Religious Education
Confirmation Preparation (High School)

The point of all our learning is to draw closer to God without whom all knowledge is meaningless.

2011 Sacrament of Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be received by 122 high school students from St. Mary's Parish at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester, on Sunday October 16, 2011 at 3 p.m.

Confirmation rehearsal will be held at St. Mary's Church on Saturday, October 15, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Group A candidates and sponsors) and 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Group B candidates and sponsors).

Click here for information about parking near the Cathedral.
When parking at the Cathedral for Confirmation please be mindful of using only the designated parking lots (please see map). Empty lots of local businesses are not available for parking. Cars may be towed at the owner's expense if this occurs. Thank you!

General Information

St. Mary’s High School religious education spans four years from freshman to senior year of high school. It consists of a two year Confirmation program with an ongoing expectation that confirmed students will continue to be actively involved in the various ministries of the parish. Training is offered for confirmed students to become lectors, Eucharistic ministers and retreat leaders.

Preparation for Confirmation begins in the freshman year of High School with students expressing their desire to be confirmed participating in a Rite of Election in the spring of their sophomore year. This will be held on May 20, 2012 at 5:30p.m. for current 10th grade students who wish to be confirmed in the fall of 2011. This is a mass in which candidates make known their decision to receive the sacrament of Confirmation before family, and the larger community of believers. The Confirmation ceremony is held in the fall of junior year.

Our Confirmation program is a comprehensive religious education and youth ministry program. Equal importance is given to the three core segments of the program:

Scripture based learning

Candidates develop an understanding of their Christian heritage together with a study of the doctrines and traditions of the Catholic Church. This happens primarily in the classroom during the Sunday night class sessions. Both the Old and New Testaments are studied with special attention paid to the gospels. Students are encouraged to discuss, reflect upon and actively engage in the study of Scripture.

Learning through reflection and faith sharing

Students attend retreats and explore different prayer forms, as a means of experiencing God’s presence both within themselves and in others, in stillness as well as the hustle and bustle of daily life. This happens both in the classroom and during the retreats. We explore different prayer forms and hope to instill a sense of the sacred amidst the ordinary.

Living the faith

Mindful of the message of Matthew 25 (“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me - truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”), St. Mary’s offers opportunities for service throughout the year. Students in the confirmation program are required to complete at least two service activities a year, offered by St. Mary’s in order to be eligible for confirmation. In the spirit of James 2, 14-17 we acknowledge good works born of faith as being central to our Catholic Christian identity. To this end we encourage an attitude of love and concern for all people expressed through local and global outreach.

11th Grade Service Opportunities

James 2, 14-17: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have work? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Lectors: Confirmed candidates wishing to become lectors (readers of the Word) will be trained by Fr. Marcin. Lectors are required to serve every 5-6 weeks. For more information please contact Fr. Marcin at nowickim@stmarysparish.org.

Eucharistic ministers: Confirmed candidates wishing to become Eucharistic ministers will be called to serve in this important ministry about once in 7-8 weeks (week-ends only). You may also be asked to serve at Christmas or Easter if you are available. For further information please contact Fr. Marcin at nowickim@stmarysparish.org.

Retreat leaders: Confirmed candidates who wish to become retreat leaders do so under the supervision and training of Harry Duchesne, who is our Retreat Director. Training sessions are held typically a month or so before the date of the first week-end retreat. For further details please contact Harry Duchesne at duchesneh@yahoo.com.

Ongoing service opportunities: Please watch the bulletin for announcements of service activities such as the ‘Crop Walk’, ‘Walk for the Homeless’, ‘Share the Bounty’ etc.

Rite of Election mass for Confirmation candidates:

This will be held on May 20, 2012 at 5:30p.m. for current 10th grade students who wish to be confirmed in the fall of 2012. This is a Mass in which candidates make known their decision to receive the sacrament of Confirmation before family and the larger community of believers. Further details will be announced closer to the date.

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Schedule/Calendar (2011/2012 School Year)

Catechists’ meetings:

Schedule of Classes for 9th Grade

ORIENTATION:

There will be a mandatory Orientation session for parents on Sunday, September 11, from 6:45p.m. – 7:45p.m. in the church.

MASS:

We will begin the new school year with a Mass for students and their families on Sunday, September 25 at 5:30p.m.

