Dear middle school students and parents,

My name is Maggie Schurz, and I recently added coordinator for the Sacrament of Confirmation to my responsibilities as Director of Youth Ministry. I will now be your point of contact for this Sacrament. Michelle Foster is still coordinating the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. Those of you who have family members in lower grades will still have your Director of Religious Education as your point of contact for those sacraments. I am excited to help you all complete your journey toward being confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church this fall and look forward to meeting many of you soon!

As we dive into the new school year, I’m sure preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is on many of your minds. I want to let you know of some of the changes to this year’s Confirmation preparation.

This year, we are beginning a new way of approaching the Sacrament—acknowledging the fact that Confirmation is a free choice to become an adult member of the Roman Catholic Church. Preparation for the Sacrament will no longer be tied specifically to the 7th grade religious education curriculum. It is now a separate program to enroll in during any time from middle school up to early high school, alongside your enrollment in religious education. Potential Confirmandi in St. Joseph Parish will need to enroll in The Confirmation Preparation Program separately from Faith and Family PSR/The Way or any other religious education provided at school or home.

Some of you may be ready to start the Confirmation Preparation Program this Fall, especially those of you who are expecting to begin as you enter into your 7th grade religious education with The Way or at Catholic schools. We will be overjoyed to have any and all of you who would like to move forward to receive the Sacrament with St. Joe in 2021. However, we want to take the pressure off those of you who do not feel ready just yet to make this important decision in your faith—whether it be for logistical reasons, spiritual reasons, or even health reasons. We want to continue encouraging this way of discerning the Sacrament in the coming years, and we will likely start to see a mix of Confirmandi who are middle school-age as well as high school-age as we continue to invite a wider range of young men and women to our future Confirmation Preparation Programs. Our hope is that everyone will be able to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at the time that is best—God’s time.

Below, you will find a letter from Fr. Pastorius along with details of the Confirmation Preparation Program. Please take a look at the dates we have set for this Fall and into next year, as well as the other personal goals and tasks to be completed before Confirmation in November of 2021. Be assured that as long as the coronavirus continues to be an issue, all events will follow social distancing and masks will be required at all times.

A new camera and streaming software have been installed in the church recently, and we made the decision to stream upcoming Confirmation Preparation Program in-person events. The Rite of Calling and the two Impact Nights this year will be streamed for those of you who would like a zero-contact option. It is also possible that we will continue to stream events in early 2021, depending on the situation with COVID-19.

We know that Confirmation is unique in that we prepare for it over a long period of time, and we’re only able to offer it once a year. It just makes sense to have some virtual plans for those of you who would like a zero-contact option as you start off your year (plus a couple months) of preparation with coronavirus still in play. We hope this option will help many of you in your discernment for Confirmation 2021. Discuss as a family whether enrolling in the program is in God’s plan for you this year.

If you would like to enroll in the Confirmation Preparation Program, you can email Debby Marshall at dmarshall@stjoemanchester.org. Please specify whether you would like to participate in person or virtually. You can also let her know if you want to start virtual and keep your options open for in-person in the future (or if you want to start in-person and want to keep the virtual option open for later).

If you enroll in the Confirmation Preparation Program, please mark the Rite of Calling and the rest of the Important dates in your calendar so you can plan to attend those required sessions. We will go through the plan for the year at the Rite of Calling, as it serves as your Confirmation preparation “kick-off” and orientation of sorts.

If you have any other questions about the program details, coronavirus measures, or the Sacrament in general, please feel free to contact me over email or by phone. Stay well, and God bless!

Peace,
Maggie Schurz

Director of Youth Ministry/Confirmation Coordinator
mschurz@stjoemanchester.org
636-227-5247 x1634

Details in the Confirmation Packet for 2021

1. Spiritual Mentors
 
2. Rite of Calling

3. Impact Nights

4. Experiencing Church

5. Confirmation Saint
 
6. Confirmation Sponsor
 
7. Service
 
8. Rite of Enrollment
 
9. Confirmation Rally
 
10. Interview with a Parish Council Member
 

Important Dates for St. Joseph Parish Confirmation Preparation Program