Confirmation Preparation

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***For 8th Grade Families – The Confirmation Retreat will take place at Damascus Mission Campus on September 19-21st. This is an overnight retreat. Students will depart St. Luke parish at 4pm on Friday, September 19th, and return Sunday, September 21st at around 2pm. Please mark your calendars. ***

***We are also in need of volunteers to help with our programming. If you are able to assist, please contact Max Hall at mhall@stlukelakewood.org.***

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What is Confirmation?

Confirmation is a spiritual, sacred and permanent sign or seal that marks the Christian as a witness of Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit.

It is conferred by the bishop or his designated person. In the Diocese of Cleveland students will traditionally begin this period of formation in the 7th grade and continue it through the 8th grade while receiving the sacrament in the 8th grade year. Through this sacrament, the faithful share more fully in the gifts of the Holy Spirit which bring renewed vibrancy to the spiritual life of the person.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are knowledge, understanding, wisdom, fortitude, right judgment, piety and fear of the Lord.

The gift of knowledge helps to instruct us about God and to appreciate God’s work in the world; the gift of understanding helps one penetrate into the truths of faith; the gift of wisdom helps one make judgments that will help to attain the goal of holiness; the gift of courage or fortitude helps each person boldly to proclaim the gospel; the gift of right judgment or counsel helps the confirmand make right decisions; the gift of reverence or piety inspires gratitude to God for all that was given; and the gift of wonder and awe or fear of the Lord inspires appreciation for the presence of the Lord. The gifts enhance the spiritual life of the confirmand and prepare him or her to be a witness to the world.

To be a “witness” means to behave and speak like Christ.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit the Christian now attends to both the physical and spiritual needs of others. Just as all who are confirmed, so too, the person with mental limitations is called to be a witness to the Lord. People with intellectual/developmental disabilities can be invited to fully give of their own unique virtues. These may be demonstrated through specific acts such as caring for elderly or disabled people in a very loving way. Or, this virtue may be shown in their special style of presence and prayer. The person with intellectual/developmental disabilities is often capable of giving a special uninhibited welcome to the stranger. Or, their gift may be that of prayer offered in a simple, heartfelt manner. People with disabilities are most often seen as objects of service rather than as people who have their own gifts to share. It is through the sacrament of confirmation that the Holy Spirit is let loose in the hearts of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Through this giver of holiness they witness both within the church and to secular society.

A Collaborative Program with St. Luke, St. Clement, and St. James Parishes

For 2025/2026 academic year, the parishes of St. James, St. Clement, and St. Luke are coming together to provide a comprehensive sacramental education program to prepare our students for the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation. Most of the programming will take place at St. Luke Parish, however, please make sure to be attentive to the location, as there may be few deviations from this rule.

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General Program Outline

Preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation begins in the 7th grade and continues through the 8th grade year. Below you will find a brief outline that summarizes the program.

1. Life Night Meeting (Once a Semester) – Confirmation Candidates will meet by grade level, once per semester to participate in a spiritual life night that incorporates a short instruction, prayer, and praise and worship.
2. Works of Mercy (Service Hours) – Candidates will be asked to complete some sort of work of mercy as part of their service component. This component can be fulfilled by any work of service, whether it is school or group related, as long as the student can relay it back to a work of mercy. There are no longer a required amount of hours for candidates to complete.
3. Spiritual Reflection – Candidates will be asked to write a short reflection based on their act of service/work of mercy. This can be a short as one typed page.
4. 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat – 8th grade students will participate in a confirmation retreat at Damascus Catholic Mission Campus in Centerburg, Ohio. This overnight retreat will start Friday, leaving from St. Luke at 4pm, and will return on Sunday, at around 2pm.
5. Sponsor Component – Students will work closely with their sponsor over the course of the program having meaningful conversations and the like.

Tuition

The only cost for this program is the retreat fee which is paid directly to Damascus. 

*Financial Aid is available to families in need. Please contact the Parish Catechetical Leader, Max Hall, to arrange for this.
** If your child is in the Parish School of Religion (Public School Students in grades 1-8) then there is a separate additional cost. Please refer to the respective program page for tuition costs.

Class Cancellation Policy

If the Lakewood City School cancels school for the day then PSR classes/Sacramental Preparation classes will also be canceled. Should a storm arrive late, or inclement weather is forthcoming a notification will be sent to families via email, Remind text notification, and parish social media accounts. Please check the parish website for updates as well.