On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, our parish celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with:

Angelo Michael Attardi
Audrey Kinga Bapst
Gabe Jude Baxter
Keagan Rose Beecher
Elizabeth Angela Bernhardt
Jane Catharine Beyer
Brianna Teresa of Andes Cafarelli
Shayne Michael Cooke
Dominic John Paul II Falbo
Maya Joan of Arc Fantauzzi
Isabella Cecelia Feistel
Mary-Margaret Agnes Griffiths
Hannah Teresa Jacobs
Brianna Catherine Leitten
Vanessa Serafina Ludwig
Eleanor Abigail Martin
Courtland Christopher May
Jennifer Elizabeth Menikotz
Karenna Brigid of Kildare Muscato
William Sebastian Neubecker
Gianna Teresa Pellicano
Marcello Peter Popelka
Marissa Christina Seeloff
Mia Cecelia Shaw
Julia Rosalia Siciliano
Marc John the Baptist Sunderlin
Paul Joseph Sunderlin
Ava Tyler
Eric Thomas Aquinas Wheeler

Congratulations, all!

"The Sacrament of Confirmation imparts a character and enables the person who has been baptized to continue on the journey of initiation into the Christian faith, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Those who receive this Sacrament are empowered to witness to Christ in word and in deed, and to proclaim the gospel message."
 

General Information:

Confirmation, Year 1 tyically takes place in 8th grade (or beyond)
Confirmation, Year 2 typically takes place in 9th grade (or beyond) with the celebration of the Sacrament in the spring.

Overview:
Confirmation Preparation throughout the Diocese takes place over the course of two years and begins no earlier than 8th grade. The goal of Confirmation Preparation is to ground candidates in the faith and prepare them to live a life of faith, strengthened by the grace of the Sacrament. To accomplish this, each candidate is expected to complete the following:

• Catechetical Sessions - 25 hours each year is dedicated to learning and exploring the faith of our Church. (This is waived for currently-enrolled Catholic School students as the school curriculum meets this requirement)
  • For 2022-2023, we will have one monthly session online and one monthly session in person. The in-person sessions will be held on Sundays at St. Mary's from 6pm - 7pm unless otherwise noted.
    • Scheduled dates are: 
      • October 16 (Rite of Welcoming at noon Mass, no evening session),
      • November 20,
      • December 18,
      • January 22,
      • February 26,
      • March 19 (Rite of Enrollment at noon Mass, no evening session), and
      • April 23.
      • Additionally, Confirmation candidates must be registered for and participate in Youth Group at the parish, unless they are currently enrolled at St. Mary's School or another Catholic School.
• Retreat Opportunities - two 5-hour retreats (one each year) focused on prayer and relationship with God.
  • For 2022-2023, the retreat will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2023 from 1pm - 6pm at Notre Dame Retreat House. More information about this will be forthcoming.
• Service - as an integral part of our identity as Catholics, each candidate is expected to complete a reasonable amount of service and reflect on it in light of the Sacrament.
  • For 2022-2023, Confirmation candidates will be expected to participate in a minimum of 10 hours of community service. At least one community service opportunity will be set up through the parish monthly (see this page for more information), but candidates may participate in community service elsewhere as well.
• Regular Mass attendance - as Catholics seeking full initiation, it is vital that candidates regularly attend Sunday Mass.
• Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation - it is important to approach Confirmation free of the bonds of sin.
• Faith Formation - Confirmation Candidates must have either been registered for and participated in Faith Formation/Youth Group OR have been enrolled in Catholic School for the entire year prior (2021-2022) to Confirmation Prep as well as the current year (2022-2023)

Catechetical Topics:
The following topics of our faith teaching are covered over the two years of preparation:
♦ Justice & Solidarity ♦ The Gospels ♦ Trinity ♦ Catholic Social Teaching ♦ Incarnation ♦ Paschal Mystery ♦ Moral Decision-Making ♦ Church History ♦ Nicene Creed ♦ Revelation: Scripture/Tradition ♦ Mary: Mother of God ♦ Baptism ♦ Eucharist – Real Presence ♦ Church’s Hierarchy ♦ Confirmation ♦ Structure of Mass/Liturgical Year ♦ Prayer ♦ Chastity ♦ Living as Disciples: Trinity & Community ♦ Sin & Reconciliation ♦ Grace ♦ Natural Law/Magisterium ♦ The Ten Commandments & Beatitudes ♦ Social Sin ♦ Conscience Formation ♦ Gifts & Fruits of the Holy Spirit ♦ Moral Theology ♦ Hebrew Scriptures ♦ Christian Lifestyle & Vocations ♦ Medical Ethics ♦ Church History ♦ Saints & Martyrs ♦ Sexuality ♦ Sacraments of Service


For more information, please visit the Diocese of Rochester's Confirmation page at https://oec.dor.org/sacraments/confirmation/