CONFIRMATION

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.  For “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”

- Catechism of the Catholic Church (1285)

CCC 1389 The Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, if possible during the Easter season.  But the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily.

Mass attendance on Sundays and Holidays of Obligation are a requirement of our Faith. Deliberately missing Mass for reasons other than illness or an extreme situation is a grave sin. We are preparing your students for Confirmation, but our efforts are undermined when soccer,  baseball, and other reasons keep a student from Mass. We use the envelopes to track Mass attendance and we find that many students miss a great many Masses. This can have an effect on if and/or when the candidate will receive the sacrament.

Attendance at class is essential if the student is to be properly prepared for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Excessive absences may affect if and when the candidate will be Confirmed.

Guidelines for Choosing a Sponsor

“The sponsor is selected by the candidate” and should meet the requirements of baptismal sponsors as stated in the Code of Canon Law #874.

Therefore, a sponsor:

• Must be at least sixteen years old, unless another age is set by the bishop of the diocese or an exception, for just reason, is made by the pastor.
• Must be a Catholic who has received all three sacraments of initiation and leads a life in harmony with the Catholic faith.
• Must not be bound by any penalty of the Church. (i.e. irregular marriage)
• Must not be the parent of the person to be confirmed. (A parent may, however, for good reason, serve as presenter of the candidate for the Sacrament of Confirmation).
• “It is desirable that the one who undertook the role of sponsor at baptism be the sponsor for Confirmation. Distance and other factors may preclude this recommendation.” (Canon 893). If the sponsor cannot be present a proxy may be designated. The proxy must have the same qualifications as the sponsor. There is no specification with regard to the sex of the sponsor. It is important, however, that the candidate be able to identify with the sponsor in terms of Christian living.
• While Canon Law provides the basic requirements, the path to a meaningful sponsor-candidate relationship involves several other factors. A sponsor should:
  • Be a person of lived faith and a role model for the candidate
  • Be available to spend time with the candidate during the preparation process and to take part in the celebration of the sacrament
  • Be a person with whom the candidate has a comfortable and ongoing relationship
  • Be available to continue to support the candidate to fulfill their baptismal promises faithfully after reception of the sacrament

If the sponsor you choose does not attend Prince of Peace Parish, a letter from their parish must be obtained stating that the sponsor is in good standing and is practicing the Faith. The letter should be sent to Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 135 S. Milwaukee Avenue, Lake Villa, IL  60046-8550.