Continuing to Grow in the Catholic Faith High School and Beyond Blessed John XXIII’s Plan to keep the Confirmed of the Parish coming back for more…

How Many Come Back after Confirmation? Studies show that many young adults consider Confirmation to be their “Graduation” from the Catholic Church, instead of their “New Beginning”. Is this because, in many cases, there is nowhere else to go? There is nothing for them to go to?

Then, we the Church need to create an environment in which being a teen is accepted and welcomed. It is not up to the teen to find their place, but for us to create it for them and with them.

What is Blessed John XXIIII Doing to encourage young people to return after Confirmation? In order to bring young people back after Confirmation, you have to make the years preceding it memorable and worthwhile.

How Do We Do That? We looked at our Junior High Classes: 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th grades We looked at our High School Classes: 9 th, and 10 th grades AND……

We said to ourselves: What is working well AND…

What do we need to do to make these formative classes more relevant and meaningful to our students?

First: Teens need to feel a part of a group. They need to be treated like young adults and not children. They need to be allowed to make some decisions and choices. They need to be able to socialize, share, and interact with one another.

Room Setup We need to remove the desks, Paint the room a color that is pleasing to a teen’s eye, add a carpet, some pillows, comfy furniture, and a CD player!

Learning Materials We need to find learning materials that are “young adult” friendly. Programs that are less wordy and more hands on.

Prayer and Sharing We need to devote some time in each class for meaningful prayer and time to share feelings, good and bad with one another.

Music Young people relate through music, so we need to provide Catholic, Christian music that they can relate to.

Socialization We need to provide opportunities for young people to come together in a safe place, get to know one another, and have fun!!!!

Service Service should be a part of every Catholic Christian’s life. We need to provide our young adults opportunities to serve others on a regular basis.

Hopefully, then…. We can attract our Confirmandi to return: To attend Mass on a regular basis, To learn more about their faith, To begin more intensive study of the Bible, To continue the practice of their faith when they go away to college, and

…To become a truly involved, faithful, Catholic Christian adult … Who will make God number one in their lives Serve their church as priests, religious, and lay ministers Bring up their children in the faith, And help to lead others to the Lord.

Alleluia!! Amen.