June17, 2022
Dear Parents:
With your support, the help of the parish and Catholic school community, I look forward to assisting your child to prepare to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Any child in Grade 7-12 who has not received this sacrament is a potential candidate for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation this year.
The parishes of the Diocese of Peterborough are working together to offer a Sacramental Preparation Program that is consistent in form and content. This initiative is designed to assist the home, school, and parish in nurturing the faith of your child as you prepare them for receiving the sacraments.
All the Catholic parishes in the Diocese work closely with the school communities. The Catholic schools provide Religious and Family Life Education for your child and the parishes provide the Sacramental Preparation Program for your child. The Sacramental Preparation Program will be offered at the parishes.
There will be two Parent Information Meetings that will last no longer than 60 minutes. Please attend one. They will be:
-Wednesday, September 14th at 8PM, and -Sunday September 25th after the 11 AM Mass
All will be at the parish hall, which is in St. Mary’s School. These meetings will help to explain the Sacramental Preparation Program and how you can continue to support your child’s faith development. Please bring a copy of your child’s baptism certificate.
There is a fee of $50.00 for the confirmation program to help offset costs of the materials. Your child will receive the program textbook, Chosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation. If this expense poses a concern, I strongly encourage you to speak with me so that our assistance can be offered. Your child will also receive a Mass journal booklet and Saint’s project booklet.
As Pastor, I am responsible, in collaboration with the Bishop, in following Canon Law and Diocesan Policies, to ensure that all the requirements are completed in preparation for the celebration of this sacrament for your child. If your child has not been baptized yet, please feel welcome to contact me at your earliest convenience.
Because the preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation is important for your child, I want to encourage you to go over the requirements of this program carefully. My hope is that you take the catechism program into consideration when making decisions for your child’s extracurricular activities (such as hockey, gymnastics, lacrosse, etc) for this school year.
Sacrament of Confirmation Preparation Sessions Preparation sessions start in the Church with Mass at 7pm. Then a 90-minute session will take place in the large Sacristy of the Church on the following dates. Your child must attend at least 8 classes and come to Mass to be considered in good standing.
Session 1 – Tuesday September 27th, 2022 Session 2 – Tuesday October 11th, 2022 Session 3 – Tuesday November 1st, 2022 Session 4 – Tuesday November 22nd, 2022 Session 5 – Tuesday December 6th, 2022 Session 6 – Tuesday January 10th, 2023 Session 7 – Tuesday January 24th, 2023 Session 8 – Tuesday February 7th, 2023 Session 9 – Tuesday February 21st, 2023 Session 10 – Tuesday March 7th, 2023 Session 11 – Tuesday March 28th, 2023 Session 12 – Tuesday April 4th, 2023 Please mark these dates on your calendar.
The children must complete Mass journals during the academic year, complete a saint’s project, and write a letter to the priest stating why they want to be confirmed or meet with the priest to see if they are ready for confirmation. A child can also fulfill the Mass attendance requirements by coming to another vigil Mass or Sunday Mass at St. Mary’s or another Catholic Church, but you must have a record of attendance. As you are the first teachers of the Catholic faith, the pastor expects that starting in September you and your child will consistently attend in person Sunday Masses. Your Sunday Mass attendance will be monitored throughout the year.
At a later time, we hope to hear about the timing for the Retreat based on the ministry’s schedule and Confirmation which depends on the Bishop’s schedule. Thanks for your patience.
I will be praying for you and your child as they prepare to receive the holy sacrament of Confirmation.
Sincerely in Christ, Fr. Joseph LoJacono, IVE Pastor St. Mary’s