Confirmation for Youth

Confirmation preparation for youth is a 2-year process at St. Philip, from 7th grade – 8th grade.

Teens past 8th grade looking to be confirmed or teens who need to receive baptism and or 1st communion need to go through our Teen OCIA program.

Confirmation 1 (C1), Confirmation 2 (C2) and Teen OCIA students are asked to attend weekly Faith Formation sessions with a minimum of 85% attendance.

For C1 & C2 we utilize “Alpha Youth Series” by Alpha Youth and “Purpose” by LifeTeen as curriculum to create an engaging and welcoming environment where teens feel a sense of community and belonging. Through this curriculum, students are given a safe space to learn, ask questions about their faith, and grow spiritually. The program is designed to empower teens to develop a personal relationship with God through the richness of the Church’s teachings, the sacraments, and a life of prayer.

A typical class session is like so:

• Start with prayer
• An ice-breaker group activity
• Teaching
• Small group discussion and/or an activity based on teaching
• Learn about a Saint
• Close with a prayer.

For Teen OCIA we utilize “Journey of Faith” for Teens by Liguori publications. Drawing from the success of their long-standing adult initiation series, this curriculum presents the Catholic faith to young people in a way that connects with their real-life experiences. It offers a dynamic, teen-friendly approach to OCIA that encourages genuine engagement. Because teens learn best when they’re actively involved, the program blends hands-on activities, group conversations, and personal reflection. Each lesson equips teens with a solid understanding of the faith while inviting them to reflect on what that faith means for their own lives. in addition to the weekly class, Teen OCIA students are also required to come to Connect, our high school youth group.

All these curriculums help our students build a strong foundation to live out their Catholic faith confidently and joyfully by fostering a deeper understanding of their faith and identity as beloved children of God,

Each year of the Confirmation preparation process has specific requirements tailored to help students grow in faith and service. In general, they should expect to:

• Attend Sunday Mass
• Participate in the sacraments like reconciliation.
• Family Catechesis participation.
• Attend mandatory retreats to deepen their spiritual journey.
• Complete ministry service within the church, 2 service events minimum.

These experiences are designed to nurture a sense of responsibility, compassion, and a deeper connection to Christ and His Church.

Confirmation Saint & Sponsors

• C1 students (St. Paul) should begin discerning who their Confirmation Saint and sponsor will be. They should know by the end of year 1. As soon as they know who their sponsor is, they should be joining the student in their faith journey towards Confirmation. The name of your child’s Confirmation Saint and Sponsor needs to be submitted by May 1st.
• C2 students (St. Peter) should know who their saint and sponsor are by now. Please continue to encourage your students to ask their saint and sponsor for their intercession throughout this journey. The name of your child’s Confirmation Saint and sponsor need to be submitted by December 1st.
• Teen OCIA students (Youth Room) should know their saint as soon as possible. The name of your child’s Confirmation Saint and sponsor need to be submitted by December 1st.

The role of the sponsor is to serve as a spiritual companion and guide to the person who is preparing to receive Confirmation. “…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” (Code of Canon Law §892).

The Church requires that a person meet certain requirements in order to serve as a sponsor: The requirements are outlined in the Code of Canon Law and are connected to the requirements of sponsors for Baptism (Code of Canon Law §§872-874).

In brief, to be a sponsor, one must:

• Be 16 years of age or older
• Be fully initiated in the Catholic Church
• Live a life of faith
• Cannot be a parent
• Cannot be bound by any other canonical restrictions

Ministry Service Requirement

Confirmation students will need to complete two separate Ministry Service events per year. Participation in a liturgical ministry is considered a service and will be seen as the equivalent to one service event/opportunity.

Once a student completes any type of ministry service for their confirmation requirement, the following form can be used to submit any service event/opportunity.

While we will not be requiring a specific number of hours for service, students and parents are encouraged to volunteer where their gifts can be best utilized. Service can be done in the parish, with their school, or anywhere in the community.

We want to encourage and teach our students to live out the Gospel mandate to love God with all their heart and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. It is important to not only know about one’s faith but to put it into practice. God gives everyone gifts and talents that can help someone in the church, community, and at home. A great example of this is the Corporal and the Spiritual works of mercy.

How can you stay in the know?

All communication will come from Flocknote. All reminders, emergency notifications, etc. will be sent via Flocknote. Should we need to cancel class for any reason, we will notify you via Flocknote. If you have not been receiving emails from Flocknote, please email jmagana@stphilipfranklin.com so you can be added to the correct group. Also, make sure to add mail@flocknote.com to your email safe sender list.

Juan Magaña
Assistant Director for Youth & Young Adults Ministries
(615) 550-2838
JMagana@StPhilipFranklin.com