St. Bernadette Parish
CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
CORRECTION:
Last night's "followup" email contained a typo. As previously scheduled, the next candidate session is Nov. 18th, NOT Nov. 11th.

The corrected email has been reproduced in full below, so you may wish to delete the previous email to avoid any confusion. Thank you for your understanding!
Dear Parents,

In this third candidate session, we discussed the cost of Discipleship. Here are some of the main points:
  • Jesus didn’t hide from people that following him was going to come at a cost.
  • Jesus willingly gave up his life. No one took it from him. He made a choice to sacrifice. And he invites us to do the same. Not be crucified in a literal sense, but to “deny ourselves.”
  • Taking up your cross to follow Jesus may mean... giving up sleeping in so that you can get to Mass on time. It may be having to explain to your family and friends why being Catholic is important to us, especially when they don’t understand or don’t appreciate our faith. It may mean giving up some bad habits.
  • Jesus is close to us in our suffering. Remember, the cross doesn’t have the final word. We believe Jesus rose from the dead. Our pain doesn’t have the last word. We have hope in Jesus that there is more than just this life.

NOTE: In the context of describing suffering in the life of a disciple, candidates heard stories that included the experiences of the death of the speaker's teen and young adult friends, in spite of prayer and a close relationship with God. If you find that you would like support and/or resources to follow up on this topic with you child, or you would like to view the video yourself, please let me know.


FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS:

  • ASK: What was something that stuck with you from your activity (I'm Catholic, but..."), small group time, or prayer time?

  • SHARE: What do you think is the hardest thing about being Catholic? What is the best thing?

  • DISCUSS: What are some practical ways we can “take up our cross” and “deny ourselves” in daily life?

  • PRAY: Read through the theme scripture from tonight (below), slowly, listening for what God is saying to you through the passage. Perhaps use the lectio divina method to guide you: https://tinyurl.com/LectioDivinaStepByStep


TONIGHT'S THEME SCRIPTURE: TAKE UP YOUR CROSS
“Whoever wishes to come after me
must deny himself,
take up his cross
and follow me.”
(Mt. 16:24)

NEXT Candidate Session
Wednesday, Nov. 18th
7:00-8:30 pm

(Reminder: There is no session on November 11th, as the fall sessions are on every other Wednesday in November.)

To access the entire year's Confirmation calendar,
click the button below to go to the Confirmation 2021 page:
PSAs:

Sponsor Covenant Form is Now Available!

Direct your sponsor to go to
and scroll to "Sponsor Corner" to access the Google Form.
***Sponsors must complete the form no later than January 4th, 2021.

A sponsor for Confirmation:
  • may not be one of your parents
  • must be a Confirmed Catholic man or woman, age 16 or older
  • must be an practicing member of a Catholic parish
  • should be available to meet with you regularly
  • should be someone you respect and admire in faith

Whom to consider as a sponsor...
  • One (or both) of your godparents
  • A close aunt, uncle, older cousin
  • A close friend's mother or father
  • A former or current teacher, catechist, adult leader, or peer minister

Need help identifying a sponsor? We can help!


Our next Mass & Mercy Night is November 15th!

YOU ARE INVITED!
  • ALL Confirmation families are invited to participate in Mass & Mercy Nights, even those not required to participate in Sunday evening faith formation!

SIGN UP TODAY!
Payment Methods Reminder:

You can always send a check for payment to:
801 Stevenson Road, Severn, MD 21144

Checks should be made payable to "St. Bernadette Parish" and should include the child's/children's name(s) & program(s) in the memo line.

Online payment portal for Confirmation ($150) is now live: https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/1448/DirectDonate/76595

Those also paying for Faith Formation can access
online payment for that program ($50 per child) here: https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/1448/DirectDonate/76597

Or you can use Venmo: @STB801


Donations to help cover the cost for those unable to pay, or to allow us to spring for resources or technology we might otherwise forgo, are also always welcome. Interested? Let's talk!

Come, Holy Spirit!

Ms. Rena