Greetings Teens (and Parents of Teens)!

St. Perpetua prepares teens for Confirmation in accordance with our parish, Catholic traditions, guidelines established by the Diocese of Oakland in 2010 (reaffirmed in 2015), and Canon Law.  The schedule for Confirmatiin preparation at St. Perpetua covers a two-year period that begins with youth group in the ninth grade and concludes in the tenth grade with an invitation to explore some of the most important questions in life through the lens of faith.  However, teens who are up to it, may also complete the preparation in a one-year intensive experience. 

What to expect"

• First, Confirmation affirms your baptism. When you were baptized your parents made promises on your behalf to God and to you specifically – that they’d live with you among God’s people (our community), bring you to the word of God and Eucharist, teach you the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and Ten Commandments, and nurture you in faith and prayer so that you would learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through your words and actions, care for others and work for God’s justice and peace in the world.

 

• Second, Confirmation is a time of learning. It’s a time to learn about what it means to be God’s child, a time to learn the faith of our church through the creed and the Bible, a time to learn how to pray and to worship, a time to ask questions (What? Why? How?), a time to learn how to care for God’s people in the world and to use your gifts (talents/skills) for the good of our world, and a time to reflect upon your relationship with God personally and through our community. It’s a time for you to grow in your faith from a child to a young adult. And it’s a time for you to affirm the baptismal promises that your parents made on your behalf when you were little.

The parish invites all high school students, who are at least a sophomore in September 2019, to join with their peers for this special experience of prayer, reflection, community building, community service, liturgical celebrations, and spiritual growth leading to Confirmation in May 2020.  Confirmation remains an integral part of Youth Ministry in the life of our parish and thus Candidates can expect their year to be a full and engaging experience here at St. Perpetua. 

To start, Candidates for Confirmation need only to be open to grow in relationship with God here in the St. Perpetua faith community.  Some teens are not sure whether they want to be confirmed or not.  If this is you, come give us a try and see what opportunities are part of your faith once you learn to integrate faith into your everyday life.  If a teen is not a member of our parish and wants to join our Confirmation preparation you are more than welcome - the family must simply register with the parish, support the parish, and join weekly at our liturgical celebrations. While we welcome all to our preparation, families need to know that there is an expectation that during the year the Candidate and family will make St.Perpetua their primary community for liturgucal celebratiins.   

Confirmation Preparation Overview at St. Perpetua
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Perpetua focuses on five key elements in forming teens:

• Knowledge of Faith: what we believe,

• Sacraments and Liturgy: how we celebrate,

• Moral Formation: how we live as Catholic Christians,

• Relationship with God: how we pray,

• Education for Community Life: how we live in society in response to our baptism

Confirmation Components
Preparation for Confirmation at St. Perpetua has four integrated components.
1.  Youth Group Gatherings
2.  Formal Sacrament of Confirmation Preparation Year
3.  Liturgical Celebrations
4.  Service

Confirmation Calendar
The schedule for Confirmation preparation covers a two-year period that begins with youth group in the ninth grade and concludes in the tenth grade with an invitation to explore some of the most important questions in life during (Confirmation).  However, teens who are up to it, may also complete the preparation in a one-year intensive experience.

To Start Confirmation, attend 1 of 3 General Information Evenings:
+ 1a - Tuesday, September 3, Confirmation Information Evening (1st of 3)
+ 1b - Wednesday, September 4, Confirmation Information Evening (2nd of 3)
+ 1c - Thursday, September 5,  Confirmation Information Evening (3rd  of 3)
 
September Confirmation Gatherings
+  2 - Sunday, September 15, Welcome to Confirmation
+  3 - Sunday, September 29, Life is Choices
 
October Confirmation Gatherings
+  4 - Sunday, October 13, What's Holding You Back
+  5 - Sunday, October 20, The Jesus Question
 
November Confirmation Gatherings
+ 6 - Sunday, November 3, The Prayer Process
+ 7 - Sunday, November 17, The Bible
 
December Confirmation Gatherings
+ 8 - Sunday, December 15, Celebrating What's Right with the World
 
January Confirmation Gatherings
+   9 - Sunday, January 12, Relationships
+ 10 - Sunday, January 26, The Eucharist
 
February Confirmation Gatherings
+ 11 - Sunday, February 9, The Holy Spirit
+ 12 - Sunday, February 23, The Church
+ 13 - Ash Wednesday, February 26, Liturgical Service
 
Confirmation Retreat
+ 14 - Saturday February 29 - Sunday, March 1, Retreat
 
March Confirmation Gathering
+ 15 - Sunday, March 15, Safe Environment
 
April Confirmation Gatherings
+ 16 - Sunday, April 5, Made For Mission
+ 17 - Thursday, April 9, Holy Thursday Liturgy
+ 18 - Sunday, April 26, Holiness is Possible / Intent
 
Late April / Early May TBD by Diocese
+ 19 - TBD, Rehearsal & DP 10, Confirmation
+ 20 - TBD, Discernment Interviews
+ 21 - TBD, CONFIRMATION

Teens Gathering Together To

 Be Bold – Be Catholic – Be the Best Version of Yourself