My teen is unsure she/he wants to be Catholic. What should I do?
As a parent, it is your duty to educate and inspire your child to follow Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the Catholic faith and make available to them the Sacraments of the Church. As a parent it is right for you to require your child to participate in religious education and preparation for Confirmation. However, because of your child's age, he or she cannot be forced to believe, to worship, or to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. So, we recommend two things:
Set the example for your child of a life of faith, hope, love, and ongoing formation, worship, and service at Saint John's.
Lovingly require your child to attend and participate, while simultaneouly giving them the freedom, at the end of the day, to say "no" after giving it an honest, sincere, open try.
My teen is older than 8th grade. What should I do?
If your child is in 9th or 10th grade, we may have her/him receive with the 8th graders. If she/he is older, we may have her/him receive at a different time.
My child was Baptized as a non-Catholic, but we have been practicing the Catholic faith for a while. My child hasn't received First Communion or Confirmation. What should I do?
Your child will need to prepare in a special way for both First Communion and Confirmation. There will be additional paperwork to fill out.
My child attends faith formation or school at Saint John's, but we are not enrolled as parishioners here. Can she/he receive with her/his classmates at Saint John's?
A child receiving Confirmation must be attending the Holy Mass each and every Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation. The parish where the child attends Mass (and is registered as a parishioner) is ideally the place he or she should receive Confirmation. However, there may be circumstances where this is not the best solution.
If you have questions, please call the parish office at 651-484-2708.