Confirmation Process
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At St Alban and St Stephen our youth formation takes place in the context of FiF Youth.
FiF Youth is open to all teenagers in year 9 and year 10 who wish to live as a disciple (follower) of the Lord and are prepared to embrace the following goals:
- Develop a personal relationship with Jesus through daily prayer and Eucharistic adoration when possible.
- Participate prayerfully in Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and more frequently if possible.
- Make time for Reconciliation before the key feasts of Easter and Christmas.
- Grow in knowledge about one’s faith and about the lives of the saints, asking for their intercession.
- Seek opportunities to serve and to give witness to one’s faith in one’s family, school, parish community and social media.
- Ask parents, catechists, Sponsors or priests questions about the teachings of the Church, especially with difficult issues one may face.
FiF Youth will generally meet on the first and third Sunday of the month during term time, beginning with the 6pm Mass and then meeting in hall till 9pm. FiF Youth participants will actively participate in the monthly youth Mass that will take place generally on the third Sunday of every month at 6pm.
A weekend retreat will take place in early January 2025 and attendance at Flame (https://cymfed.org.uk/flame/) on Saturday 15 March 2025 are integral parts of FiF Youth – all FiF Youth participants are expected to attend.
In the group, young people develop the confidence to explore their faith and to ask questions. They develop a practice of more regular prayer to get to know Jesus and how to integrate this in their daily lives. Through fun activities, friendships develop with peers their own age on a similar journey. By serving the community in the Youth Mass and acts of charity they develop as part of their parish community – the Body of Christ.
As they continue to mature in their Christian life, they can request the Sacrament of Confirmation when the time is right for them.
There is a cost for resources, the weekend retreat and Flame and families will be asked for a donation per child upon registration.
The first session commences from Sunday 6 October 2024.
FiF Youth Parents
Once your teen is registered, your family embarks on a precious time of preparation, which requires significant parental input. As a guide, it is expected that parents will:
- Actively support their teen in fulfilling their goals to live as a disciple (set out above) by example and family activities.
- Help one’s children understand current issues from the Catholic worldview.
To support FiF Youth parents, we will offer four online sessions. This will help parents get to know each other, learn more about their faith and support their family’s faith journey. The first session will commence on Monday 24 February 2024 and will run from 8pm to 9.15pm.
If FIF Youth is something your family and child are prepared to genuinely commit to then please complete the online form.