CATECHESIS

Sacramental catechesis cannot be equated with instruction in the faith. Rather, it should be seen as a process of faith formation and a process that involves not only the individuals preparation to celebrate the sacrament but also the entire faith community.

Sacramental catechesis prepares the individual and the community for a meaningful celebration of a particular sacramental ritual, and more importantly, it prepares them to live more deeply the faith reality being celebrated. Thus the catechesis for Confirmation focuses on the deepened commitment to Christ and to the Church that this sacrament celebrates.

A catechist is a faith-filled, mature, active member of the church willing to accept the responsibility for affirming the faith of the candidates through witness, word and example. (NCD 228-230)

1. Mature, active member of the local church
2. One who is chosen, adequately prepared, and commissioned by the parish
3. One who is willing to develop a relationship with the candidates
4. One who will work closely with the parish educational team (pastor/coordinator)
5. One who has an awareness of how the programs relate to the:
   1. Total catechetical program
   2. Parish community–worship/youth ministry/service
6. One who is willing to affirm the readiness of candidates for reception of Confirmation
7. One who will minister to the candidates after the celebration of the sacrament
8. One who will witness to and share his/her own faith experience

Confirmation catechesis addresses the following issues:

As you reveiw the following curriculum issues, remember Confirmation catechesis assumes the following issues are addressed in their fullness, that is completely and systematically, as part of a comprehensive youth ministry program.

Personal growth–interpreting human experience in light of the Gospel
Self identity–gifts of the Holy Spirit/one's own talents
Discovering how others have experienced God's call

Bible–Old Testament/New Testament
Role of scripture in everyday life
Jesus

Initiation–Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
Vocation–Matrimony, Holy Orders
Healing/Forgiveness–Reconciliation (sin/forgiveness),
Anointing of the Sick

What does it mean to be church? What does it mean to be the Body of Christ?
Paschal Mystery Worship as a community of believers
Ministry
Christology

• Person of Christ–His ministry/How do we connect?
• Prayer/worship–the community of believers

Impowered by the Holy Spirit
Morality
Living out the Baptismal Call
Importance of Church
Life issues
Seven Components of Catholic Social Teaching
Personal spirituality

Witness
Service\ministry
Evangelization
Sharing

The structure of Parish Confirmation preparation programs are developed from a variety of models. Each model has several componets. Those components include, the lengthe of the program, frequence of class sessions and amount of time for each class. For example:

A parish may decide to stucture the lenght of their program for:

• One semester
• One year
• Two year

The frequence of classes for:

• Every week
• Every other week
• Twice a month
• 3 times a month

The lenght of each class

• 2 hours
• 1 1/2 hours

Which ever combination of components a parish chooses programs need to provide for between 20 and 25 hours of contact with the participants.

Parishes can also conduct their sacramental preparation programs, including Confirmation, separately from their other catechetical programs, such as school, CCD or Religious Education. This option further emphasizes the community nature and specialness of sacramental preparation.

Ail the issues outlined in the Process of Christian Living (see above) need to be addressed in a way and depth appropriate to each model. An example is given below for each model.

• Personal growth/self identity
• Role of scripture in everyday life
• Sacrament overview–emphasis on Confirmation
• What does it mean to be Church?
• Mass/liturgy
• Person of Christ–His ministry/How do we connect?
• Prayer/worship
• Expectation of lifestyle/reflection/personal spirituality
• Role of Church
• Role of Holy Spirit
• Witness/evangelization
• Service/sharing

All the topics given in the “Process of Christian Lifestyle” (see above)

• First Year
  • Faith
  • Scripture
  • Sacraments
  • Church and Community
• Second Year
  • Christian living
  • Mission

See Appendix for a list of current Confirmation texts

Films and Videos
Refere to the REMEX catalogue at www.gidiocese.org for the most current list of media.