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The Confirmation Process in our Parish is a two-year program for teens entering 9th grade or higher. The length of the program as well as the high-school age is an Archdiocesan requirement.
The Sacrament of Confirmation:

Welcomes us and deepens our belonging to the faith community
Deepens our relationship to God, as Creator, Redeemer and Spirit
Strengthens us as disciples

Requirements
Attend Sunday Mass regularly– Receiving Holy Eucharist is an essential part of the Confirmation preparation process as well as the candidate’s faith development as a Catholic Christian.
Attend sessions w/small group leader 1-2 times a month. All sessions are held on Sundays.
Attend sponsor/candidate sessions 2 per year. All sessions are held on Sundays.
Attend group retreat 1 per yr.
Track 1 retreat: 12/16/07
Track 2 retreat: 1/4/08 7pm to 1/5/08 7pm
Attend a Youth Day 1 during the 2 years. 2 options in 07/08 year:
Santa Barbara on 1/26/08
Anaheim on 2/28/08
(separate fee for Youth Day)
Complete 10 service projects
5 each year. See service booklet for details.
Complete 10 Parish Life activities
5 each year. See booklet for details.
Registration Information

Completed registration form
Registration fees paid ($50 per year)
Youth Day fee $50 for track 1 (due with registration)
Retreat fee $80 for track 2 (due with registration)
Copy of Baptismal Certificate with registration
Copy of First Communion Certificate with registration
Sponsor form completed (required to move from year 1 to year 2).
Recent photograph (school or snapshot)

The sponsor should be at least 18 & a mature person of faith.
The sponsor must be a Confirmed Catholic
The sponsor can be male or female
The sponsor may NOT be a parent of the candidate.
The sponsor reflects Catholic Christian values.
The sponsor should live in the local area and be able to attend the sponsor/candidate sessions.
The ideal sponsor is the candidate’s Godmother or Godfather

Service to Others
Service is a part of the Confirmation process because as followers of Jesus we are called to grow in our understanding of the needs of others and to generously respond using our time, talents and resources.
The wonderful thing about service is that the rewards are tremendous. When we serve, we love; and we become less self-absorbed, less focused on our own wants. The more we serve, the more we love, and eventually both become a way of life.

What counts as service?
There are two main areas of service to complete for the Confirmation program. “Parish Led” or “Community”.
The Parish Led service is anything connected to the church. Every time you come to a session for Confirmation there will be sign-up sheets out for you to help with Parish Led projects. There are plenty of choices to complete all 9 projects at the church. We ask that one of your service projects be a shelter dinner. We serve dinner at the Santa Maria Good Samaritan Shelter the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The other project we ask everyone to help with is the Annual Parish Family Festival the 2nd Sunday each October. In addition to these, the other opportunities range from the 30 Hr. Famine, reading or music ministry at Youth Mass, CCD helper, donating to our food pantry and more. (a full list of the Parish Led Activities will be provided). Some of the Parish Led service is worth more than one entry in the booklet (for example the 30 Hr. Famine is equal to 4 entries).
The “Community” service takes into account things you may already be doing in the community to be of service to others. These can range from being a volunteer at the hospital or being a member of clubs at schools that serve others to simply mowing the neighbor’s lawn because they are sick or taking care of the younger children in your family so your parents can have a night out (without pay). Five hours equals one entry in the service booklet for Community.
Contact Kelly with any questions you have regarding service. Turn in your service booklet as soon as it is complete. Each candidate is responsible for tracking their service and noting it in the booklet.

Other Confirmation Information
Track 1: is the first year of the two-year process.
Track 2: is the second year of the two-year process.
A candidate must be in High School to start the program.
If you are unable to financially cover the cost of the Confirmation program contact us. We are happy to set up a payment program for you.
We need VOLUNTEERS to make the program possible. Please contact us for a list of volunteer opportunities in Youth Ministry. sldmym@sldm.org or 937-0701
We understand there may be times when conflicts will arise when it comes to Confirmation versus school, athletic or other personal/family activities. Be aware that absences can prevent the candidate from being adequately prepared for Confirmation. Review the schedule and commitments prior to registration to ensure that every effort will be made to honor the commitments of the Confirmation program.