CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS AND CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

The preparation process as well as the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation are parish-based. Since the overwhelming majority of Catholics have the parish as the center of their life-long faith development, it is essential that all programs of youth ministry make every effort to integrate the youth into the life of the parish. This is not to ignore the contributions for catechesis, prayer and service that take place in the life of the Catholic high schools. We affirm that all activities of the Catholic High School with respect to catecheses, prayer, and service should be understood as being directly supportive of parish life and programs.

When the Catholic youth who is attending a Catholic high school also chooses to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, the preparation becomes the direct responsibility of the parish. Certain elements of the parish preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and activities of the Catholic high school will overlap. The parish Confirmation team, parents, and youth must be clearly aware of the components of preparation that are to be undertaken primarily by the Catholic high school; components undertaken jointly by the Catholic high school and parish; and components which take place totally with the parish itself.

The guidelines for implementing the policy concerning the Sacrament of Confirmation indicate that the process of preparation includes formational, informational, and integrational experiences for the candidates. Students enrolled in Catholic high schools will normally be expected to have the informational experience as part of their course work in the Religion Department. This does not mean that Catholic high school students will not be welcome at the informational experiences offered within the parish. In fact, such students are in a position to contribute greatly to the discussions and stories of faith that are to be developed and shared during the informational experiences.

Certain dimensions of the formational and integrational experiences will be properly reserved to parish activities and not Catholic high school activities. These include the opening retreat experience as the candidates begin their preparation for the sacrament, the various liturgies which are part of the preparation, and other events that must be strictly parish-based experiences.

Other retreat experiences in the Catholic high school may serve to assist the candidates as they prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation. However, those retreat experiences in the Catholic high school usually do not have as their primary or sole objective the preparation of candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Even so, the Christian Service programs of the Catholic high school provide a great service in developing the student’s understanding and awareness of what it means to be a member of the Church.

The parish Confirmation team must be sensitive to the Parish/Catholic high school relationship and design the program to accommodate the various needs of the youth. The active participation of all candidates for Confirmation in parish life is crucial to the strengthening of their commitment to the Church and to active membership in the parish community on a life-long basis.

The Catholic high schools are asked to be valued resource to the parishes in the implementation of the Confirmation policy.

Diocese of Paterson, May 1984