Confirmation at St. Barbara's

   

Confirmation

Over 500 kids — from preschool through senior high — participate in the St. Barbara Religious Education Program. Not only that, more than 160 volunteers commit their time and love to sharing our Catholic faith with the younger members of the parish. Confirmation, which is celebrated every other year, always gets special parish attention. A dedicated team of eight to ten adult leaders run the program and oversee the weekend retreat that takes place just prior to the actual celebration of the sacrament. During the fall and into the winter the sixty or more grade 11-12 teens that usually sign up for Confirmation gather weekly for lengthy faith-enhancing sessions. From the rules of the Church to who Jesus is, the teens always have tons of challenging questions and insights. The team, while using a structured format for the sessions, is not afraid of the “Question Box” where any topic can come into discussion. Parents get involved when Diana Ferree, Religious Education Director, asks them to write love letters to their children expressing their joys and hopes for the kids as they ready for celebrating the sacrament. For many kids, the love letters are a culmination of the program — discovering in a special retreat setting that they are loved, no matter what has been happening in the family. Confirmation is so popular that the teens, themselves, go after their peers who may not be aware of the program. Many parents readily witness to the fact that the St. Barbara Confirmation Program is a life-changing experience for their teens. Many of the teens, once they are confirmed, want to join the Religious Education Program and share the faith with the younger kids.