“Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) No 1316.
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CONFIRMATIONThe Sacrament of Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation. It completes the Sacrament of Baptism. While Confirmation is a distinct and complete sacrament in its own right, its purpose is to perfect in us that which was begun in Baptism. We might say—in a sense—that we are baptized in order to be confirmed.
Confirmation Preparation From the Archdiocesan Guidelines for Sacraments of Initiation there are two main areas: Foundation Preparation and Specific Preparation: Youth ordinarily should have attended a Catholic school or a parish religious education program for at least two years before enrollment in the free-standing parish specific Confirmation formation program. The free-standing, parish-conducted Confirmation formation program must be distinguished from the ordinarily required two year prerequisite foundational religious education program. Whether accomplished through an off-site retreat, an on-site classroom, or some other model determined appropriate by the Pastor, the parish Confirmation formation program should occur independently from the on-going religious education program. In the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated in High School, which ordinarily occurs when the youth is in the (10th) tenth grade. At St. Thomas Aquinas, the earliest a Foundational year can count is in (8th) eighth grade (called year 1). Foundational preparation continues through a variety of options generally during (9th) ninth grade (called year 2). A student who has not completed an eighth grade Faith Formation program will be required to complete 2 years of formation prior to Confirmation preparation. The required free-standing parish specific Confirmation program will occur simultaneously within the 2nd year of Foundational preparation. This will consist of a few in-parish sessions and a home faith sharing packet to be completed by the family. There are additional requirements during the following Fall (called year 3): sessions and a one-night retreat. Then Sacrament is generally celebrated in the Fall of the youth’s 10th grade. Because students who attend Catholic high schools will be covering formation material at school, they will not be required to participate in High School Faith Formation. Catholic school students should register for Confirmation prior to the ninth grade year so that they will be included in schedule updates as they become available. To be included in this year’s Confirmation, the candidates must be participating in the second year of Faith Formation at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish (Foundational preparation). Now, we are opening the process for the Specific preparation (as per the Archdiocesan Sacrament of Confirmation guidelines.) Specific Preparation
Fall 2021 - November 6, 2021 All students desiring to celebrate Confirmation in the Fall of 2021 should be enrolled in either a parish Faith Formation program or Catholic School Confirmation enrollment will begin on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. |
CONTACT: 770-475-4501
SPECIAL DOCUMENTS FOR FALL 2021: Time & Talent - Service Hour Report Optional Sponsor Packet - English Optional Sponsor Packet - Español Guía para la Confirmación 2021
CONFIRMATION ENROLLMENT FORM: |