Student Name ________________________
CONFIRMATION
Homily Reports
Service Hours
Spiritual Experiences
2013 – 2014
June thru September
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in us the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Holy Family Parish
Shorewood, IL
THIS WHITE CONFIRMATION PACKET IS DUE BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013.
HOMILY REPORT *
June
Student Name _____________________________________________________
Date of Sunday Mass ____________________ Time of Sunday Mass ________
Name of Priest or Deacon who gave the Homily _________________________
Gospel Reading of the Day ___________________________________________
Brief interpretation of the Homily:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Was there anything in the Homily that you could relate to your life? Please
explain.______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You will receive three Homily/Service packets: the 1st packet is from June thru September;
the 2nd packet is from October thru January; the 3rd packet is from February thru April. If you
do not attend mass in the month required, you will need to make up that homily report by
writing 2 (or more if needed) homily reports in another month. Your report can be written
even if you attend Mass at a different church. One Homily report is due each month from
June thru April. A total of 11 reports must be completed. Homily reports will be reviewed by
the RE Staff. 1st packet will be due the beginning of October.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature
HOMILY REPORT *
July
Student Name _____________________________________________________
Date of Sunday Mass ____________________ Time of Sunday Mass ________
Name of Priest or Deacon who gave the Homily _________________________
Gospel Reading of the Day ___________________________________________
Brief interpretation of the Homily:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Was there anything in the Homily that you could relate to your life? Please
explain.______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You will receive three Homily/Service packets: the 1st packet is from June thru September;
the 2nd packet is from October thru January; the 3rd packet is from February thru April. If you
do not attend mass in the month required, you will need to make up that homily report by
writing 2 (or more if needed) homily reports in another month. Your report can be written
even if you attend Mass at a different church. One Homily report is due each month from
June thru April. A total of 11 reports must be completed. Homily reports will be reviewed by
the RE Staff. 1st packet will be due the beginning of October.
Parent Signature
HOMILY REPORT *
August
Student Name _____________________________________________________
Date of Sunday Mass ____________________ Time of Sunday Mass ________
Name of Priest or Deacon who gave the Homily _________________________
Gospel Reading of the Day ___________________________________________
Brief interpretation of the Homily:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Was there anything in the Homily that you could relate to your life? Please
explain.______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You will receive three Homily/Service packets: the 1st packet is from June thru September;
the 2nd packet is from October thru January; the 3rd packet is from February thru April. If you
do not attend mass in the month required, you will need to make up that homily report by
writing 2 (or more if needed) homily reports in another month. Your report can be written
even if you attend Mass at a different church. One Homily report is due each month from
June thru April. A total of 11 reports must be completed. Homily reports will be reviewed by
the RE Staff. 1st packet will be due the beginning of October.
Parent Signature
HOMILY REPORT *
September
Student Name _____________________________________________________
Date of Sunday Mass ____________________ Time of Sunday Mass ________
Name of Priest or Deacon who gave the Homily _________________________
Gospel Reading of the Day ___________________________________________
Brief interpretation of the Homily:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Was there anything in the Homily that you could relate to your life? Please
explain.______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
You will receive three Homily/Service packets: the 1st packet is from June thru September;
the 2nd packet is from October thru January; the 3rd packet is from February thru April. If you
do not attend mass in the month required, you will need to make up that homily report by
writing 2 (or more if needed) homily reports in another month. Your report can be written
even if you attend Mass at a different church. One Homily report is due each month from
June thru April. A total of 11 reports must be completed. Homily reports will be reviewed by
the RE Staff. 1st packet will be due the beginning of October.
Parent Signature
CONFIRMATION
SERVICE HOURS
Catholic Service – sharing your gifts and talents - are an essential part of our lives as followers of Jesus. Jesus
sent his followers to be missionaries in the world – “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my
disciples” Matthew 28:19. To follow Jesus means to “be a disciple” – to lead a life that Jesus calls us to live in
service to others.
Reaching out to others through Service…
- makes us a disciple of Jesus by living out the Gospel message
- helps us develop positive self-esteem, self-confidence and social skills
- helps us make a difference
- helps us discover our personal gifts and talents
- has an impact on the people you serve
The 7th grade and 8th grade years are devoted to preparation for Confirmation. There is a total of 20 Community
service hours required between the end of 7th grade and the end of 8th grade. Ideally, service should be divided
between Home, Church and Community. You can begin “counting” your service hours in the Spring. You can take
a maximum of 5 hrs. per project. This insures that you will complete a minimum of 4 different service projects.
Below is a small list of opportunities available. The student should feel free to explore other opportunities that
might appeal to them. Watch the school and RE emails for additional opportunities.
THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES CAN BE USED FOR SERVICE HOURS. You are not limited to these projects.
FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN
Located in Aurora, IL
www.fmsc.org
DAYBREAK SHELTER
Part of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet
located in Joliet, IL Arrangements to serve at Daybreak must be made through
Deacon Karl at khuebner@holyfamilyshorewood.org.
Assist with projects in the RE Office. Emails will be sent out for opportunities
to help with specific projects in the RE Office.
Harvest Weekend
Easter Baskets Assembly
Diocesan Persons with Disabilities Mass – help with reception in gym.
Parish Mission – sometimes there is a reception after the Mission inviting people
to the gym. If this opportunity is available, you will receive notice on that.
Kim Leyva from the Christian Service Outreach Ministry at Holy Family has
special projects going on throughout the year. Please check with Mrs. Leyva at
ksleyva6@comcast.net.
Check with your local library to see if they need help with their summer
programs.
Check with local nursing homes.
Check with the Humane Society off Seil Rd.
Chicago Food Depository – www.chicagofoodbank.org
Catholic Charities – Diocese of Joliet – www.cc-doj.org
Will County Forest Preserve – www.reconnectwithnature.org
Cook a meal for a neighbor during a medical crisis.
Assist an elderly or sick neighbor with yard work, snow shoveling or house
cleaning.
Visit someone who is shut-in.
Babysitting – not being paid. (maximum of 5 hours)
BABYSITTING FOR RCIA FAMILY AT HOLY FAMILY CHURCH.
When the RCIA program begins in September, if there is a couple with children, this option is available. We would
be looking for volunteers to keep the children occupied by reading them stories and playing games in a separate
part of the gym while their parents are in the gym learning the RCIA program. This is usually after the 8:30am
Mass on Sunday’s. If you are interested in this project, please call Peni Heffernan at 815-531-3762 for more
details.
CATHOLIC SERVICE
Sharing My Gifts and Talents
Student Name _______________________________________________
Project Name ________________________________________________
Date of Service_______________________________________________
Contact Person ______________________________________________
Authorized Signature __________________________________________
Describe the Project
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Time Commitment ________________________________
Reflection Questions
What did you do and what impact do you think you had?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
How did someone benefit from this project?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
What was the best part of this project?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
What did you learn?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
There are 5 hours of Spiritual Experiences required during the 8th grade year of
Confirmation preparation. What is a Spiritual Experience? In the broad sense of
the term, this can mean many different things to each individual. For our
purposes, in the light of Confirmation preparation for our 8th grade students, what
follows is our concept.
As we all know, we never graduate from our Catholic faith. We are on a lifelong
journey to the Kingdom of God. Our purpose is to give our students a broad view
of Catholic traditions. Many practices have been forgotten or diminished in light of
the busy lives our families lead now. Over an 8 year period, our students have
learned the basics of their faith, now we hope they will experience in a small way
the rituals which have sustained us for hundreds of years.
We will offer a sampling of the many ways the students can participate in a
Spiritual experience. You are not limited to our suggestions. We hope that each
family will join in the experience with their 8th grade student and enrich your own
lifelong journey as well as theirs.
Visit a Shrine:
www.catholicshrines.net
National Shrine of St. Therese of Lisieux – Darien, IL
National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe – Libertyville, IL
Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii – Chicago, IL
Shrine of Christ’s Passion – St. John, Indiana
(Maximum of 1 ½ hrs.)
Attend the Parish Mission:
November 10th, 11th, 12th at Holy Family Parish by Rev. Tom McCarthy OSA at
7:00pm in the Church
(Maximum of 1 hr. for Nov. 10th, 1 hr. for Nov. 11th, 1 hr. for Nov. 12th)
Attend Stations of the Cross on a Friday night during Lent.
(Maximum of ½ hr.)
Attend Holy Thursday Mass.
(Maximum of 1 ½ hrs.)
Visit 7 churches after Mass on Holy Thursday.
(Maximum of 1 ½ hrs.)
Attend Good Friday Evening Prayer.
(Maximum of 1 ½ hrs.)
Attend the Easter Vigil.
(Maximum of 2 hrs.)
Attend Mass at Cathedral of St. Raymond – Joliet, IL
(Maximum of 1 hr.)
Attend Mass at Holy Name Cathedral – Chicago, IL
(Maximum of 1 hr.)
Attend Eucharistic Adoration
(Maximum of ½ hr.)
Family Rosary
(Maximum of ½ hr.)
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
Student Name _____________________________________________________
Date of Spiritual Experience ____________________________
Place of Spiritual Experience _________________________________________
Brief description of Place and Spiritual Experience:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Is this the first time you have experienced this? _____________________
What was something special that stood out for you?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature