Dear Parents/Guardians,
I hope you are doing well.
This is just a reminder that we have Confirmation preparation class in the week ahead.
For students in Religious Education - We will meet on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3:30pm in the auditorium.
For students who attend Saint Andrew School - We will meet during the school day on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
For either meeting, there is an assignment due. This can be downloaded below if needed. It is the "Class #8 Journal - Sants.docx" and is an assignment in which they must pick their Confirmation Saint Name (patron saint of Confirmation). They must also know about the saint and be able to discuss the saint as we will practice the Rite of Confirmation during the class.
The instructions that I gave them about selecting their saints name were:
1) Their name given at baptism (if it is the name of a canonized saint). Choosing their own name is a reminder that Confirmation completes what began at Baptism.
2) If they do not have a name that is in the cannon of saints, they might consider a name within the cannon that is familiar to your family. A treasured name passed on from generation to generation or an important relationship that reminds them how to live a Christian life.
3) If the above criteria are not sought after by the candidate, then a patron saint who was a model of faith in one or many of the skills or talents they have would be ideal. Such as the patron saint of music for a musician (Saint Cecilia) or the patron saint of athletes (Saint Sebastian).
I hope this short debriefing helps catch you up to the conversation that we had in our session. I look forward to learning more about their choices.
I've put a few additional notes below my signature including a section of available Confirmation Masses for those who are still looking for an opportunity to fill the observation requirement.
Thank you for all you do to share your faith with your children!
Many blessings,
David Heimann
Time to Select a Confirmation Sponsor
Sunday, May 19, 2024 Meeting with sponsors
At the last Confirmation meeting, I described to the students that they should begin the process of selecting their Confirmation Sponsors and getting the necessary permission for that individual to serve as a sponsor.
To serve as a Confirmation Sponsor, the potential sponsor must be a practicing Catholic registered in a parish. The parish pastor (or his staff) then signs the Sponsor permission form that is attached below. This form be completed by May 1, 2024 so I can have enough time to process the forms before the Sponsor begins to work with the candidate.
There are several criteria which make someone eligible to be a sponsor for Confirmation.
• Should have a relationship with the candidate and can support them.
• Must be a baptized Catholic who has received Eucharist and has been Confirmed;
• Must he/she is a practicing Catholic who participates in the Eucharistic celebration on Sundays
• Cannot have any canonical penalties on them (rare)
• Must be at least 16 years of age;
• Cannot be the candidate's mother or father;
I am also requesting that the Confirmation Sponsors attend a meeting with us on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 6:00pm in the auditorium (this is a change in date... see below).
As I tell the students, if I were being requested to participate in a meeting on May 19, I would want to know about it now. I encourage the students to make their selection soon and ask their sponsors to complete the forms!
Confirmation Retreat
Saturday, April 27, 2024
8:00am to 2:30pm
Reviewing one of the requirements for Confirmation Candidates as listed in the parent guidebook. The Archdiocese require that young candidates make a retreat in both their first year of preparation and their second year of preparation.
Since the beginning of our program, we had announced that we would hold this retreat on Saturday, April 27, 2024 but we didn't have a set time or plans.
Plans are developing very well for the retreat and we can now announce that the retreat will be a pilgrimage to the Archdiocese of Chicago's ministry campus on the south side known as the Meyer Center and subsequently to Mary Queen of Africa parish.
We will travel to these sites by bus from Saint Andrew Parish leaving at 8:00am and returning to Saint Andrew by 2:30pm. We will be making stops to visit the places near to the life of Fr. Augustus Tolton who is a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church. The pilgrimage will include lunch for all the students. I will need adult volunteers to accompany us as chaperones for this experience. Please let me know if you are interested.
To get ahead of any questions about conflicts. Please remember that making a retreat in the first year of Confirmation preparation is required (as is a retreat in the second year). If there is a conflict, an organized substitute retreat or experience must be completed. I will pass along resources but it will be incumbent upon families to organize participation in other opportunities.
Attendance at a Confirmation Mass
Thank you to all the candidates who attended the Confirmation Mass at Saint Andrew on January 26. The list of alternate dates to fulfill the requirement of observing a Confirmation Mass is below
Proof of attendance will come by way of completing the reflection form which you can download below. This reflection form is completed after they observe both a Confirmation Mass and a Baptism.
List of Confirmation Masses to Observe
If your child(ren) are looking for a Confirmation Mass to attend to complete part of the requirements to view a Confirmation Mass, a list of Confirmations at nearby parishes is listed below. If you need more information, you may contact the individual listed as contact for the parish:
3/22/2024 - 7:00PM
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace
Questions - Contact: Sr. Christine Nantaba, IHMR - cnantaba@archchicago.org
3/23/2024 - 9:30 and 1:30
St Stephen Deacon and Martyr
Questions - Contact: Dee Zvejnieks - dee@ststephentinley.com
4/13/2024 - 10am
St Josaphat
Questions - Contact: Nathan Johnson - nathan@stjosaphatparish.org
4/14/2024 - 2:30 PM
St George
Questions - Contact: Jeanne Lassandrello - jlassandrello@stgeorge60477.org
4/19/2024 - 7:00 PM
Our Lady at St. Germaine
Questions - Contact: Marianne Powers - mfpund74@aol.com, mrsmpowers@stgol.org
4/20/2024 - 11:00 a.m.
St Damian
Questions - Contact: Cheryl Plesha - cherylp@stdamianchurch.org
4/21/2024 - 2:00 P.M.
St Elizabeth Seton
Questions - Contact: Diana Barracca - barracca@steseton.com
4/24/2024 - 7:00 PM
Our Lady of Unity
Questions - Contact: Clair Zaffaroni - clair.zaffaroni@archchicago.org
4/27/2024 - 1 PM
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Questions - Contact: Carlos Roman - croman@ourlmc.org
4/27/2024 - 11 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
St John XXIII
Questions - Contact: Karoline Ferrell - kferrell@archchicago.org
4/27/2024 - 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 3pm
St Paul VI
Questions - Contact: Elizabeth Kos - ebkos@stpaulviparish.org
5/3/2024 - 7pm
St Juliana
Questions - Contact: Mary Petrash - mpetrash@stjuliana.org
5/5/2024 - 2:00 p.m.
St Catherine of Alexandria
Questions - Contact: Sandra Bustamante - sbustamante@archchicago.org
5/17/2024 - 7:00pm
Jesus Bread of Life
Questions - Contact: Sr. Jane Frances - Religioused@stsylvesterschool.org
5/25/2024 - 9:00 am
Blessed Martyrs of Chimbote
Questions - Contact: maria molina - Stblaseccd2023@yahoo.com
To keep us all in the know about the path for Confirmation Preparation for the upcoming academic year, the schedule of sessions dedicated only to Confirmation is listed below.
March 17 3:30pm - 4:45pm Confirmation #7 (Split Class)
Saint Andrew School meets during the week
April 21 3:30pm - 4:45pm Confirmation # 8 (Joint Class)
Saturday, April 27 Confirmation Retreat TBA (Joint Class)
May 11 Service Project - Cook County Forest Preserve
May 19 6:00pm to 7:30pm Confirmation Sponsor Meeting (Joint Class)
June 1 Service Project FMSC