CONFIRMATION 2027

For English-Speaking Adults

St. Stanisław Kostka Church, Szczecin

Congratulations!

We are very happy to welcome you to our sacramental preparation program!

We hope that the most valuable fruit of this program will be a deeper relationship with God. As you grow closer to God, you may discover greater happiness, peace, and fulfillment in your life. We would love to accompany you on this journey and help you grow in your relationship with God.

Let’s pray: God, thank you for calling me to yourself. Please open my eyes, my ears, and my heart to your message as I prepare to receive the sacraments. Amen.

Our English-speaking ministry is relatively new, and this is the first time we are offering this program. Please be patient with us as we continue to work out some of the details. We appreciate your understanding. If you have any questions or notice that something is unclear or needs to be corrected, please do not hesitate to ask or let us know.

Let’s get started!

WHAT WILL YOUR PREPARATION INCLUDE?

Your preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation will include five important areas:

·       Growing in Faith – learning and understanding the Catholic faith

·       Building Community – getting to know other Catholics and becoming part of our parish community

·       Personal Guidance – having opportunities for personal conversation and support as you prepare for Confirmation

·       Prayer and Your Relationship with God – developing your personal relationship with God through prayer and the sacramental life of the Church

·       Practical Matters – taking care of the necessary forms, documents, and other practical requirements

1. Growing in Faith

(a) Attending classes

Classes take place on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. (14:00) in the Community Room. Any missed classes will need to be made up.

(b) Additional assignments

-            By the end of October: Read Genesis 1–2 and complete the assignment described on the website.

-            By the end of November: Find a Christian song and explain why it helps you pray. (10–30 words)

-            By the end of December: Find a religious painting, statue, or other visual element and explain why it helps you pray. (10–30 words)

-            By the end of January: Complete a litany assignment. (Explanation coming soon.)

(c) Learning and memorizing some Catholic basics

As part of your preparation for Confirmation, you will be asked to memorize several important elements of our Catholic faith. All the material to be memorized will be provided on the parish website.

At the end of each month, you will have an opportunity to show what you have learned by reciting the material from memory. The goal is not simply to memorize words, but to become familiar with these important elements of our faith so that they can become a lasting part of your Catholic life.

-            By the end of October: The Ten Commandments

-            By the end of November: The Precepts of the Church and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

-            By the end of December: The Four Gospels and the structure of the Bible

-            By the end of January: Parts of the Mass, Part 1

-            By the end of February: Parts of the Mass, Part 2

-            By March 15: The Centurion’s Prayer before Holy Communion

 

2. Building Community

God calls us to know Him and to grow in faith with other Christians. Christianity is not something we are meant to live alone. Being part of a Catholic community gives us opportunities to support one another, share our faith, and experience the joy of belonging to the Church.

If you are not already part of a Catholic group where people have an opportunity to get to know one another and spend time together, please join us after Mass for our social gathering at least once a month.

3. Personal Guidance

Ideally, you would have one or more fellow Catholics who could accompany you personally as you prepare to receive the sacraments. It is helpful to have someone with whom you can talk about your faith, your questions, and your experience of preparing for Confirmation.

Unfortunately, at this time we may not have enough Catholics in our local community who have the experience to offer this kind of personal guidance in English.

“Instead, we will invite you to get to know Catholic saints by learning about their lives. Saints lived in very different times and circumstances, but their lives can still speak to us and help us grow in our relationship with God.

You will be asked to choose five saints and reflect on their lives by answering the following questions. Please write 10–30 words for each answer:

·       How did this saint live the Greatest Commandment by loving God, others, and themselves?

·       What difficulties did this saint experience in trying to live the Greatest Commandment?

·       What advice do you think this saint might give you about your life right now?

·       What fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit can you see at work in this saint? (You will answer this question after we have covered the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit in class.)

4. Prayer and Your Relationship with God

Prayer is an essential part of Christian life. Through prayer, we come to know God, speak with Him, and listen to Him.

We will not decide for you how you should pray or what form your personal prayer should take. We wholeheartedly encourage you, however, to seek God in personal prayer every day.

We will talk more directly about prayer and our relationship with God in January. In the meantime, we suggest some simple ways to begin or deepen your personal prayer life:

·       If you already have a regular prayer life, simply continue what you are doing.

·       Attend Mass, even if the Mass is in Polish. If you do not understand Polish, you can simply pray: “God, speak to me. I am listening.”

·       Look for prayers for particular occasions or topics that are important to you.

·       Listen to Christian music and use the songs as a way of praying.

·       Listen to or read reflections on the Sunday readings or other passages from the Bible. ou can find many of these on YouTube, in podcasts, and on other websites.

·       Stop by a nearby church for a few minutes of quiet prayer or Eucharistic adoration.

·       Pray: “Speak to me, God. I am listening.” If listening to God feels too difficult, you can pray: “God, teach me to be in touch with You.” God will respond to this prayer and help you learn to recognize His presence and His voice.

 

A Note About Your Written Work

In all the written assignments mentioned above, please do not worry about whether your English is perfect or whether you make grammatical mistakes. We are interested in your thoughts and reflections, not your writing skills. Please feel free to express yourself in the best English you can.

The only exception is the paperwork and documents required for Practical Matters (see below). In that area, precision and accuracy are important.

 

5. Practical Matters

Please click here

or go to https://catholictopicsgroups.blogspot.com/2026/10/confirmation-paperwork-congratulations.html

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