Confirmation

Year One Student Requirements

1. Mass and Gospel Weeklies (year-round)

• Families must attend Mass on a weekly basis and complete the Gospel Weeklies activities to assist in family conversations about the Gospel for that week. 
• Parents must attend the Quarterly Gospel Weeklies meetings and pick up their child’s packet. 

2. Small Group Meetings (year-round, beginning in October)

Small Group meetings begin in October and will meet 3 times a month, both in-person and online. The ALTARATION program on the Mass is part of the required content of Small Group participation. Students will actively participate in a Small Group consisting of a group of their peers and adult mentors. 

• Active Participation is defined as being present in the Group (in person or virtual meetings as determined by the Small Group Leaders) and engaging in the discussion.  If virtual, students will have their cameras on.

3. Confirmation Saint Name (by April 30, 2023)

• Year 2 Students must turn in their Confirmation Saint Name to their Small Group Leader according to the Group’s meeting schedule. (Small Group Leaders will inform the students what date the students will discuss their chosen Confirmation Names.) 
• Candidates may choose to keep their baptismal name, signifying that they are confirming the faith that was given to them at Baptism; or, Candidates may choose the name of a patron saint, or one of the great men or women of the Bible, who serves as a role model and guide.

Resources to help you choose a Saint

• Choosing a Confirmation Saint – Check out this video to hear some Good Shepherd Young Adults and Father Tom talk about what saint they chose for their Confirmation and why;
• Biggest and Best List of Confirmation Saints – A Lifeteen blog post that explains why we choose a Confirmation saint and offers a long list of potential saints organized into interesting categories.

4. Community and Communion

Confirmation candidates must develop relationship to the Good Shepherd community and be in communion with the universal Church, represented primarily by the Diocesan Church. To that end, Year 1 and 2 students attend the Diocesan High School Rally (October 23, 2022) or the Diocesan Middle School BASH (April 22, 2023).  

Should these dates not be possible for your student or your family, make-up activities are possible as follows:  

• Community: Attend Friday Night Lights youth group 4 times. 
• Communion: Go on one of the following pilgrimages with family or friends. 

1. Encounter Emmitsburgh 
2. Encounter “Little Rome” 
3. Encounter St. Thomas More Cathedral 
4. Encounter Black Catholic History 
5. Encounter the Basilica of St. Mary 
6. Encounter Catholic Baltimore 

For assistance finding other alternatives, please contact Miguel DeAngel.

5. Service

We are called to always love and serve God and neighbor. There is no requirement to track your service for Confirmation, but you may want to keep a personal log, as students will be required to speak about the service they did at a Confirmation interview at the end of the year. Who they served, why, and why it is meaningful service are examples of the things we want to discuss at their interview.  

Practicing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy is an important part of the Faith and a great place to start. Specific service opportunities can be found here. 

6. Sacrament of Reconciliation

All students are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year, especially during their first year of preparation or if they have not been in months. This may be done at any regular weekly Confessions at Good Shepherd or at one of our special Evenings of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent. 

7. Other Year One Requirements

• Baptismal Certificate – must be turned in no later than September 30, 2022.
• Confirmation Sponsor – Year 1 students must choose their Confirmation Sponsor and submit his/her Name and Sponsor Letter before April 30, 2023.
  • Year 1 students should watch this video on Choosing Your Sponsor and read the Sponsor Eligibility Requirements before choosing a sponsor.
  • Sponsors must submit confirmation no later than April 30, 2023 that they meet the requirements to be a Confirmation Sponsor:
    • If your Sponsor is a registered parishioner of Good Shepherd, have them complete and submit the Good Shepherd Sponsor Information Form;
    • If your Sponsor is registered at another parish (not Good Shepherd), they must submit a Sponsor Eligibility Letter from the parish where they are registered.
    • Sponsor Information Form or Sponsor Eligibility Letter must be submitted to the Parish Office or via email to Jessica Campos.  You must include “Confirmation Sponsor Letter” in the subject line of your email.