate sessions and volunteered to do service work together. I particularly enjoyed the time we spent serving a meal for the local soup kitchen. It was then that I realized, again, how fortunate I am to come from such a good family and live where I do. I am the oldest of three children. I enjoy participating in cheerleading, soccer, drama, and the youth events at my parish. My parents are involved in the parish as Eucharistic ministers. They have been good role models for what it means to live out my faith. When you come to St. Phillip’s on October 9th, I want to be confirmed to publicly state that my faith is important to me and it’s something I plan to work on the rest of my life.

I look forward to meeting you. Sincerely,

---Hand Written Signature Here----

Jackie Johnson

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Letter #2 – Letter to a Priest

January 23rd, 2013 Most Reverend Thomas Krieg or Father Tom, Hello. My name is Mark Smith and I am currently preparing for Confirmation. I am 16 years old and I am a sophomore at Kennedy High School in Farmington, MN. I have been preparing for Confirmation for almost two years now and I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I have been preparing for this sacrament and I am ready. I have learned that Confirmation is not the end of my faith life, but just the beginning. I am ready to take my faith seriously, become active in my parish, and live out my faith through service. I have had several service experiences throughout the past couple of years that have been very meaningful to me. One service project in particular was important to me. I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with my parish youth group to Texas. There we built houses for people in need. The days were long and the work was hard. But at the end of the trip I could look back on what we accomplished and I realized that we had done a lot for someone in need. Confirmation means that I am ready and willing. I am ready to live out my faith with the help of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I feel that I have been well prepared for Confirmation through all of the classes, service projects, faith sharing and small group sessions I have attended. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, ---Handwritten Signature Here--- Mark Smith

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LETTER TO THE BISHOP Example to help you formulate a letter -Do Not Use This Form For Your Letter. We will forward these letters to the Bishop from the Religious Education office. Your Excellency, I ________________, a member of St. James the Greater Catholic Community in Eau Claire, WI, ask you Bishop Callahan, to confirm me as a member of the Roman Catholic Church. I would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation because… __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ My preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation has been… _____________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ I have chosen _______________ (sponsor) to present me to you on the day of my Confirmation and to witness my commitment. I made this choice because… __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ You will seal my commitment to Jesus and his Church by anointing me with oil and by calling me by name. The name I wish to be called at my Confirmation is _____________. I have chosen this name because… ____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ I understand that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will help me build up the Church, and as a Confirmed Catholic I will strive to share in building up the Church by… __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your leadership to our faith community. Sincerely, (Your Signature)

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Confirmation Dress Code Confirmation Attire - Male

Dress pants, shirt and tie – jacket optional

No jeans, tank tops, golf shirts, or shirts with wording

Dress shoes – no tennis shoes or flip-flops

No caps or hats

Dress Code for Female

No jeans or shirts with wording

Dresses should be close to knee length (I know this is difficult to find)

Can wear jumpers

No backless or strapless dresses

No low cut tops

No spaghetti straps unless you wear a short jacket or sweater

No tennis shoes or flip-flops

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Confirmation – Year II

I’m Glad You Asked! #1

Sponsor and Candidate Joint Activity

Pull out your copy of I’m Glad You Asked! 60 Common Questions Catholics Have About the Bible. This book is written by Fr. Mark Pierce a priest who use to be in Chippewa Falls but now is a pastor in Wausau. This was a very helpful book to me when I went through the RCIA process and hope you find it informational as well!

I’m Glad You Asked is divided into 3 sections. This sponsor/student activity can be divided into a couple sessions if needed or take a break between the sessions to refresh. If your sponsor wants to purchase their own book, it can be found on Amazon.com or Saint Mary’s Press for around $13.75.

On page 15, Father Pierce gives suggestions for entry points in reading the Bible. List the books, and chapters if listed, to help get you started!

1. 5.

2. 6.

3. 7.

4. 8.

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I’m Glad You Asked - Section 1: FAQs About Using the Bible

Choose 3 of the topics listed under this section and answer the following questions.

Topic 1: _______________________________________________

Did you learn anything new? Did you already understand this concept?

Topic 2: ________________________________________________________

What was interesting to you?

