Our Confirmation celebration as set and announced by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7:00 pm. The celebration will be held at St. Kilian Church. Confirmation candidates from St. John, Rubicon and St. Kilian, Hartford, as collaborating parishes, will celebrate the Sacrament together. The presider will be Bishop Jeffrey Haines.
Watch for links soon!
Discovering the Nearness of God: Confirmation: What's Come Over You?
Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
Choosing a Confirmation Name
Resources for Choosing Confirmation Names
1 - What to do when choosing a Saint
2- Lifeteen's Biggest, Best List of Confirmation Saints
3 - About Confirmation Names
4 - Archdiocese of Milwaukee Guidelines
5 - Catholic Online List of Saint Names
Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
Required Confirmation Sponsor Certificate (this must be filled out by the Sponsor's Parish)
Required Confirmation Enrollment Agreement
2022-2023 Parent & Candidate Responsibilities
Candidate and Sponsor Day of Reflection Parent Letter
Candidate and Sponsor Day of Reflection Sponsor Letter
Sample Confirmation Interview questions
All Confirmation Candidates and sponsors should arrive for the Confirmation Celebration on Saturday, April 15th, by 9:40am. The candidates should meet in the Gathering Space to line up for the procession into the Church. Sponsors should be seated in their designated assigned seat in the church.
Confirmation rehearsal will be held in St. Kilian Church on a date yet to be determined, at 7:00 pm. All Confirmation Candidates and their sponsors must be present. Please arrive by 6:45, so we can start on time! If your sponsor can not be present, a parent must fill in to get all the information the sponsor will need. If everyone is on time and attentive, we should be done in about an hour.
We are so grateful that you are choosing to pursue your call as Catholics to lifelong formation. Candidates are generally Juniors in High School, with some being Seniors, but all are at least 16 years of age.
Our Confirmation program is a three-year program from 9-11th grade, with 11th grade being the year we focus on the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Those preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation will gather on Sunday evenings to learn about our rich Catholic Faith tradition, experience opportunities for prayer, and build relationships with their peers. Our team of adult volunteers and senior leaders will lead both the sessions and retreats.
These Sunday evening sessions would not be effective without giving your family the opportunity to participate in the liturgy of the Eucharist. Our Formation program’s expectation is that each young person attend Mass prior to Sunday evening sessions.
Formation sessions begin at 6:30pm and go until 8:00 pm on the Sundays of the month, usually with the last Sunday of the month off.
During the fall semester, these Confirmation Candidates will all complete a discussion which will allow our ministers to gain an insight into where they are in their Faith, allowing the young adults to ask questions that staff will work on addressing in group and on retreat, and provide an opportunity for our staff to connect and give additional support to group members on their confirmation journeys.
The Confirmation Candidates should begin thinking about who they would like to be their Confirmation Sponsor early. They should ask someone to be their sponsor no later than the end of October.
In Fall, the parents will meet in October for our mandatory Confirmation Parent meeting. At that meeting, we will review all of the expectations and important dates that are coming up in the fall/winter/spring. The Candidates will join their parents at the end of the meeting.
The Confirmation Candidates are expected to be on our Confirmation Retreat, which is usually held on the first Saturday of December at the parish. If a student cannot make our confirmation retreat, they must find another confirmation retreat within the Archdiocese to attend. The Director of Christian Formation will help find another retreat. Our retreats aim to offer a unique opportunity to have time away to reflect on important questions about life, personal faith, and being Catholic. The Candidates are also expected to attend the Candidate/Sponsor Day of Reflection on Super Bowl Sunday.
In the spring semester, Candidates will reflect on the retreat, finalize their Confirmation name, continue engaging with their Sponsor, complete a letter and fill out a form for the Bishop. They will also complete their spring Confirmation Interview prior to being Confirmed where they will have a final opportunity to ask any questions about Confirmation and discuss their final decision with the ministers.
Finally, our formation program would not be a complete picture of Catholic identity without an element of service to our parish and neighboring community. Therefore, we require that every Candidate participates in volunteer service each academic year. We welcome you to choose from our opportunities within the parish, within the greater Hartford and/or Milwaukee community, or feel free to create your own! Upon fulfilling the service requirement, we ask you to complete your Service Learning Reflection page, based off your volunteer experiences. Due to many places still not accepting volunteers due to COVID, we also have an alternative service option that focuses on serving family, the local community and growing in your own faith.
Please know that our mission is to serve the needs of the community, so we are here to serve you. If you have any questions, or would like to speak to us more about our program, please contact us.
Mandatory requirements prior to Candidates being Confirmed. Please note important dates in your calendar now.
Confirmation candidates will also: Choose a Confirmation Saint name, choose a Sponsor, and fulfill the Candidate/Sponsor activity and conversation requirements.
* Please note: Confirmation preparation is a three-year process, beginning in 9th grade and extending through a Candidate's Junior year in High School. As part of their Catholic Formation Program, Juniors participate in a sacramental preparation program which concludes with the celebration of Confirmation in the Spring of their Junior year.
Upon Confirmation into the Catholic Faith, students have learned and experienced what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in the following ways:
WHAT IS THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION?
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are called the sacraments of initiation. Through these sacraments we become members of the Catholic Church, a community of Spirit-filled people who have been saved by Christ and who witness Christ’s love in the world. As one of the sacraments of initiation, Confirmation impresses the candidates with a special character. Through the sacrament, the candidates are enriched by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, are bound more perfectly to the Church, and are strengthened in faith. They are enabled to witness more courageously to Christ and to spread and defend the faith.
THE ROLE OF THOSE TO BE CONFIRMED
Those to be confirmed must be suitably instructed and properly disposed. They must be willing to be involved in the preparation program with the intention of remaining faithful to Christ and his Church.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS
As parents, you play a primary role in the sacramental preparation program. You help your son/daughter grow in faith as you prepare him/her for fruitful reception of the sacrament. Your attendance at required meetings and the Sunday parish celebrations of the Eucharist is vital. There is, and can be, no substitute for your actual presence at such moments. Your interest, involvement and concern make a difference in your son’s/daughter’s perception of what this sacrament and the Christian life are all about.
THE ROLE OF SPONSOR
Each candidate, with the help of his/her parents, is responsible for choosing a sponsor. Church law states that the sponsor must be at least sixteen years of age. He or she must be a confirmed Catholic who has received Holy Eucharist and is living according to the Catholic faith. The sponsor may not be the mother or father of the one to be confirmed. It is the sponsor’s responsibility to give assurance of his or her qualifications. Sponsors take on a lifelong commitment to help their candidates fulfill the obligations of this sacrament. Sponsors should be present at the confirmation practice. Sponsors must be present at the ceremony. For more information, please contact the Director of Religious Education, Dennis Vlasak at [email protected] or 262.673.4831 x7406.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE, ATTENDING SESSIONS ETC.
All of the baptized are called to spend their lives in service to the family of God. Service projects, attending sessions, etc. do not qualify a candidate for Confirmation. They are “a taste”, a “pointing in the right direction” for those who will receive the power of God’s Spirit. No one can “earn the right to be confirmed.” It’s a gift. It was already promised to the candidates on the day of their baptism.
"Confirmation: Filled with the Holy Spirit, they proclaimed the Lord Jesus", has a number of additional resources for Sponsors that go along with the Candidate book.
~ Faith-sharing ideas for Candidates and Sponsors. Click here.
~ Activities and reflection for Confirmation: Filled with the Holy Spirit. Click here.
~ Candidate/Sponsor conversation ideas. Click here.
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