Preparation for the
​Sacrament of Confirmation

2021 Diocesan Confirmation Program                                ​

The Diocese of Calgary would like to offer an easier way of preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation under current conditions of COVID-19. The program we are using is Chosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation by Ascension Press.  Chosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation takes young people on a journey through the entire Catholic faith in all its richness and vitality. Teens will be captivated by the story, from Creation all the way through salvation history, and they will come to see how the sacraments, prayer, and discipleship are the keys to a happy life. The goal of this program is nothing short of winning over the hearts of teens and making them disciples of Christ.

Program Requirements  

• Complete parish registration process (2 steps): 
  • ​Contact your home parish and register for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Your parish will give you a registration form to fill. 
  • Register the online preparation program with Ascension Press by clicking here. 
    After both steps above are completed, please come back to this page for more information. 
• Complete the Confirmation Sponsor Form and submit to your parish / sacrament coordinator
• Complete the outlined lessons (scroll below | or print outline from GoogleDocs 0r download as PDF). 
  • ​The Diocese of Calgary will only require the completion of 11 select video lessons of the 24 lessons offered by Ascension Press and the weekly accompanying learning activities. ​Each weekly session includes watching the selected Chosen video (see the list below), completing the online quiz questions, the Reading Challenge, and the Action Challenge of the week.  
  • Watch 1 video lesson per week for 11 weeks, from Feb. 1 to April 30, 2021. Families can decide how they complete all the 11 lessons within the timeframe of 3 months. 
• Complete the Mass Journal, Service Project & Letter to Bishop (here's a guide)                         

​
Suggested materials at home  

1. Scribbler or duo tang with lined paper for journal
2. Computer access to watch videos and to access information on Saints
3. Mass Journal template and a pen
4. Handouts: Corporal Works of Mercy and Spiritual Works of Mercy           

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 Outline of the Weekly Lessons ​(Lesson, topic, reading challenge, action challenge) 
​Download printable outline in PDF

Week 1  |  Lesson 1 "Why Am I Here?" & Lesson 2 "What Makes Me Happy?"

• My Five Personal Goals (p. 3)
• Dive In: The Price of Freedom (p. 6)    
• Start a Powerful new habit! Turn off all media for five minutes a day and relax in a quiet place. Ask God to help you to be open to his voice in your life. (p. 11)  Write a little about what happened in your journal.     ​​

Week 2 |  Lesson 3 "What's Your Story, God?" 

• Hero of the Week: St. Francis de Sales (p. 20)    
• Choose four Saints to Research and write down 3- 5 interesting facts in your journal about their lives.  Be prepared to write about one Saint you've chosen to be your Confirmation Saint Name in your letter to the Bishop at the end of this program. (p. 21) ​
• Resource: How to choose a Saint?

Week 3  |  Lesson 4 "How do I know God is real?"     

• To the Heart with Chris Stefanick (p. 28)    
  
• Read from one of the Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke or John) for three minutes everyday until your next session. Take two minutes afterward to think about what you read. Write in your journal about your thoughts. (p. 31)
  

Week 4  |  Lesson 5 "Who is Jesus?"    

• Matthew 16:15
• If you have not started your Mass Journal, start today. Watch Mass online or attend a Sunday Mass and begin journaling for the next six Masses.  
• Resources: 
  • Use the Mass Journal Outline 
  • For attending Mass in person, check with your parish website for online pre-registration requirements.
  • ​For live-streamed Masses, click here for the schedule

Week 5  |  Lesson 8 "How do I get there?"    

• Hero of the Week: St. Therese of Lisieux (p. 70)    
• If you have not started your service project, today is the day.  Choose from our Corporal Works of Mercy or our Spiritual Works of Mercy handout and complete at least one Corporal Work of Mercy and one Spiritual Work of Mercy.  ​
• Resources:
  • Corporal Works of Mercy handout
  • Spiritual Works of Mercy handout
  • Use Confirmation Service Completion Form​

Week 6  |  Lesson 10 "Why Tell My Sins to Priest?"

• Dive In: William Portillo: A Gangster Transformed (p. 86)     
• Go to Confession this week
• Resources on how to go to a confession:
  • A Guide to Confession (Busted Halo)
  • Examination of Conscience for youth 
  • Attend the regularly scheduled Confession at your parish (check their website), or contact the parish to book an appointment for Confession

 Week 7  | Lesson 12 - "Who is the Holy Spirit?"  

• Hero of the Week: St. Joan of Arc (p. 110)     
• Memorize the Holy Spirit prayer. Copy it into your journal and read it aloud everyday until your next session:  "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the Earth" (p. 111)

 Week 8  | Lesson 13 "What does the Holy Spirit do for me?"  

• Dive in:  Horvath's Violin (p. 116)    
• Give a gift. This week, do a favour or a chore at home, create something artistic for someone, buy a small gift or treat, or help someone do some work. Watch for signs that your gift strengthened, encouraged, or inspired the other person. Write about what you did in your journal and be prepared to write about it in your letter to the Bishop. (p. 121)
• Resource on how to write your letter to the bishop

​ Week 9  |  Lesson 14 "Why have I been Chosen?"

• Dive in: Arise (p. 126) Page 131- Find a prayer written to or composed by your Confirmation Saint. 
• Write it in your journal and pray it everyday this week, with the intention of preparing yourself to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. If there is no specific prayer attributed to your Confirmation saint, write one on behalf of him or her.  ​   ​

​ Week 10  |  Lesson 21 "Do I have what it takes?"

• Hero of the Week: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frasatti (p. 200)    
• Push Up Challenge- Can your friends, teachers, or family members name the CARDINAL virtues? Offer to do five push ups or sit ups for each one they can name to you. (if they can't name at least one, THEY have to do the sit ups or push ups!) (p. 201)

​ Week 11  |  Lesson 24 "Where do I go from here?"

• Hero of the Week:  St. Maximilian Kolbe (p. 230)
• Find an accountability partner. Your life will just get better and better if you follow Christ every single day.  Find a friend (your sponsor, your sibling, your cousin, your friend at school or youth group) to hold you accountable for getting to Mass every week, sticking to your daily prayer, going to youth group, or fulfilling any other commitments you have made to help you to follow Jesus more closely. Cheer each other on and support each other's efforts to grow in holiness. Remember, we have immortal souls, so our friendships can be eternal! (p. 231)

Once your online preparation is completed, inform your parish in order to proceed with the next steps towards the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation.