“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

Through these words, words Jesus prepared his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In the same way, Jesus speaks to those who wish to receive a fuller out-pouring of the Holy Spirit at their own Pentecost today through the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Confirmation preparation program is not just study but a step along the path to holiness that continues on from the Sacrament of Baptism; it’s the final Sacrament of initiation and is an excellent time for a young Catholic and their family to grow in faith. At St. Joseph Church, Catholics in grades seven to adulthood are invited to begin the preparation process for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, to receive the Holy Spirit, through the anointing with oil and the laying on of hands by the bishop or a priest appointed by him.

Doesn’t this all happen at school?

The Sacraments are about a faith relationship found within the community of the Church, not membership in a school. Eventually, students graduate from their school; they may visit, but their school will not be the place they go back to for healing in a moment of crisis, for sacramental care in a time of sorrow or joy, or for direction when they are called to grow and mature in life. A parish, a faith community, is a family one never graduates from, and through the Sacraments one declares, “I want to be a member of a community of faith for life”. Through our community, the faithful, including our children, grow and become who God wants them to be!

Steps to Confirmation:

Enrol

Candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation are asked to provide a copy of their Baptismal certificate. Baptismal certificates can be obtained by contacting the parish where the candidate was Baptized and can be sent directly to St. Joseph Church or uploaded when you enrol. Candidates who were Baptized at St. Joseph Church do not need to provide a Baptismal certificate.

Candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation also need to have received their First Communion. Those who have not yet received their First Communion may be invited to do so alongside their preparation for Confirmation.

Candidates living within the boundaries of, and worshiping at, St. Joseph Church are welcome to complete an enrolment form online. If your family is registered and worshiping at another parish, please consult with your Pastor regarding celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. For those families worshiping at other parishes wishing to have their children celebrate Sacraments at St. Joseph Church, please provide a letter of blessing from your Pastor.

To help cover the cost of the materials and resources used, the parish asks for $50. Please bring this with you to the first session. However, no one will be turned away, regardless of financial ability.

When you’re ready to commit, complete the online registration form. But first, be aware of the requirements for Confirmation. For candidates not Baptized at St. Joseph Church, completing this registration will be easier if you have a copy of the candidate’s Baptismal certificate on hand so it can be uploaded.

Join an onboarding gathering

Parents and candidates need to join an onboarding gathering to learn more about preparing for Confirmation, to receive a workbook, begin preparing and get all questions answered. The session is expected to take 90 minutes. Parents should participate with their child.

• Thursday, October 1st at 6:30pm in the Columbus Hall
• Saturday, October 3rd at 10:30am in the Main Church Hall
• Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30pm in the Main Church Hall

Attend six youth group gatherings (Due June 8th, 2027)

Candidates will join six youth group gatherings. These happen on the first and third Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the Main Church Hall. There are also a few Friday evening options available throughout the year. Candidates unable to join on Tuesday evenings can join a youth group from a neighbouring Catholic church; they can use this form to verify their participation at another youth group.

Participate in a Rite of Welcoming

Candidates are also expected to attend a Rite of Welcoming at the church during any Sunday Mass on:

Saturday, February 20th at 4:30pm or Sunday, February 21st at 8:45am, 10:30am, 12:15pm or 7:00pm

At this ritual candidates will be called up and presented to the Christian Community. In turn, the community will pray for those candidates preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation.

Complete Homework (Due May 16th, 2027)

Candidates will join a Google Classroom and complete seven chapters from the ‘Chosen’ workbook.

Complete Ten Mass Journals (Due May 30th)

At the onboarding, candidates receive a Mass Reflection Journal. Participate in ten different Sunday Masses and fill out one reflection at or after each Mass. Completed Mass Reflection Journals can be given to the priest at church, handed in at Compass (youth group) or dropped off in the office mail slot. Candidates are welcome to participate at Mass in any Catholic church. School Masses and online Mass do not count. Candidates need to go to Mass. The second Mass Journals Book can be picked up at Compass or at a Sunday Mass: just see a priest.

Need another copy of the Mass Journal books? Find printable versions here!

Complete a Saint Project (Due March 21st)

For this project, choose a saint you admire whose faith witness inspires you to live a life of greater faithfulness, someone who can be your model and spiritual companion for the rest of your life. You will take on the name of this saint as your Confirmation name! Choose a saint with qualities you admire. (i.e. courage in the face of difficulties, dedicated to a rich prayer life, helping the poor, etc.) Choosing a Saint is a prayerful process. Ask God to inspire you in your prayers and reflections as you discern the name of a Saint for this project.
Here are a few suggestions:

• Begin by finding Saints who share your first, middle or sometimes last names. Read the stories of these Saints and see if their lives attract you in some way.
• The Internet is an easy way to search for the life stories of Saints.
• Think about your interests. For example – if you are interested in music – look up the patron Saint of musicians.
• Research the Saint whose feast day is the same as your birthday.
• Talk to your parents and sponsor about their choices and their patron Saints.

If possible, choose a saint who is unique and special to you. It is important to learn about your chosen Saint and to share the life of your saint in your own words. Please do not just copy and paste the information from the internet.

Ready to begin? Get a copy of the Google Slides Template in the Google Classroom to complete and submit your Saint Project.

Select a Confirmation Sponsor (Due March 30th, 2027)

Please prayerfully consider whom you would like as your sponsor, noting that a Sponsor for Confirmation is a role model in living the faith for the candidate.

Obtain evidence of the sponsor having received the Sacrament of Confirmation so it can be uploaded as you fill out the form. This can be a copy of the sponsor’s Confirmation Certificate or the sponsor’s updated Sacramental Record. A copy of the sponsor’s updated Sacramental Record can be obtained from the Church at which he or she is Baptized even if it was in another country. Alternatively, we can accept a photo of the Sponsor’s Confirmation a written or a signed eyewitness testimony or a Confirmation or Baptism Certificate showing that the sponsor has taken on the role in the past.

 Requirements for Confirmation Sponsors:

• Is at least 16 years of age;
• Is a practicing Catholic;
• Has received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation (Sponsor is required to provide a Copy of his/her Sacramental Record including Confirmation Date — this is obtained from the Parish where one was baptized)
• Leads a life in harmony with the Roman Catholic faith;
• Is not a parent of the candidate.

Use the progress QR code on the cover of the Confirmation Workbook to send information about a Sponsor.

Possible documents sponsors may use to demonstrate they have received the Sacrament of Confirmation:

If a potential Confirmation Sponsor was Baptized and Confirmed in a parish other than St. Joseph in Bowmanville, they will need to show they have have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. In most cases a Baptism Certificate is not enough, especially if there is no record of a Confirmation date. Here are examples of documents a potential sponsor may use to demonstrate they have received the Sacrament of Confirmation:

• Confirmation certificate
• Sacramental Record including date of Confirmation (a new copy of this can be obtained from the church of Baptism)
• Baptism Certificate indicating they have been a Godparent in the past
• Letter of attestation from someone for whom they are a Godparent or Confirmation Sponsor for already
• Letter of attestation from a parent of a child for whom they are a Godparent to
• Letter from a priest indicating they have been a Godparent or Confirmation Sponsor in the past
• Confirmation Certificate indicating they have been a Confirmation sponsor in the past
• Letter from their own Confirmation Sponsor attesting they witnessed the Confirmation
• Photograph of their Confirmation
• Photograph showing they have previously been a Godparent or Confirmation Sponsor
• Letter from an eyewitness testifying they witnessed the Confirmation
• Letter from an eyewitness testifying they witnessed the individual take on the roll of Godparent or Confirmation Sponsor in the past
• Marriage certificate from a Catholic Church in a nation where Confirmation is required for Marriage along with a letter from a priest of that nation clarifying that Confirmation was required for Marriage in that nation at the time the marriage was celebrated.

Both physical or electronic copies of these documents are accepted.

Candidates encountering difficulties in selecting or finding a sponsor should contact the pastor by April 1st, 2027.

Pick a Confirmation Time

Confirmations will be celebrated on Saturday June 12th at 11am and 1:30pm. There won’t be a rehearsal, but candidates will be invited to serve in different ministries at these celebrations. For those who are ready on time, there will be an opportunity to choose a Confirmation time on May 10th.

To the Candidate: Are You Ready?

Your initiation into the Christian community began when you were born! Your parents presented you for baptism, and continued to support you in celebrating Holy Communion for the first time. Confirmation completes the initiation and you become a full member of the church. Here are a few things to think about:

Confirmation is the beginning of a new and deeper kind of commitment. This is now all the support from your parents, guardians, community and school culminating in your decision to claim your faith and renew and recommit yourself to the promises that were made on your behalf at you Baptism.

Do you have to know everything about being Catholic to be Confirmed? Not at all! Your faith journey is a lifetime path; you need only understand the kind of commitment you are making and be willing to have a deepening relationship with God.

How do you know you are ready? The following questions may help you discern if you are ready to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation:

• Why do I want to be Confirmed?
  If everyone else in my peer group/class/friends, etc. were choosing not to be Confirmed, would I still choose to be Confirmed myself?
• Am I willing to be a person of love and compassion, serving others in the way that Jesus did?
• Am I ready to commit to living a Christian way of life?
• Am I willing to make an effort to deepen my spiritual life through private prayer and public worship?
• Is participation in the Christian community, particularly through my parish, important to me?

If you do not feel able to make such a commitment, we encourage you not to be Confirmed at this time. Confirmation is about celebrating one’s full, conscious and active participation in the Christian community. It doesn’t make sense to celebrate the ritual if we do not intend to live out the commitment. When you feel you are ready, that is the time to be Confirmed!

​​One final note…

This is a grace-filled time for candidates and family members alike. The best spiritual preparation for the candidates and the best example by the parents involves faithful Catholic practice. God bless you as you continue on your journey of faith.

While this will undoubtedly be an exciting time for you, please know the entire parish community shares in this excitement. It will be an opportunity for all of us to deepen our Christian faith, and to strengthen our commitment to serve one another and the world

Your family are invited and welcome to join any our Sunday Masses designed to fit any busy schedule:
Saturday, 4:30pm; Sunday, 8:45am, 10:30am, 12:15pm and 7:00pm.

May God bless you as you continue on your journey of faith. Of course, if our parish can be of any assistance or answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. The entire parish community shares your excitement as you prepare for these beautiful Sacraments!