SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION NOVEMBER 2023
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
It is our pleasure to invite you to prepare your child for the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Benedict Parish. Please read all of the information on this page.
The 2023 dates of the Sacrament of Confirmation for each school is as follows:
Confirmation Dates (at St. Benedict Parish):
School |
Date |
Time |
St. Benedict |
Friday November 10th, 2023 |
7:00 pm |
Guardian Angels |
Saturday November 11th, 2023 |
10:00 am |
St. Scholastica |
Saturday November 11th, 2023 |
1:00 pm |
Lumen Christi |
Saturday November 18th, 2023 |
10:00 am |
Our Lady of Fatima |
Saturday November 18th, 2023 |
1:00 pm |
Children shall be registered to attend the Confirmation date assigned to their school.
For children attending virtual school, home-school or public school, they will be assigned to one of the above school’s confirmation dates.
Exceptions to this may be allowed in cases of illness, death of a loved one, or another sacrament i.e., marriage, or ordination. Any other reason will have to be reviewed by the parish office (stbenedictmilton@hamiltondiocese.com).
Children who have not been placed on a confirmation date due to the above reasons or exceptions will be informed of their date by the parish office by October 16th, 2023.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS ON: MONDAY OCTOBER 2nd, 2023 AT 9:30 AM
DEADLINE/CUTOFF: Please submit your online registration no later than
FRIDAY OCTOBER 27TH, 2023 AT 4:30 PM.
Registration is online through the St. Benedict Parish website only.
There is a $35 administrative fee.
Complete the online registration in its entirety and submit it along with an electronic copy of your child’s VALID Baptismal Certificate uploaded into the online registration form in PDF electronic format only.
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 communion at the church.
If you were unable to contribute the $35 cost of registration at the time of online registration, feel free to use this link to contribute, HERE.
CONFIRMATION REQUIREMENTS
Commitment to Catholic Faith
Confirmation is a public commitment to the teachings of faith life in the Roman Catholic Church. Those who 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.
Sunday 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 already 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.
- Enter through the two main church doors and proceed to the registration table.
- You will be met by a parish volunteer who will check in your child and then bring your child to the parish hall for assembly. Parish and school staff will receive your child in the Parish Hall.
- 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 their child is dropped off.
- All Confirmandi with their sponsors 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 them.
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 before 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. Guests, families and visitors ARE NOT allowed in the sanctuary area. Please remind any guests to ensure proper etiquette. Photos are permitted after Mass is over.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS ON: MONDAY OCTOBER 2nd, 2023 AT 9:30 AM
DEADLINE/CUTOFF: Please submit your online registration no later than
FRIDAY OCTOBER 27TH, 2023 AT 4:30 PM.
Registration is online through the St. Benedict Parish website only.
There is a $35 administrative fee.
