Christian Service
Confirmation Service Hours
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, one of the effects of the sacrament of Confirmation is to “give us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.”
In order to prepare yourself to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, it is important that you spend time going out into the world and being Christ to others. There are many ways you can do that, and to help you start, below are two categories that will introduce you to new and to familiar ways to serve others, including your family. Hopefully, the suggestions listed below will help you see the needs of those around you. Please pay careful attention to how you obtain the required hours of service.
Please note: You are required to keep track of your service hours. Please use the log to record them, as you will turn the log by March 29, 2020. The events listed below are only suggestions, and you are free to find alternative ways to obtain the appropriate hours if they are comparable. However, we do encourage participation in the community events at St. Thomas More since they provide you with opportunities to foster a closer peer community.
The categories are as follows:
Parish: These hours should be obtained through assisting at events at the parish. There are many opportunities, and we are happy to help you determine which would be the most fitting for you. A few examples are visiting elderly and shut-ins, being an aide in a Religious Education class, altar-serving, singing in the choir or volunteering to help events hosted by the Knights of Columbus.
Community: Most events that benefit others and are held in your local community are the best way to fulfill your service hours. These might include volunteering at the Special Olympics, charitable fundraisers, an animal shelter, a hospital, a nursing home, pro-life organizations, a soup kitchen or tutoring children at the local elementary school.
Another thing to remember when working to fulfill your 10 hours (9th grade) and 15 hours (10th grade) is that you can only count 3 hours per event. Each event must be a minimum of one hour and you will need a supervising adult to sign the record of Christian service hours form. Also, please choose two service events and write a short (no shorter than 1⁄2 a page, typed, single-spaced, 12-point font) reflection on each. Since many students are required to work service hours as part of their education at school we allow these hours to also apply to the Christian service hours for the Confirmation program.
