7th and 8th Grade REP
Confirmation Preparation
Confirmation is a Catholic sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts. Like Baptism and Eucharist, it is a Sacrament of Initiation for Catholics and a Sacrament of faith in God’s fidelity to us.
Seventh and eighth grade religious education classes ae designed to prepare students for reception of these gifts in the following ways:
Sacrament
During class time on Monday evening, students spend 1.5 hours studying a curriculum designed to prepare them for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Topics covered include the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the seven Sacraments, the life of Jesus, Sin, and Morality. Please contact the Religious Education office at 766-2472 to enroll your child in REP classes.
Service
Another aspect of preparing for this sacrament is service. During their 7th and 8th grade years, students are expected to complete a minimum of 30 hours of service for their church, school and/or community. A description of eligible service can be found on this excerpt from the Confirmation Program Handbook: Service. When students complete service hours, they must take their Service Hours Log with them to get a signature from the supervising adult. Logs will be checked for progress three times a school year. At each check, a Service Report that discusses recent service is to be completed and turned in to the coordinator.
Saints
One final part of preparation is studying Saints and choosing a Saint’s name for a Confirmation name. At the time of anointing during the rite of Confirmation, the Bishop addresses each candidate by their Confirmation name. Candidates may choose to use their baptismal name to signify a deepening of the commitment they first entered into at Baptism. Candidates may also choose to mark this new phase in their faith life by taking a new name. If a new name is to be used, it should be chosen for its religious significance to the candidate and the occasion, not simply because it “sounds good”. Confirmation names are the names of those who lived their lives in witness to what Christian life should be and are recognized as saints by the Church. Names that have Christian significance such as Faith and Charity are acceptable, as well as Old Testament names such as Hannah or David. Resources will be available to all students at times during the year to research the lives of the Saints.
A Saint project is completed to help students to learn about the Saints and to choose a name that fits the above criteria. The project is completed in three parts, as seen below:
Mini-reports - to be completed on three of the Top Ten Saints
Final Presentation - to be completed on chosen Saint
This project is started in the 7th grade year by completing the Top Ten and three Mini-reports. The final presentation is made and presented during the 8th grade year.
Paperwork
Certain paperwork is required in order to be Confirmed. These forms will be distributed at Parent/Student Workshops. They can also be downloaded below.
Sponsor Certificate - a description of eligible sponsors can be found on this excerpt from the Confirmation Program Handbook: Sponsors
For more information on the Confirmation Program, please contact Carol Colangelo, Confirmation Coordinator and Coordinator of 7th and 8th Grade Religious Education at 766-2472 or ccolangelo@sjsmch.org.Lessons
Roman Missal, 3rd Edition Lessons
Introduction – The Mass and The Missal
7th Grade
8th Grade