Confirmation

If your youth will be 15 years of age on or before August 20, 2007 we wish to invite you to prayerfully consider Confirmation preparation for your son or daughter. Because religious education is appropriate to the lifestyle of a young Catholic, to be eligible to prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Andrew, a candidate must have attended religious education or Catholic school last year. All candidates are also required to participate in religious education or Catholic school through out the year of preparation. We look forward to sharing this important time with your youth and family. Confirmation is a cooperative effort between the parish, the candidate, the parent or parents and the sponsor. Please discern together whether or not all parties can commit to the preparation process. Because both cycles are limited to 50 participants, please do not register until you are sure all parties concerned will be able to commit to the entire cycle of preparation.

2007-8 Preparation Schedule
Fall Cycle 2007	Confirmation Preparation	Spring Cycle 2008
8/26or 9/9 Orientation for Fall Cycle only (one or other not both)	Parent/Candidate Orientation 6:30 p.m. to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	1/6 or 1/13 Orientation for Spring Cycle only (one or other not both)
9/16	Session One 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall	1/20
9/23	Session Two 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall	2/3
9/30	Session Three 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	2/10
10/14	Session Four 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	2/17
10/21	Session Five 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	2/25
10/28	Session Six 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	3/2
11/11	Session Seven 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	3/30
12/2	Session Eight 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall	4/6
10/6- 10/7	Confirmation Retreat	1/26-1/27
11/7 Family Advent Fair 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.	Community/ Message/ Worship Ministries Project	1/30 Mardi Gras Festival 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
11/10-11/1 Turkey Bucks Service Project at All Masses	Service Ministries Project	2/2-3 Souper Bowl Collection at All Masses
11/4	Sponsor or Proxy/Candidate Dinner 6:30 to 8:30p.m. in the Parish Hall This session is for the Sponsor and Candidate only.	3/9
12/9	Rehearsal and Prayer Vigil 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall	4/20
December 15, 2007 5:30PM Mass	Celebration	May 4, 2008 5:00PM Mass

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Our Fall Confirmation cycle has begun. Please continue to pray the Novena to the Holy Spirit with our Confirmation candidates. The students pray one day of the novena each week as they prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. This is Week 3.

Week 1

First Day: Creation Awaits Fulfillment
Holy Spirit, Lord of light!
From Your clear celestial height,
Your pure' beaming radiance give!

Almighty and eternal God, send forth Your Spirit, who brought order from chaos at the beginning of the universe, and peace to the Lord's disciples.
Grant that I, as your creation, baptized in your Spirit, may be filled with the seven gifts so that I may forever do your will and renew the face of the earth.
Amen.

Week 4

Fourth Day: The Dignity Of The Christian
Thou, in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity.
O, Divine Trinity, grant that we may be strengthened to see in ourselves and each other the dignity that is ours as temples of Your Holy Spirit, to be loved by one another as each of us is loved by Jesus.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Week 7

Seventh Day: Growth In The Freedom That Love Gives
Heal our wounds - our strength renew;
On our dryness, pour thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away!

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Counsel. Make my thoughts holy, my love pure, and my works pleasing to God.
Father, guided by Your Spirit, may I strive to make loving choices and respect all life.
May we be aware of our dignity as Your sons and daughters, redeemed with the Blood of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

Week 2

Second Day: Christ's Promise To Send The Paraclete
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, treasures which endure!
Come, Light of all that live!

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, fill me with devotion to God alone.
In the Risen Christ, I welcome You, O Spirit of truth, whom the Father sends in Jesus' name.
Wash clean the sinful soul, and rain down your grace that we may be one with the Church in fidelity to our Lord Jesus, Christ.
Amen.

Week 5

Fifth Day: Gifted To Serve And Build Others Up
Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father.
Father, through Your Spirit, You invite us to participate in the fullness of Creation.
Help me to see that all gifts are from You and intended for your Glory.
For there are many different gifts, but always the same Spirit, many ways of serving, but 'always the same Lord.
Amen.

Week 8

Eighth Day: Gifted Through The Spirit
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray!

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Wisdom, strengthen my faith, increase my hope, perfect my charity.
Father, enlighten us each day, in the silence of our hearts, to discern the voice of Your Spirit, to do what He asks of us and to understand the gifts He freely gives us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Week 3

Third Day: The Soul Of Christ's Body, The Church
Thou, of all consolers, best,
Visiting the troubled breast
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart.
God, our Father, may I, through the grace of your Spirit, be forever filled with filial affection for you.
Grant that I may be inspired to love and respect all members of your family as brothers and sisters of Jesus, who, together with him, call you Abba, Father.
Amen.

Week 6

Sixth Day: Human Weakness And Sinfulness
If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay,
All his good is turn'd to ill.

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Understanding, enlighten our minds iixat we may appreciate and see more fully what we know by faith.
Come to us in our weakness and give voice to our petitions, for "the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God."

Week 9

Ninth Day: Sent With The Power To Reconcile
Thou on those who evermore,
Thee confess and Thee adore,
In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend;
Give them comfort when they die;
Give them life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end.
Amen.

Father, through Jesus, Your Son, You sent the Paraclete to be at our side, to reconcile all Creation to you.
Grant that I may be forever open to Jesus' invitation to "Receive The Holy Spirit!" Father, open our hearts to accept Your forgiveness for our sins and to offer that same forgiveness to those who we feel have offended us.
For merciful forgiveness is the essence of Your love revealed in Your Son.
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Your Heavenly Fruits - Your charity, joy, peace patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness and temperance, that I may, by faithful submission to your Inspiration, merit to be united eternally with You in the love of the Father and the Son.
Amen.

A copy of the Baptism Certificate is required and should be brought to the orientation. If your youth was baptized at St. Andrew’s, only the date is necessary. The Church requires proof of Baptism, no candidate will be Confirmed without proof of Baptism.

The program’s cost is $90.00 (checks payable to St. Andrew Catholic Church) to be paid with a completed registration form at orientation. We realize that $90.00 is difficult to pay as a lump sum for some families. At orientation, weekly and monthly payment schedules are available with the initial first payment. Payments of $6.00 can be made weekly or $18.00 monthly. Please contact the director of Ministries with Children and Youth if other payment arrangements must be made. If you can not pay the entire amount, please pay what you can.

Preparation for Confirmation requires participation at orientation, all catechetical sessions, ministries projects, sponsor/candidate dinner and retreat. Missing more than two catechetical sessions or either ministries project or parent orientation or sponsor candidate dinner will delay celebration of the sacrament. A candidate cannot transfer from the Fall to the Spring Cycle. This ensures that we can adequately prepare the number of candidates at Saint Andrew Parish for Confirmation. Consequently, delaying celebration of the sacrament will mean preparing for Confirmation after the Spring Cycle and celebrating Confirmation at a later date.

Confirmation Candidate Letter

Confirmation Registration Form

Slideshow from Fall 2006 Confirmation Retreat

Slideshow from Spring 2007 Confirmation

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Nancy Ristuccia 817-927-5383

Kathy Lawson