Receive the Holy Spirit
            ...John 20:19-23

Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Agatha Parish is a two-year process with the sacrament being celebrated in the fall of grade eleven.

The Catholic Church welcomes new members through the sacraments of initiation:  Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.  Through these sacraments the Church celebrates the presence and action of the risen Jesus in our lives. The Sacrament of Confirmation reaffirms our baptismal promises and our commitment to the Catholic faith. 

Eucharist is the heart and center of our Catholic community. As Eucharist is also a celebration of our unity with each other and with the risen Christ, we encourage the Confirmandi and families to come gather as a faith community at the 5pm Mass on Sunday evenings during the year. It is important for families who have children engaged in the Confirmation process to make every effort to accompany them on this journey.

Faith formation, service outreach and socialization are all components in this process. Each year many young people engage in Christian service outreach and we are proud of their commitment to make a difference in the lives of the people they encounter.  The idea of living in a spirit of justice and service to each other is a lifetime call. The ninth grade classes and their Faith Formation Catechists are encouraged to do Christian service as a group and the tenth grade Confirmandi are free to engage in an individual Christian service opportunity. This year we will also be doing the "Service Plunge" and we will be applying to "Young Neighbors in Action" in Worcester, MA and to Nazareth Farm in West Virginia. 

SERVICE CONTACT:  Donna Regan coordinates all Christian service processes.  She can be reached at 617-471-4853

Schedule - Grade 9

Gather:             5:00 pm Mass before each session
Sessions:          6-8pm in the gym (pizza included)
                                     unless otherwise noted

These sessions focus on community, relationship with God, Jesus' message of discipleship, and how one can live out a commitment as a Catholic Christian disciple.

Schedule for the Ninth Grade Process

*Incoming Conversations . will be held Sunday, October 2, 2005 in the Gym from 9:00-11:30am.  The group will be divided in half and there will be two sessions - one from 9:00-10:00am and the other from 10:30-11:30am. The format will be a large group presentation and a space to meet with your child's Faith Formation Catechist.  Please reserve this time.

** Retreat . As part of the curriculum, each ninth grade candidate for Confirmation is required to participate in an evening retreat here at St. Agatha. The group will be divided in half and one of these dates will be assigned to each person.  Please reserve both the above dates until a specific date is assigned to you.  Once classes start in the fall a specific date will be assigned to each person.

***Faith Festival . See page 4 for overview. Every young person together with family and extended family is expected to attend one of these sessions.  This is a required part of the curriculum for this year.

Schedule - Grade 10

Gather:             5:00 pm Mass before each session
Sessions:          6-8pm in the gym (pizza included)
                                     unless otherwise noted

The Year Two sessions focus on deepening one's relationship with God, worship, accepting the challenge to discipleship, understanding the Gifts of the Spirit and serving others.

Schedule for the Tenth Grade Process

*Faith Festival . See page 4 for overview. Every young person together with family and extended family is expected to attend one of these sessions.  This is a required part of the curriculum for this year.

Schedule - Grade 11: 
The Sacrament of Confirmation

Special Invitation - 11th and 12th Graders:  Come and join us for the Faith Festival (week of March 28, 2006):  See page 4 for overview. Every young person together with family and extended family is especially invited to attend one of these sessions.

Rehearsals

Monday,
November 7, 2005                   Group 1                       7pm Church

Tuesday,
November 8, 2005                   Group 2                       7pm Church

Sacrament of Confirmation

Thursday,
November 10, 2005                 Group 1                       7pm Church

Friday,
November 11, 2005                 Group 2                       7pm Church

Christian Service Opportunities (Grades 9-12)

CONTACT:  Mary Sheedy at 617-696-8978.  

Christian service outreach is a very important part of all we do as Church.  St. Agatha Parish together with the Archdiocesan Office for Youth Ministry offers many opportunities for engagement in this process.  Last summer forty young people and several adults in collaboration with the Milton Council on Aging participated in "Service Plunge" right here in the parish. We sorted clothing at Cradles to Crayons in Quincy, assisted at programs at the Milton Council on Aging, helped with lawns and served lunch at Fr. Bill's place, helped at the Interfaith Food Bank in Quincy, visited the sisters at Bethany House in Framingham, and washed windows and planted flowers at the Elderly Housing in Milton. Another group of young people went to "Young Neighbors in Action" in Worcester, MA for a week of service.

Listed below is a description of opportunities for Christian service outreach.

I Am Special -- is a faith formation program for 3, 4 and 5 year old children taught by high school volunteers. See the "I Am Special" section for details.

Young Neighbors in Action - is about helping participants both deepen their commitment to the call of the Gospel and work for justice in our world today.  This weeklong experience provides young people with the opportunity to serve those in need. This Christian outreach opportunity is located in Worcester, MA.

Nazareth Farm - This is an engaging opportunity in West Virginia to work with the mountain people - the very poor in Appalachia. A week away will help make life a little better for those who are unable to help themselves.

 "Service Plunge" - An opportunity to gather together as a small Christian community centered on outreaching locally to folks in our community and the surrounding area.  This is a weeklong experience based out of the Youth Center at St. Agatha.  It is a day program beginning at 8:00am in the morning and ending with a communal evening meal.  This experience is open to young people from the seventh to twelfth grade.  The first day of this experience is spent on the ropes course in Braintree, MA.

Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) - This program is offered by the Archdiocesan Office for Youth Ministry usually twice over the summer.  It's held in Merrimack College, Andover, MA.  It is a wonderful opportunity to build leadership skills.

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