The Immaculate Heart of Mary family of parishes’ confirmation preparation process starts in grade 6 and ends in grade 7 starting this year. The content is based on the innovative program CHOSEN presented by Ascension press. The program is kerygmatic by nature. This means it is geared around preaching the whole New Testament and the story of our salvation. Chosen: Your Journey to Confirmation has been used by thousands of parishes to present the Catholic Faith to teens in a way that keeps their attention as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. The program will engage our youth in deep conversations about the faith in a small group setup which is a proven method to retain youth interest and nurture belonging to the faith and to the Catholic Church.

Year 1 Confirmation Preparation benchmarks

• Saint’s choice: Candidates will be guided to choose their saints and get to know them. Grade 6 class will host a poster session in which each student will present their saint and explain the reason they connected to his/her spirituality.

• Service project: Candidates are required to complete 30 hours of social service during the first year to exercise their belonging to the Church and to the body of Christ. Please follow the link to access the list of service opportunities Service and discipleship opportunities . You can print out a service hours sheet by following the link Service hours Sheet

• In the beginning of the year parents and students will receive the parent’s and sponsor’s guide to understand the meaning of what it is to be a sponsor and what is the role of the parents whose child is preparing for the sacrament. Additional resources will be communicated through the CHOSEN portal

• At the end of year 1, the candidates will chose their sponsors and fill out all needed forms for the following year.

Year 2 Confirmation Preparation benchmarks

• Candidate/Parent and Candidate/sponsor relationship: In the beginning of year 2 (2025-2026), we will hold a parent, sponsor and candidate session to discuss the sacrament and the role as parents and sponsors in the student’s preparation for receiving it.
• Parents and sponsors will follow the Chosen Parent’s Guide and the Chosen sponsor’s Guide to start the accompaniment relationship with the candidate through the scripted conversations.

• Candidate/sponsor session: Sponsors and candidates will be invited to a meeting (mini-retreat) to reflect more on their spiritual relationship before confirmation.

• In-house confirmation retreat will be offered and is mandatory for all candidates.

• The candidates will receive the sacrament of confirmation

For any further questions, please contact Joelle Martinez at joellem@sacredheart-fairfield.org