Dear candidates,

Thank you for submitting your registration form and for accepting the challenge of growing in your faith. We are delighted that you have chosen to join us for the next couple of weeks as we prepare for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

When you were born, your parents loved you so much that they brought you to the Church and asked that you be baptised. In so doing they accepted the responsibility to train you in the practice of the faith, to share with you the great treasure of our belief in God, his Son Jesus Christ and the love he came to share with us.

Over these past years, we hope and pray that whereever you have lived, you have found a community of faith which has welcomed you, and people to help you understand the faith of the Catholic Church.

In the coming weeks, we will invite you to deepen your understanding of the various elements which are used in the celebration of Baptism. It is our hope that you will be able to reflect on your personal understanding of what this sacrament has meant to you, and the relationship you have with Jesus Christ and his Church.

What will you need to do ?

The preparation for Confirmation is separated into six parts. You will be required to complete some exercises found in your workbook, and to share your reflections with your parents. In addition, you will be asked to submit your reflections on each section by in the Dicsussion forum which has been created for the 2009 Confirmation group.  Please note that you will not be graded on any answers, because they are your views and thoughts on the questions which will be asked.

Please be sure to submit your reflections before the designated deadlines. If we do not receive your response by the designated time, you may be asked to withdraw from the preparation program and will not be able to celebrate Confirmation this year.

You should start thinking now about who you would like to ask to be your Sponsor, the person who will present you to the Bishop and who is an example of faith in your life. In addition, start thinking about a Confirmation name that you might like to choose.

Please mark your callendar! There will be a meeting for all Confirmation candidates (that's you) and your parents on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the church.  In addition, a second meeting of Confirmation Candidates, parents and sponsors will be held in the church on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. At this time, you will have a chance to meet other students who are preparing for Confirmation, and to learn details about the evening of Confirmation.

If you have questions about the exercises or require clarifications, please feel free to contact Father Tony by email at christtheking@diocesessm.org.

Thanks again for joining us. We hope that the next few weeks will be an occasion for us to grow in our understanding of each other and of God's action in our lives.

• Confirmation 2009 Table of Contents