July 19 and 26 at St. Thomas Becket October 4 and 18 at St. Emily
Confirmation
God's Gift of the
Holy Spirit
St. Emily and St. Thomas Becket Parishes
June 18, 2020
Dear Families,
We have finally received word from the Archdiocese that we can reschedule the celebrations of Confirmation. Because we had such a large group - and because we are limited in the numbers which can gather in church at one time - there will be several ceremonies.
At St. Thomas Becket:
July 19 at 9:00 AM in English
July 19 at 2:00 PM in Polish
July 26 at 2:00 PM in Polish
At St. Emily:
October 4 at 2:00 PM
October 18 at 2:00 PM
For those
celebrating at St. Thomas Becket, you will receive a sign up and further information from
Renata Sosin.
The information below applies to St. Emily candidates:
Fr. Presta, as pastor, has been given delegation by the Cardinal to confirm.
There is a limit to 33 candidates per mass.
Six people total may attend in each family group. The candidate and the sponsor count as two. The four others may include the parents and two more guests.
The rehearsals will be Thursday, October 1 and Thursday, October 15 at 7:00 PM in St. Emily church. Only the sponsor and the candidate should attend.
We will be following all the rules for sanitation and social distancing mandated by the Archdiocese. Please keep in mind that masks will be required on all over the age of two. All those who attend will need to be on the list of reservations and checked off as they arrive. (This is so that we might do contact tracing if it is necessary.)
There will be a photographer to take pictures of the ceremony. We will not be able to allow photographs in church after the ceremony. You may pose for pictures outside, as long as appropriate social distance rules are followed.
Answers to anticipated questions:
What if we can't make either of those dates? We understand that this is not the year long notice that you usually get. We can arrange for your candidate to be confirmed at another mass, if that is necessary.
Why are we so limited on attendance? In order to maintain a socially distant margin in the building, we are limited to an attendance of 200, which works out almost exactly to six persons per family group.
What if the sponsor cannot attend? You may have a proxy substitute. There is a place on the sign up form to indicate the proxy's name.
What about illness? If anyone in your family group is not feeling well, or is running a fever, it is essential that he or she stay home. If the candidate is ill, we'll arrange another date for his or her confirmation.
What about live streaming? The mass will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube, so family members unable to attend can still participate from afar.
Keep preparing for the sacrament! Even though the formal classroom and parish preparation has concluded, each candidate should continue to prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This is no time to stop thinking of Works of Mercy. Remember that they continue until you meet the Lord and give an accounting of your life. While our lives are a bit limited, we still have the opportunity to reach out in service to each other.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
We have commissioned rosaries for the parish of St. Emily. Available with either blue or brown beads, these were crafted in Italy. The crucifix is modeled on the one that hangs in the church and St. Emily is on the center medal.
This would make a great confirmation gift for any candidate confirmed here in our church.
These are available at the St. Emily parish office for $25.00 each.
