The combined parish of St Bernard, Newlands and St Ignatius, Claremont, offers a Confirmation program that is distinct from other parishes. Our program is a three year programme : it’s on a Sunday night rather than during the week: and the whole class, 1ST and 2ND years, meets together, rather than separately. It’s also a user-friendly program: understanding the pressures on our learners, we don’t interfere with their school or social life. And we don’t teach too many doctrines: we presume they’ve learnt these in an earlier part of their catechesis. Instead, we try to offer them pointers for an authentically Christian lifestyle. All of this springs from our understanding of Confirmation, as the continuation of a journey or, if you like, of a conversation God initiated with each of us in Baptism. The very fact that teenagers register for Confirmation leads us to believe that somewhere deep down they want to explore this conversation, continue this journey. But Confirmation is not the end of something: yes, of course, it brings to completion our initiation into the Body of Christ started in Baptism: rather, it’s a halting point along the way, a time to gather some new gifts and shed some old habits before continuing. We don’t understand Confirmation as the moment of ‘adulthood’ in the Church – adulthood happens when people, no matter what their physical age, begin to take responsibility for their lives. One doesn’t need to be Confirmed to maintain a spiritual life: but to stop living out our spirituality as soon as we are Confirmed is like stopping halfway across a road and deciding that it’s far enough!
Confirmation Faith Level (High School) is a three year programme.
Currently, lessons are sent to the families via email as per pandemic restrictions and protocols.
To supplement these lessons, the teens meet once a month on the Second Saturday from 10.00am until 11.00am for the First and Second Year Confirmation Levels. Final year Confirmation Level meet after the 6.00pm Mass on the third Sunday of the Month.
This 6.00pm Mass on the third Sunday of the month, is for all the Confirmation Candidates in the three year programme. Their families are encouraged to attend.
For Confirmation enquiries, the Contact person is Leisyl Fortuin: email leisylf@gmail.com or newlands@adct.org.za.
Please note that according to the regulations of the Archdiocese of Cape Town, no candidate who is not in their 16th year of age may be confirmed.
