Youth Ministry
Holy Cross . . . a place where YOUth belong!
Welcome to
High School Youth Ministry & Confirmation Preparation
Holy Cross Catholic Church
2007-2008
Holy Cross High School Youth Ministry meets on Sunday nights from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. for a combination of fun, faith-sharing, education, prayer and service activities. Youth Ministry gatherings are intermingled with Confirmation preparation. A monthly bulletin with a calendar of events is published and available on the Sunday preceding the beginning of each month in the back of the Church. We also have a space to announce youth related activities in the weekly parish bulletin (Youth Ministry Corner) and in the kiosk outside of the Church.
Preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation is a two-year process for high school students who will be at least 16 at the time of Confirmation. Separate sessions (on the same night) are held for first year and second year participants. During the first year, sessions include parents and/or sponsors, depending on the topic. During the second year, sponsors are asked to attend sessions with the candidates; if a sponsor cannot attend, a parent is asked to stand in. On those evenings, there will also be a parent session to foster the faith development of parents to help them fulfill their role as the primary catechists of their children. For all candidates, active involvement in the parish is expected (attending Mass and participating in the life of the parish). Each year of preparation includes a retreat day and at least one interview with the Confirmation coordinator. The second year also includes a required weekend retreat for the candidate. The date for Confirmation is set by the bishop’s office and is usually after Easter, in April or May.
Teens that were confirmed in elementary school as part of the RCIA process are encouraged to take part in the high school Confirmation preparation process; a special blessing is given at the time of Confirmation for those teens already confirmed. Preparation for other sacraments (Baptism and Eucharist) is also available by special arrangement with the Office of Youth Ministry.
Teens that are already confirmed are encouraged to continue to grow in their faith by staying active in the parish or youth ministry programs. This year we will be launching a group for older teens who would like to share their faith in a more informal setting. We hope that some will consider taking on a leadership role in youth ministry by helping to plan and facilitate some of the activities they enjoyed (such as the Parish Carnival, service activities, retreat days, or the overnight retreat).
There are many ways for teens, their parents, and the whole parish to be active in making Youth Ministry at Holy Cross a vibrant and fun experience. As a reminder, by diocesan policy all persons 18 and over working with young people must be fingerprinted. For more information about Youth Ministry at Holy Cross, please contact Mary Sue Babb in the Youth Ministry Office, 459-7540. You can also e-mail her at msbabb55@aol.com.
Holy Cross Youth Ministry Commission is committed to empowering the youth of our parish
by nurturing and affirming their gifts, talents and self-esteem.
Announcements
Calendars
Junior High
- The Holy Cross Junior High Youth Group meets on Thursday evenings, mid-September through mid-May, from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. in the basement of 210 High Street (Old High School Building). Our group is open to middle school students who want to meet other Christians their age, to learn more about our shared Catholic faith and the Catholic Church, and to better the understanding of ourselves and the GOD who cares for us.
We participate in parish activities, community service projects, celebrate special holidays, and best of all have food and fun. For more information, please call Kathy Elmore, 423-0369.
Jr. High Newsletters:
- May 2008(PDF)
Youth Ministry News
Guidelines
2008 Confirmation Information
Confirmation Guidelines
Holy Cross Parish
Revised August, 2006
Confirmation is a sacrament which ratifies a person’s baptism and completes his/her initiation into the Church. It initiates him/her into a way of living that will continue for the rest of his/her life. Confirmation preparation facilitates the deepening of a candidate’s relationship to Jesus and his Gospel message, preparing him/her to take on his/her mission as Christ in the world.
At Holy Cross, the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation is offered to our high school students. This sacrament involves a choice on the part of the candidate; a person does not have to be confirmed . . . it marks the beginning of a new commitment to faith (at their own level and understanding), being initiated into a new way of living in Jesus Christ. It requires a commitment on the part of the candidate and his or her family and sponsor.
According to diocesan guidelines:
- Confirmation is a 2 year process
- Candidates should be at least 16 years old at the time of Confirmation
- Attendance at Mass, Sunday youth gatherings, Confirmation classes and retreats is required
- A copy of the candidate’s baptismal certificate must be on file with the Youth Ministry office, unless baptized at Holy Cross and recorded in the church register.
- Confirmation candidates make a stewardship commitment to the parish. They are to give of their time, talent and treasure and become involved in the life of the parish.
- Candidates will chose a Confirmation name. It can be their baptismal name or the name of a saint they feel is a model or guide for them.
- Candidates will choose a sponsor to make this faith journey with them. Ideally, the sponsor should live in the area and be in frequent contact with the candidate. If this is not possible, a mentor from the parish or nearby Catholic community should be asked to journey with the candidate.
- Preceding the sacrament of Confirmation, candidates must write a letter to the bishop requesting the sacrament of Confirmation. The candidates will be given guidance in writing this letter.
- There will be several interviews with the Confirmation coordinator or one of the catechists during the Confirmation preparation process. Candidates must express a firm and free desire to receive the sacrament of Confirmation before being confirmed.
In addition, the family is expected to participate in the Confirmation preparation process by:
- Attending Mass each week
- Supporting the candidate physically, emotionally and spiritually
- Attending the Confirmation preparation sessions marked on the Youth Ministry calendar
- Helping with refreshments, projects and other activities. Please sign up using the Adult Volunteer Sheet provided. All adults are mandated to be fingerprinted in order to work with youth in our diocese. All parents are encouraged to be fingerprinted so they can be chaperones, drivers, and help with our activities.
- Continue in your own faith formation by taking advantage of adult faith formation opportunities in our parish and diocese.
Sponsors
Each candidate will choose a sponsor. Sponsors should be able to attend the Confirmation preparation sessions, participate with their candidate in some of our service activities, and attend the Confirmation rehearsal and celebration. If a sponsor lives out of town at a distance that makes these duties difficult to fulfill, someone in the parish or local area may serve as a companion and mentor to the candidate.
Qualifications for a confirmation sponsor are as follows:
- A catholic not less than 16 years old
- Has received the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation (the Church recognizes that a person cannot transmit what they themselves do not have)
- Is a practicing Catholic and is both willing and able to fulfill the role of sponsor
- Is not the parent of the candidate
Sponsors
- Are not super-Christians, but are a model for the candidate
- Are willing to develop an ongoing relationship with the candidate (continuing even after Confirmation)
- Are good listeners, non-judgmental and willing to walk the faith journey with the candidate
- Should be willing to meet with the candidate on a regular basis prior to the sacrament of Confirmation and make a commitment to continue the faith journey after Confirmation
- Are assistants to the parents in transmitting the Catholic faith to a young person.