Schedule of classes:

Schedule of Classes for 10th Grade

Class times are from 6:45p.m. – 8:15p.m. unless otherwise noted. Students are expected to attend all class sessions.

ORIENTATION:

There will be a mandatory Orientation session for parents on Sunday, September 11, from 6:45p.m. – 7:45p.m. in the church.

MASS:

We will begin the new school year with a Mass for students and their families on Sunday, September 25 at 5:30p.m.

Schedule of classes:

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Contact Info

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Expectations of Candidates

1. Willingness and desire to be confirmed.
2. Knowledge of Scripture and an understanding of how this permeates our lives as Catholic Christians.
3. Demonstrated willingness to put faith in action – i.e. completing at least two service opportunities offered by St. Mary’s during the course of the year.
4. Regular attendance at Sunday Mass, Holy week services and other days of obligation throughout the liturgical year.
5. Attendance at one of the 2 overnight retreats.
6. Submission of letter of intent to be confirmed stating:
   • why the student wants to be confirmed; what helped him/her make this decision; what it means to him/her to be saying “yes” to a lifetime of faith in Jesus.
   • Sponsor’s name
   • Confirmation name (chosen Saint’s name) with a short paragraph on why this particular name was chosen.
7. Attendance at all class sessions. Absences must be made up. Teachers must be notified of all absences in advance.

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Service

Serving others in our local community and throughout the world is a real way of experiencing our faith, and putting into practice all that we share in the classroom. As a Christian individual living in today’s world, service needs to be an ongoing experience, a part of one’s life, not just a one time “mandatory” thing. St. Mary’s Confirmation program hopes to instill this responsibility in our students, and with parents’ help and support, confirm young adults who embody the Christian example of “love in action.”

Service is work that makes a meaningful difference outside of your normal social/family circle providing others with your time, skills, and thoughtful work in order to move towards our Christian vision of peace and justice

9th Grade Requirement

All students in their freshman year are required to participate in two service opportunities offered through St. Mary’s Confirmation program. Students sign up for service events with their teacher.

10th Grade Requirement

All students in their sophomore year are required to participate in two service experiences offered through St. Mary’s Confirmation program. Students sign up for service events with their teacher. Each class will be assigned two service opportunities during the year. These count towards the requirement. If there is space available in other opportunities we welcome you to sign-up for those as well. If the date to which your student’s class has been assigned presents a conflict for you, please contact the Religious Education office via e-mail: kuruvillag@stmarysparish.org so that we can offer you alternative dates.

2010/2011 Service Schedule for 9th and 10th grade students

Note: the teachers are still deciding which class will get which date for each of these service events - please check with your teacher to find out which events are for you.

St. Mary’s Summer Service Trips 2012 - For 15-18 year old high school students

TBA

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10th Grade Confirmation Retreat Information

Where:

Prindle Pond Conference Center
Charlton, MA
508.248.4737

When:

• Oct 7, 8, 9
• Nov 18, 19, 20

Cost: $140

Confirmation retreats at St. Mary’s are directed by Harry Duchesne, who has been in youth ministry for over 25 years. He is helped by a retreat team of about 23-25 students who act as peer leaders. These students are enthusiastic about their faith and eager to share it with their peers. As with everything else we do, the aim of the retreat too, is to build and strengthen our relationship with God. It is done in a fun way, through music, games, and discussion.

Students who are initially reluctant to go on retreat come back asking if they can go to both retreats.

Please note:

• The week-end retreat at St. Mary’s is a Confirmation requirement.
• Students are required to go on one retreat only.
• Students are required to be signed up by Oct 1st, 2011.
• If the cost of the retreat presents a problem please contact us.
• Checks should be made payable to St. Mary’s Church with “Confirmation retreat” written in the memo section of the check.
• Checks should be mailed to: Attention (Gina Kuruvilla), “Confirmation retreat sign-up”, St. Mary’s Church, 20 Summer St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

If you have questions or concerns please call the Youth Ministry Office at 508.925.7529 or e-mail Gina Kuruvilla at kuruvillag@stmarysparish.org

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Copyright © 2002-2012, St. Mary's Parish, Shrewsbury MA.
This page last updated on 9/29/2011.