St Teresa of Avila Parish is a welcoming Catholic Church that has been serving the Summit community for over 160 years.
High School
Ministry
STAND aims to engage the young people of our parish into the life and mission of the Church, especially for the future. A ministry that is created for and energized by our students in grades 9-12, STAND empowers our youth to discover their calls to live as disciples of Jesus and learn to stand firm in their faith. As a part of the STAND youth ministry group, our high school-aged young people are encouraged and challenged to grow in their faith and grow together in fellowship. We offer opportunities to be actively involved in the life of the parish, social events, bible study, prayer, and service projects. As a part of God’s family, no one stands alone. Will you answer the invitation to STAND with us?
The PURPOSE Confirmation preparation program invites candidates to explore and discover their purpose as active disciples in life and the Church. Using the Decision Point curriculum from Dynamic Catholic, candidates for Confirmation will be engaged in discernment, discussions, prayer, and service-learning opportunities that help them foster the spirit of saying yes and being open to having a deeper life with God.
Confirmation
Preparation Program
The Confirmation Sacramental Prep program at St Teresa of Avila has been redesigned to help students in grades 9-12 come to a deeper and personal understanding of how God works in our lives and in the Church. Entitled PURPOSE, this program invites candidates to explore and discover their purpose as active disciples in life and in the Church.
Candidates seeking to be confirmed are invited to register for the 1-year preparation program which begins in the Winter of 9th grade and offers the reception of the sacrament the following Fall. Because of the importance of the decision of being Confirmed as a Catholic, the program offers discernment opportunities and experiences of God’s great love for each one of us.
The program encourages our teens to develop friendships with many of their peers in the parish community and high schools. The overall goal of the preparation experience is to foster the spirit of saying yes and being open to having a deeper life with God.
The sacrament of Confirmation completes our Baptism and empowers those who are confirmed to witness to God's love in their words and actions.
The preparation experience takes us from September to the Fall of the following year and consists of youth group gatherings, small group learning, participation in service, and engagement in faith experiences.
September - May
Learning
youth group nights and small group sessions to learn about the pillars of our faith and the sacrament and foster fellowship and service
Growing
June - August
deepening the faith through experiences of service and discovery that can occur within the Candidate’s schedule – 1 service project and 1 faith experience required
Living
Fall of following year
final preparations and the reception of the Sacrament
Program Components
Mass Attendance
Active, regular attendance at Mass is expected of candidates and their families as a part of the sacramental preparation process. The Sunday Liturgy is the source and summit of our faith as we come together to celebrate the Eucharist. Thus, it is fitting to join in with the parish community on the journey toward being a full member. Candidates are invited to consider serving in roles as ushers or greeters for the Masses.
An invitation to STAND
Starting your PURPOSE journey begins with an invitation to take part in the high school ministry program, STAND. It empowers our youth to discover their calls to live as disciples of Jesus and learn to stand firm in their faith.
STAND nights are in-person gatherings that bring youth together for various experiences of faith through community, prayer, learning, fun, and service.
Purpose Learning Sessions
From January to May, candidates will meet in small groups with a mentor to explore the themes and unpack the learning through discussion and engagement. We will be using the Decision Point curriculum from Dynamic Catholic. Our scheduled sessions are noted below. Every effort must be made to attend each of the Purpose Connect Sessions because each unique session will contain an incredible amount of information that is vital to the preparation process.
GROWING
in faith
During these summer months when our schedules are less burdened, we encourage our candidates to use this time to continue to grow in their discipleship through participation in experiences of service and faith.
Each Confirmation candidate must complete one service experience and one faith experience:
A SERVICE EXPERIENCE is defined as the candidate’s involvement in an outreach project or organization that helps the community/is in service of others
A FAITH EXPERIENCE is defined as the candidate’s participation in activities that provide him/her the opportunity to deepen their faith beyond Sunday worship. This could include visiting a shrine, going on a pilgrimage, participating in bible study, visiting other types of Christian churches, etc. The possibilities are abundant and entirely up to the candidate’s choosing.
Candidates will design their
own experiences to fit into
existing summer plans.
Confirmation
RETREAT
The retreat is an important part of the Confirmation process as a chance to meet to focus on our relationship with God and foster fellowship.
Candidates must participate in the retreat experience of the program. Detailed information about the retreat will be shared with families close to its occurrence.
Questions About...
Choosing a Sponsor...
Sponsors are people who encourage, support, and walk with the Confirmation candidate on this faith journey. They help the candidates embrace and actively practice the Catholic faith before and after Confirmation.
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A sponsor should have a deep commitment to the Catholic faith and be an active, confirmed member of his/her parish. Candidates are asked to take the time to discern their Sponsor choice.
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Sponsors must complete the Sponsor Information Form found on the parish website.
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Each candidate must choose their Sponsor and have the form turned in to Faith Formation no later than the end of May.
Confirmation Saint Name...
Each Candidate will pick a Confirmation name which is usually the name of a Patron Saint. Your Confirmation saint name will be a patron for you throughout your formation and life as an active disciple in the Church.
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Each candidate is asked to thoughtfully choose a saint who will serve as an inspiration of faith in their lives.
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Submission of the researched Confirmation Saint name must be given to small group leaders at the end of the last Purpose Connect Session in May.
Baptismal Certificates...
Each Candidate is asked to submit a recent copy of their baptismal certificate.
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It must be dated within the last 6 months.
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Parents may obtain a copy of their child’s baptismal certificate by contacting the baptismal parish.
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If your child was baptized at St Teresa of Avila, there is no need to provide a baptismal certificate. Please indicate if your child was baptized at St Teresa of Avila on the Confirmation intake form in your Purpose registration.
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Baptismal certificates are due to the Faith Formation Office by the end of May.
