About
Confirmation of Teens is offered for those young adults, grades 8 through high school, wishing to complete their Initiation into the Catholic Church. The two-year preparation process usually begins in grade 7, and is completed at the end of the eighth grade year. The sacrament is traditionally celebrated during the Easter Season. These parishioners (from Sts. Joseph and John School, St. Joseph PSR, and other area parochial schools) take part in a 2-year, parish-based preparation process for the reception of this sacrament. Contact the Faith Formation Office for more information.
Welcome to our 2027 Confirmandi
The Sacramental Intent Form, which tells us that you want to participate in Confirmation at St. Joseph Church, was emailed on 7-22-26 to the PSR students and the SJJ students who are listed as members of St. Joseph Church. If you need the form, click here to access the Sacramental Intent Form for Confirmation 2027.
Important Dates for Confirmation 2027
- Confirmation Meeting – Tuesday, September 22, from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Holy Family Center. This meeting is for parents, candidates (confirmandi) and the sponsors if they are available. Red Folder of papers will be given out.
- Parish Service Day – Saturday, October 3, various times. Everyone has the option of participating in Parish Service Day at various locations on the church campus and across the city.
- Faith Night #1 – Sunday, October 18, 6:00-7:30 PM, Confirmation Candidates meet in the Holy Family Center. This is for candidates only.
- Faith Night #2 – Sunday, November 15, 6:00-7:30 PM, Confirmation Candidates meet in the Holy Family Center. This is for candidates only. Assignments due: Service Reflection #1; Sponsor Conversation Questions #1.
- Confirmation Retreat – Saturday, January 30, 1:00-5:30 PM, Confirmation Candidates meet in the Holy Family Center. Parents and sponsors are invited to join us at the 4:30 PM Vigil Mass in the church. Assignments due: Service Reflection #2; Sponsor Conversation Questions #2; the Bishop Barron Assignment.
- Faith Night #3 – Sunday, February 21, 6:00-7:30 PM, Confirmation Candidates meet in the Holy Family Center. This is for candidates only. Assignments due: Service Reflection #3; Sponsor Conversation Questions #3; the Confirmation Name & Sponsor Name sheet, and the Sponsor Certificate.
- Faith Night #4 – Sunday, April 25, 6:00-7:30 PM, Confirmation Candidates meet in the Holy Family Center. This is for candidates only. This meeting will include practice for the Confirmation Mass.
- Confirmation Mass – on Sunday, May 2, 2027 at 2:00 PM in the church with the Most Reverend Martin J. Amos, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. A light reception will follow in the HFC.
If you have any questions about Confirmation, contact Linda Zvoncheck at lzvoncheck@sjohio.org.
Please check your email, including your spam folder, regularly. Email will be our primary means of communicating with our Confirmation group.
The Confirmation 27 Red Folder
All the paperwork for Confirmation will be given out in a Red Folder at the meeting on September 22nd. Copies of all the paperwork are available below.
- The calendar of Important Dates is available here.
- The information on Service and writing a Service Reflection is available here.
- The Bishop Barron Assignment is available here. The link to the Bishop Barron video is here.
- The criteria for who can be a Confirmation Sponsor is here.
- The responsibilities of the Sponsor, what we expect of them, is here.
- The conversation questions for the Candidate and Sponsor are here.
- The Confirmation Name and Sponsor form is here.
Letters of Hope
A Letter of Hope is an encouraging, heartfelt letter written by a parent or sponsor to the Confirmation Candidate. In the Letter of Hope, parents or sponsors can share prayers for the candidate, express support for their faith journey and tell of their pride in them and their accomplishments as they proceed toward Confirmation. Parents and sponsors may also share parts of their own faith journey with the candidate or discuss what their own relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Church has meant to them over their lifetime. The best letters are personal and from the heart. Letters of Hope can be challenging for parents and sponsors to write, but they are often very meaningful for the Confirmation Candidates to read. We hope that our parents and sponsors will take the time to share their personal faith experiences with their Confirmation Candidate, write the Letter of Hope, and give it to the Candidate just before Confirmation.
Appropriate Dress for Confirmation Mass
Confirmation is a significant event in every Catholic’s faith journey. We expect the attire worn by both the Confirmation Candidates and their Sponsors to be respectful and to reflect the importance of this occasion. Boys and men are asked to wear dress pants or uniform pants, dress (non-athletic) shoes, a shirt with a collar and a tie. Girls and women are asked to wear skirts or dresses no shorter than just above the knee, or dress pants. Make certain all aspects of your outfit are church-appropriate. Contact the Faith Formation Office if you have questions.
Confirmation Service Component
Service to God and one another are essential to being Catholic Christians. Information on Catholic Social Teaching is available here. Students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Joseph Church are asked to participate in at least 3 different service experiences (not service hours), in the following categories:
- 1 service experiences here at St. Joseph Catholic Church
- 1 service experience at your school
- 1 service experience in the wider community (for example: in Strongsville, another city, downtown Cleveland)
After completing your service, we ask you to reflect thoughtfully on those experiences, to put those reflections into writing and to turn them in to the Faith Formation Office. More information about service and how to write your Service Reflection is available here. Turn your service reflections in to Linda Zvoncheck in the Faith Formation Office as soon as you have completed each service experience.
Service Opportunities
- Strongsville Historical Society will host a Trick-or-Treat Halloween event on Saturday, October 17th. Details will be posted soon.
- CLOW (Children’s Liturgy of the Word) Teen Helpers – CLOW meets during the 10:30 Mass on Sundays during the school year. Teens are needed to assist the adult leaders with setting up the space (the Cave, below the Chapel), to help the children with cutting, gluing, reading and writing during the session, managing the children in general, and cleaning up the space when the session is over. Follow this link for specific dates for you to sign up and help.
Contact
Linda Zvoncheck, 440-238-5555, ext. 107 or lzvoncheck@sjohio.org
