WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A DETAILED CALENDAR FOR CONFIRMATION YEAR 2 AND WILL COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS OUR NEW STAFF GETS UP TO SPEED OVER THE SUMMER!
Welcome to our Confirmation Year 2 sacramental preparation page! This page is for 10th graders and their families (and others) in the second year of preparation. Please scroll down this page for:
Questions? Contact the Faith Formation Office at 515-850-1883 or email confirmation@stbonifacechurch.org
Along with Baptism and Eucharist, Confirmation is one of the three initiation sacraments and is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. Conferred in the 10th grade or older in the Diocese of Des Moines, Confirmation is a sacred moment that enables you to recognize and respond to God's call. In the sacrament, God's Holy Spirit communicates seven significant gifts: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, piety/devotion, courage, counsel, and the obedient love of an adopted daughter or son.
As recommended by Bishop Joensen and the Diocese of Des Moines Office of Evangelization & Faith Formation, Confirmation preparation in the parish is to be a two-year process beginning in 9th grade, with the sacrament typically conferred during the 10th-grade year. This preparation supplements and supports ongoing preparation by parents as the primary faith formators of their children in the home.
Confirmation Year 2 will include the following components. Additional details will be available soon. Thank you for your patience!
We use PURPOSE, from Catholic publisher LifeTeen, to prepare our Confirmation candidates. PURPOSE is formed around these questions: "Why God?", "Why Jesus?” and “Why Church?” and offers a transformational plan for the Confirmation journey that seeks to draw youth to become disciples of Jesus who will go out and bear witness to His love in the world today. Click here to learn more about PURPOSE.
In addition to an ongoing formation that takes place in the home, Candidates for the sacrament of Confirmation are invited to prepare by participating in our parish preparation program, which includes formation, service opportunities, and discernment interviews. Each candidate selects a sponsor in Year 1 to accompany him or her on this faith journey.
As parents, you are the primary formators of your child in the faith and the parish is here to support you! We highly encourage parents or guardians and other significant adults in the candidate's life to see themselves as companions on a lifelong journey of faith with their teen. We believe and want to help our children understand that the sacrament of Confirmation is lived out in service as part of our baptismal call as Catholic Christians. As with all sacraments, they are not just one-day celebrations, but moments of encounter with Jesus to strengthen us for mission.
Encourage your teen to attend formation sessions, participate in service to the parish and outreach in the community, and be open to any and all questions as you travel this journey together. Please review this website page carefully and read weekly emails from the Faith Formation Office.
A sponsor's role in the candidate's preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is essential and he or she is invited to prayerfully consider the importance of the role of a companion on a journey that helps draw the candidate closer to Christ. Sponsors are asked to meet with the candidate once a month to reflect together on the candidate's faith journey. Sponsors may also be asked to write a letter of readiness on behalf of the candidate prior to Confirmation.
Coming soon! View or print 2022-23 Confirmation Year 2 Handbook.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the complete formation schedule.
Candidates will participate in a retreat during Year 2 of preparation. A date and details will be shared as soon as possible.
During Year 1, candidates will research and select a Catholic saint who inspires him or her.
Mondays after school, help tidy up the pews in the church.
Contact Chris Bell in the parish office at chrisbell@stbonifacechurch.org or call 515-987-4597.
Throughout the Faith Formation Year, help with Safety Team on the evenings that you don't have class.
Our goal is for a member of our faith formation team to have at least two conversations with Confirmation Candidates as a part of the preparation for the sacrament.
An initial conversation to get to know each candidate and learn about his or her current relationship with Christ, as well as discuss service opportunities.
A conversation near the end of the program to assess each candidate's readiness and willingness for the sacrament, as well as to offer an opportunity to reflect on the preparation process and discuss his or her future and ongoing faith journey and involvement in the life of the parish community.
Grade 10 meets once or twice each month during the faith formation year, with breaks for holidays that align with local school districts and Catholic Church holy days. Session times are Mondays from 5:45-6:45pm or Wednesdays from 7:00-8:00pm.
The calendar below is an overview of the upcoming year as of May 1, 2022, with specific dates to be added as they become available. Additional parent information meetings and parent/child sacramental preparation sessions may also be part of the formation year. Please review the Faith Formation Handbook 2022-23 and read weekly emails throughout the year from the Faith Formation Office.
Date | Time | Location | Session, Event, or Activity |
2022 Dates | |||
Aug 23 and 29 | 6:00pm | Mary & Joseph Room | Training for 9th-10th Confirmation Purpose core team |
Mon, Sept 12 (Tentative) |
5:45pm | Mary & Joseph Room | First week sessions |
Wed, Sept 14 (Tentative) |
7:00pm | Mary & Joseph Room | First week sessions |
Sun, Sept 18 | 12:00pm | Church | Parent/teen Confirmation Year 1 (9th grade) meeting |
Sun, Sept 18 | 4:00pm | Church | Parent/teen Confirmation Year 2 (10th grade) meeting |
Mon, Oct 24 Wed, Oct 26 |
6:00-7:30pm | Parish Hall | Family Faith Formation Evening (all ages with parents) |
Nov 21-25 | NO SESSIONS | Thanksgiving Break | |
Dec 19-Jan 6 | NO SESSIONS | Christmas Break | |
2023 Dates | |||
Mon, Jan 2 | 6:00pm | Mary & Joseph Room | Planning for 9th-10th Confirmation Purpose core team |
Mon, Jan 11 (Tentative) |
5:45pm | Mary & Joseph Room | Sessions resume |
Wed, Jan 13 (Tentative) |
7:00pm | Mary & Joseph Room | Sessions resume |
Mon, Jan 23 Wed, Jan 25 |
6:00-7:30pm | Parish Hall | Family Faith Formation Evening (all ages with parents) |
Wed, Feb 22 | 4:30pm, 6:00pm | Church | Ash Wednesday (attend with your family) |
Mar 13-17 | NO SESSIONS | Spring Break | |
April 2-8 | Holy Week | Church | Attend with your family these Holy Week liturgies: Palm Sunday Holy Thursday 6pm Good Friday 6pm Easter Vigil 8pm Easter Sunday |
Mon, Apr 17 (Tentative) |
5:45pm | Mary & Joseph Room | Last week sessions |
Wed, Apr 19 (Tentative) |
7:00pm | Mary & Joseph Room | Last week sessions |
April or May (For Year 2, 10th grade) |
TBD (Diocese will determine and inform parishes July 2022) |
Church | Confirmation retreat and Confirmation lIturgy for Year 2 Candidates (10th graders) |
Wed, Apr 26 | 6:00-7:30pm | Parish Hall | Appreciation Evening for catechists, core team members, office assistants |
Summer | TBD | Faith Formation Center | Vacation Bible School |
This section is under construction. Thank you for your patience!
Click on the session date below to view and print a specific lesson plan.
Click on the document title to view and print.
Parish Ministry Application