Confirmation Overview

Requirements

A young person is eligible to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation if all of the following requirements are met:

  • Will be in the 8th grade or High School in the 2011–2012 school year.
    A special note for our high school candidates: we try to get you all in the same session and small group so that you have a group of your peers to share this journey with.
  • Must have received the Sacraments of Baptism (or made a Profession of Faith in the Catholic Church), Reconciliation and Eucharist in the Catholic Church.
    Please Note: Should any of these sacraments be needed, please contact the Parish Program Coordinator in the parish office to discuss the available preparation options.
  • Must be a registered parishioner of St. Mark Church (or obtain written permission from your pastor to prepare for and receive Confirmation at St. Mark).
  • Must be enrolled in an Archdiocesan-approved Religious Education Program for the current 2010–2011 school year as a seventh grader or older. This includes St. Mark School, St. Mark Religious Education (traditional or family), or in another Catholic school.
  • Will be enrolled in an Archdiocesan-approved Religious Education Program (options as listed above) for the upcoming 2011–2012 school year.

Direct Preparation Process

The following outlines the Confirmation Preparation Process in more detail. Please note this is a simplified list of events and does not include all the details and commitments of the program.

  • Entrance Ritual, which is part of a Sunday Mass. Each Candidate receives a Catholic Youth Bible (St. Mary’s Press) and signs the Covenant Book.
  • 15 Service hours are completed by each candidate with at least 5 hours in each of the following areas: Social Justice, Ministry and Community Service. More on Service Hours Requirements »
  • 6 direct preparation Sessions on Monday evenings from 7:00–8:30 p.m. in the Coakley Room. (See Confirmation Calendar for dates.)
    We have some guest speakers who present at these sessions. Parent volunteers and other adults are small group leaders, both on Mondays (see calendar) and on retreat. We also have high school peers involved on Mondays and on retreat. Group A starts on a date to be determined and Group B starts on a date to be determined.
  • 1 Retreat
    We participate in a structured Day of Recollection at the Msgr. O’Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks, MD. Group A attends on Saturday, November 12; Group B attends on Sunday, November 13.
  • 1 Rehearsal (TBD; 7:00–8:30pm; Church)
    Rehearsal is the Monday night prior to the celebration.
  • 1 Letter to the Bishop (TBD)
    (See the Instructions for Bishop Letter for the complete requirements.)
  • Celebration for 2011 will be on a date to be determined at 3:00pm in the Church.
  • Interview:
    Each Confirmation candidate is interviewed once during the preparation process. The Candidate will have a 15–20 minute interview with a member of the Passtoral Staff prior to the reception of the Sacrament.