Catholic Student Center at USF

The Sacrament of Confirmation

Register now for 2010 classes!

Instruction classes for USF students who wish to be confirmed will begin on February 14, 2010. The classes will meet at 6:00 p.m. in Fr. Alan's office. Class sessions will continue on February 21, February 28, March 21, March 28 and April 11. The Confirmation ceremony will occur on April 18, 2010 at the 7:00 p.m. Liturgy.

You may register for the instruction class by requesting a registration form on Sunday, after the Liturgy, or by contacting the Catholic Center office. You may also download the registration packet from the "Document Folders" page of this site.

In addition to attending the instruction classes, candidates for confirmation must meet the following requirements.

1. Obtain a recent copy of your Baptism Record. This is done by writing to, or telephoning, the parish where you were baptized. Give them your name, your father's name, your mother's first name and maiden name, and the approximate date on which you were baptized. They will mail you a notarized copy of the record.

2. Practice the Catholic faith. This includes regular participation at Sunday Liturgy, daily prayer and making a sincere effort to grow in faith through your participation in the catechesis for Confirmation.

3. You are encouraged to pursue some type of apostolic action as an expression of your Catholic beliefs. The Catholic Student Union does several community service projects each semester. The American Red Cross (ph: 251-0921), and Hands On Tampa/United Way (ph: 274-0934), offer a wide variety of volunteer service opportunities, as well.

4. You are encouraged to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before your Confirmation Liturgy.

5. Choose a name for Confirmation. At Confirmation, one chooses a Saint's name. It is most appropriate to use your Baptismal name, if you were given a Saint's name at birth. Otherwise, you may choose the name of a Saint whom you admire. There are a large number of books available which will give you information about the lives of the Saints. The best known of these is Butler's Lives of the Saints. You can find biographies of many saints on the "Theology Library" Saints page.

6. Choose a Sponsor for Confirmation. Because Confirmation is the completion of Baptism, the Liturgy of Confirmation is patterned after the Baptismal Liturgy. Your sponsor will present you to the Bishop or Celebrant when you step forward to be confirmed. You are encouraged to choose one of your Baptismal Godparents for this role. If that is not possible, choose someone whom your consider to be a role model for living the Catholic faith. The requirements for Confirmation Sponsorship are listed below.

1. A sponsor must be a Catholic who actively practices the faith.
2. A sponsor must be at least 16 years old and already Confirmed.
3. If married, the marriage must be valid according to Church law.
4. A sponsor may not be a parent of the candidate.
5. A sponsor need not be the same gender as the candidate.

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