Topic 3:: ________________________________________________________

Thoughts?

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2

3

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I’m Glad You Asked - Section 2: FAQs on Tough Texts in the Bible

Choose 5 topics in this section to review and discuss with your sponsor.

Circle which articles you and your sponsor chose to read.

1. Do I have to believe that the world was created in six days? 2. What are the Creation stories trying to say? 3. Were Adam and Eve real people? 4. What am I supposed to get out of the long lists of ancestors? 5. What does it mean when God tells Moses his name is “I AM WHO I AM? 6. How can we blame Pharaoh if God hardened his heart? 7. Why did God tell the Israelites to wipe out everyone in the Promised Land? 8. Why don’t we follow all the laws Moses gave the Israelites? 9. Why is there so much violence against women in the Book of Judges? 10. Why do the psalm writers call down curses on their enemies? 11. What’s fear of the Lord, and why should I want it? 12. What’s with all the steamy talk in the Song of Songs? 13. Did a whale really swallow the prophet Jonah? 14. Could the biblical prophets see the future? 15. Why were people so slow to understand that Jesus was the Messiah? 16. How do you explain the differences in the four Gospels? 17. Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? 18. Does the Bible say anything about Jesus’s being married? 19. Whatever did Jesus mean when he talked about hating your family? 20. What did Jesus mean by “the poor you will always have with you”? 21. Why didn’t Jesus work more signs to prove his claims? 22. Does the Bible really teach that women should be submissive to men? 23. In the Book of Revelation really about the end of the world?

Which one of the above did you find the most interesting and why? Sponsor’s favorite?

1

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I’m Glad You Asked - Section 3: FAQs on Challenges About the Catholic Faith

Pick 10 of the 21 challenges to read with your sponsor.

Write the number of the topics that was discussed in the boxes below. One number per box.

Color in blue the boxes of topic that you felt you learned something.

Circle the box of your favorite topic.

If applicable…put an X over the box if you are confused about it or disagree.

1

2

3

4

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Confirmation – Year II

Community Service Activity! #2

Sponsor and Candidate Joint Activity

• Beacon House • Community Table • Bolton Refuge • Sojourner House • St. Francis Food Pantry • Feed My People

• Hospitals • Others in the Community????

By our Baptism, we are called to serve on another. It says in the book of James, faith without works is dead.” Just as God proved His love for us through an action of sacrifice, we too can demonstrate our love for God by the sacrifice of our time, treasure and talent in helping others.

Participate in one community service activity together.

Complete worksheet #2 together when

completed.

Suggestions

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Confirmation – Year II Community Service Activity Worksheet #2

You may use this for your service hours – record on form!

Name of Confirmation Student:____________________________________________

Name of Sponsor:________________________________________________________

When? Date of Activity:_____________________________

Where? We performed the service at:

What? The Community Service Activity we worked on was:

Candidate’s thoughts/observations on this project?

How are we following the 2 “Greatest Commandment” that Jesus gave us when we perform

Community Service?

If the two of you were to work on another community service porject together or

independently, would you do this type of service again or choose something else?

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Confirmation – Year II

Sponsor/Candidate Activity #

How is Your Faith Expressed?

Part One: Both Candidate and Sponsor are asked to read this Youth Update article on the following pages (from St. Anthony Messenger Press) entitled, "How is your faith expressed?" This article discusses how young people put their Catholic faith into action when they... ...pray and worship ...proclaim God's Word ...build up the community ...work for justice.

Part Two: Discuss YOUR faith (each of you) in relation to these four areas (above). How do you express your faith in each area? In which area do your express your faith the most/the least?

Part Three: Each of you are asked to choose an area to work on. Think of a specific challenge to help you work on better expressing your faith in that area. Please don't choose a goal that is broad or vague such as "I will pray more often" instead choose something very specific and measurable such as "Each night before bed I will think of what I did that day and my good/not so good choices of the day and pray the Act of Contrition." Write your challenge is the space below. (Explain challenge plan of both Candidate and Sponsor.)

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30

31

32

33

34

35

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Feast Day

Patron Saint of:

Saint Name: Interstesing Facsts:

Prayer

Saint Report

Write a brief summary of your Saint.