This year's Confirmation Mass for St. Isidore is TBD at
the Cathedral of St. Andrew.
Students preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation will:
Parents of children preparing for Confirmation will:
Adults who have not yet been confirmed will attend separate classes as needed; call the Faith Formation Office for more information.
Confirmation candidates are asked to select a sponsor. The sponsor does just that: he/she sponsors, guides, vouches for, assists the young person in fulfilling their Baptismal promises, which they now make for themselves as part of the celebration of the Sacrament. A sponsor is a role model for being a practicing Catholic. All this is done through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
A sponsor is to be present not only for the Confirmation celebration, but in the young person’s life in this important time of preparation and in years to come. The sponsor is a representative of the whole Church community into which the candidate is being confirmed and fully initiated through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Many young people choose a godparent (Baptism sponsor) for their Confirmation sponsor. Keep in mind that the sponsor should ideally be someone who lives in the area, so he or she can meet with you on a regular basis and attend gatherings at your parish. There is no specification regarding the gender of the sponsor, but it IS important that the candidate be able to identify with the sponsor in terms of Christian living.
The sponsor should be:
The first thing to understand is why you are being asked to choose a saint. The saints aren't just dead people that you see in stained glass windows and on holy cards. The Communion of Saints is:
[The] communion of "holy persons" (sancti) in Christ who "died for all," so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 961)
Basically, all of these saints who came before you are part of your extended family. They are those wonderful relatives who are praying for you and rooting for you to get to Heaven.
Why Should I Choose a Confirmation Saint?
So just for a minute think about some uncle that you look up to or a cousin that you really wish you could be like and then imagine that this person has been declared a saint and you could ask him to pray for you! Wouldn't that be great? Well, that's exactly what you get when you choose a Confirmation saint - someone to emulate for his holiness and someone to intercede for you in Heaven.
How do I pick one for Confirmation?
First of all, don't treat this as a box to check off and pick St Francis just because you have a vague idea about his life.
The first thing you should do is pray. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in choosing a saint that will be best for you.
The second thing you should do is some research. Browse a library of patron saints online or get a good book of saints to read. You can get a comprehensive saint dictionary, a book of modern saints, or if you are really ambitious you can get the four volume Butler's Lives of the Saints.
While you are reading about the saints ask yourself why you are drawn to some more than others. Is it because they were courageous in speaking about the Faith? Were they drawn to helping the poor? Did they have an occupation that you are interested in or have a family like yours?
As you start to narrow down the saints you are interested in, think again about the reasons to choose one. Is this someone I look up to and want to emulate? Is this someone who I want to spiritually "have my back"?
Once you have decided on your saint, see if there is a good book just about that particular saint so you can get to know him better. Start asking him for guidance and the courage to take your reception of the sacrament of Confirmation seriously.