Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

It is our pleasure to invite you to prepare your son or daughter for the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Benedict Parish.  Please read all of the information on this page.

The dates of this Sacrament and schools are as follows:

Elementary School	Date
St. Benedict	Friday January 20th, 2023, 7:00 pm
Lumen Christi	Saturday January 21st, 2023, 10:30 am
Guardian Angels	Saturday January 21st, 2023, 1:00 pm
Our Lady of Fatima	Saturday January 28th, 2023, 10:30 am
St. Scholastica	Saturday January 28th, 2023, 1:00 pm

Children attending virtual school, home-school or public school will be assigned to one of the above school’s confirmation dates.

Children shall be registered to attend the Confirmation date assigned to their school. 

 As was said at the parent meetings, exceptions to this will be allowed in cases of illness, death of a loved one, another sacrament i.e., marriage, ordination. Any other reason will have to be reviewed by Fr. Larry (lparent@hamiltondiocese.com). Placement of the child in another celebration under these exceptional circumstances, will only be scheduled approximately one month prior to the celebrations once we know where spots are available.

ONLINE REGISTRATION

ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS ON: MONDAY OCTOBER 31^st, 2022 AT 12:00 PM

DEADLINE/CUTOFF: Please submit your online registration no later than the cut-off date of January 9, 2023.

Registration is online through the St. Benedict Parish website only.

Complete the ONLINE REGISTRATION n its entirety and submit it along with an electronic copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate uploaded into the online registration form in the acceptable electronic format (i.e. .jpg, .pdf).

You can save your progress if you do not have all your information in one sitting.  Once completed then, submit the form when all the information is final and complete.

Only students with completed registrations with the supporting documentation shall be confirmed.

Upon submission of your online registration, please SAVE A COPY, screenshot and/or PRINT your confirmation email and have it available on the day of your child’s confirmation at the church.

CONFIRMATION REQUIREMENTS

 Commitment to Catholic Faith

Confirmation is a public commitment to the teachings of faith life in the Roman Catholic Church.  Those that choose to attend non-Catholic churches cannot be confirmed without making a clear commitment to live the catholic faith.

As we are all constantly growing in our faith, to continue to provide spiritual nourishment for you and your children throughout your faith journeys, it is important that you and your family nurture and grow your faith regularly by attending Holy Mass on Sundays.  We look forward to welcoming you and seeing you often.

Weekend Mass Times:

Saturday 5:00 pm

Sunday 9:00 am, 10:30 and 12:00 pm

Only properly disposed Catholics may receive Holy Communion at a Catholic mass. Guests who are not Catholics are welcome to request a blessing from the minister by crossing their hands over their heart as they come up at Communion time.

Candidates must be baptized in the Roman Catholic Faith

When sending your proof of baptism, please submit a copy via your online registration (do not send the original to the parish).  If the candidate’s Baptismal Certificate indicates, “Baptized and Confirmed” then, the candidate is already confirmed and the sacrament cannot be received again.

Candidates must have received the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion

Any candidate who is baptized in the Roman Catholic faith and has not received First Reconciliation or First Communion will need to be prepared for and celebrate these Sacraments before being confirmed.  Please contact the parish office if your child has not celebrated these Sacraments.

Candidates, in consultation with their parents must choose a sponsor

Sponsors must be fully initiated Catholics who have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.  There cannot be any canonical or moral obstacle to the full practice of their faith.  The sponsor must be someone other than the biological parents of the candidate.

Traditionally, an appropriate sponsor for Confirmation is one of the godparents from Baptism.

Appropriate dress for Confirmation

Confirmation gowns will not be used.  Family and candidates should wear neat and modest business casual to semi-formal attire.  Boys may wear dress pants and a dress shirt.  Ties and jackets are optional.  Girls may wear appropriate dress and/or skirt and dress pants and blouse.  Strapless tops and bodices, short skirts, bare shoulders, and low necklines are not appropriate.  Shawls, cardigans, shrugs, or sweaters are recommended if the style of dress includes the latter.

Catholics need Confirmation to complete the initiation to the church

All Catholics are bound to complete their initiation by receiving Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.  Parents, in consultation with their pastor and their child may choose to postpone the celebration for serious reasons.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION

 Arrival

On the day of your child’s confirmation, please arrive at least 30 minutes early.

The two main church doors will be labeled A-L & M-Z. Please enter through the door according to your last name.

You will be met by a parish volunteer who will bring your child to the parish hall for assembly.

After dropping off your child please proceed to the church to join your guests/family and be seated.  Parents will not be permitted to stay in the Parish Hall once your child is dropped off.

All Confirmandi will enter the church from the parish hall in two lines and will be seated together occupying the two middle sections of the church starting at the front. All guests and families can seat anywhere in the church except those pews with “RESERVED” signs on it.

Guest/Family Seating

There is NO reserved guest seating.  All seating is on a first come first serve basis so come early for your choice of seating.  Candidates and sponsors are seated in designated pews.  All guests and relatives may seat in non-designated pews.

Mass Etiquette

Please respect the prayerful nature of the Mass.  Do not bring food or drink into the church.  Turn off or silence cell phones and electronic devices prior to celebration and do not engage in chatter or chewing gum.

Picture Taking

To show respect for the Mass, no pictures or videos are permitted during the Mass.  Please remind any guests to ensure proper etiquette.  Photos are permitted after Mass is over.

 ONLINE REGISTRATION

ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS ON: MONDAY OCTOBER 31^st, 2022 AT 12:00 PM

DEADLINE/CUTOFF: Please submit your online registration no later than the cut-off date of January 9, 2023.