Confirmation is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine relationship, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. (CCC 1316)
By the sacrament of Confirmation the individual is more perfectly bound to the Church and enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. By Confirmation Christians share more completely with the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled. (CCC 1285, 1294)
Confirmation is the Holy Spirit poured out upon the Baptized so that they are more intimately united with Christ.
At St. Sabina we use the program called Confirmed in a Faithful Community as well as some homemade lessons that are based on the catechism of the church. We also rely on the Lectionary and the Church year focusing on the Gospels and life of Christ. The primary topics are History of the Church, Rules and Commandments, Sacraments, Saints and Mary, Defending our Faith, Community Service, Spirituality/Prayer and Mission.
Our “lessons” are conducted by peer ministers, older teens and young adults who have been confirmed and trained by our Youth Ministry Director, Kirstie Ruffini. All meetings are coordinated by Steven Brekel and Kirstie Ruffini.
We have a retreat which is a mandatory item for Confirmation. The retreat (Search) is a combined effort with Coronation of Our Lady Parish to keep the cost down as well as to utilize the gifts of peer ministers from both parishes. It has been successful for us to do this for the last 9 years. The retreat will take place at the MoKan Camp in Lee's Summit. More information about the retreat will be provided to the students during class.
Service hours are also a requirement of Confirmation. Each candidate must perform 30 hours of community service. There is a list of opportunities available in the Youth Office. Some things that we do for free are nice to do but they do not meet the criteria for Confirmation. If you are unsure about what to do, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Sponsors are an important part of the preparation process. The sponsor should be a confirmed adult in good standing with the Church. It is ideal for the sponsor to be an adult who the candidate knows and trusts, but not the parent of the candidate. If you need help finding a sponsor, please contact Kirstie Ruffini for assistance in finding a sponsor.
Confirmation candidates are asked to fill out a Candidate Information sheet. Please turn it in with a copy of the candidate’s baptismal certificate. We only need a copy of the baptismal certificate if your child was not baptized at St. Sabina. If you need assistance in locating a church or contacting a church, please call Sheila Ellis at 816-331-4713 with all the information you have regarding the baptism so she can locate it. You may call the Youth Office for a Candidate Information sheet or you may download one from our website.
Adults wishing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation are prepared separately through the RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Adult Confirmation is celebrated each year in June at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, MO. For more information, please contact Biagio Mazza at 816-331-4713.