Dear Parents and Students,
 
Quarantining yourself at home means staying at home and avoiding contact with others which helps slow the spread of the conoravirus.  The sudden disruption of the family routine, lake of social and physical activity and fears related to the conoravirus outbreak can be especially stressful and anxiety-producing for all (especially children).
 
We want to help make it a little more fun for the students while they are at home and also earn their community service hours at the same time.  We have come up with a few things the students can do at home.  Keep track of everything you do and have FUN!!!
 

• For the St. James website – we want all the confirmation students to take pictures of themselves on how they are coping with being quarantined in their home.  It could be pictures of the students cooking, reading, panting, dancing, etc.  Have fun with it. Get the entire family involved.  Once you have your pictures, please send them to me.  We are going to put the pictures in a video and add music and some inspirational quotes and then post it to the St. James website.

 

• Make cards with inspirational sayings to send to the home-bound. I have a list of people who couldn’t get to church because of medical issues.  Now that we can’t visit them, it would be nice to send them cards so they know we are thinking of them.  Sign your name and make sure you note that you are from the St. James Confirmation Class.  Please contact me for the list of people you can send the cards to.  You can also send cards to Little Sisters of the Poor or any other nuresing home.

 

• Make inspirational posters that we can put in the pews of the Church.  You can add photos of family members; write something inspirational on them; thank those who have been helping others like doctors, nurses, police, etc. Make your poster anything you want – use your imagination.  Once you have completed your poster, please make sure to take a picture of you holding your poster and send that picture to me.  If you can (we want everyone to feel safe in doing this), drop off the poster to the church and leave at the side door of the church (St. James Place side) or at the Parish House rectory door.  There is no need to go into any of the buildings. John Waryas and I will pick up the posters at the doors and place all the poster in the pews of the Church.  Once completed, I will take a picture of the church with all the posters to put on the St. James Website.  Fr. Marc and Fr. Henry say prayers every day in church for all of us – so how wonderful it would be for them to see all the posters the Confirmation students made set up in the pews.

 

• Set up a Daily Prayer with your family. Pray for those people who have the virus and those we have lost during this pandemic.  Pray for those who still have to work and are in contact with infected people such as Doctors, Nurses, etc.  Have a family bible reading. Pick a verse from the Bible and then discuss the meaning.  Attend the daily 7:00 PM live streaming Mass on the Academy of St. James Facebook page.  Or, come up with your own way of living your faith each day through prayer with your family.  I have attached "Creating a Prayer Space at Home" to help you.

 

• Do a Spring Cleaning.  Help parents clean the entire house.  Write a list of task that need to be done and do one each day until the entire list is completed and the house is done. Make it fun by playing music, or make it a game to see who gets their chore done first, or dress in costume and become that character while cleaning.  Make sure to take pictures and again have FUN!

 

• For the 2^nd Year and RCIA Confirmation Students - make a poster (examples:  the Beatitudes, or 10 Commandments, or Jesus, etc.).  Contact me for the list of ideas you can do for your poster.  So not to duplicate posters, please let me know which idea you pick for your poster.  We will hang these posters in church when the students make their confirmation showing everyone how much the students have learned even while in quarantine.  Make the posters fun and colorful!

Please make sure all students document what they have done and write how they felt about doing the projects.  Make sure you take lots of pictures!!  If there is anything students can think of that they would like to do or share with the class, please let me know as long as it deals with living their faith.  If you have any questions regarding the above, please feel free to contact me.

Hope everyone is well and staying safe!
Kathryn
 
Kathryn DiPasquale
Director of Confirmation
St. James of the Marches Church
973-790-0288 office
973-727-9106 cell
gdkdcdmd@optonline.net

Dear Parents/Guardians and Confirmation Candidates,
 
It is a pleasure to welcome you into the Confirmation process here at St. James of the Marches Catholic Community.  What an exciting year this will be for you and your family! God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4: “ We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen”.
 
As volunteer teachers, we give thanks to God for you as parents for teaching the faith to your children. We are praying for you to grow in your faith, hope, and love for God.
 
Students, you are about to begin a process of deeper initiation into your Christian faith.  You have already received God's life and Spirit through the Sacrament of Baptism. You have also received the nourishment of his Body and Blood in the Eucharist. When you were baptized, you became a part of a faith community, the family of God. From that moment on God claimed you as His own.  The preparation that you are receiving should help you come to a deeper and more profound understanding of the Christian commitment you are being called to fulfill.
 
To our 7 ^th grade students – this is a 2 year program where we will be working together with you, by encouraging and guiding you, to prepare you in accepting your responsibility for your faith and understanding that it is a time to reflect on how you can strengthen your relationship with God and better yourselves as Christians.
 
To our returning 8 ^th grade students and RCIA Highschool – you have already started your journey and in just a few short months, you will receive the sacrament of Confirmation!  The desire to be confirmed as an adult member of the Catholic Church will be demonstrated through how you live out your faith.
 
Baptismal Certificate: Students not baptized at St. James of the Marches, need to provide a copy of their Baptismal Certificate.
 
First Communion Certificate: Students who have not received First Communion at St. James of the Marches, need to provide a copy of their First Communion Certificate.
 
Class Attendance: Students must attend all classes and participate in the discussions and activities. Only two legitimate class absences (illness, special family events) will be allowed per year. One of the teachers must be contacted before class when the student will be absent. If your young adult misses a class, he/she is responsible for making up the lesson.
 
Mass Attendance: Students must attend Mass on the weekends and Holy Days. It is very important that the Confirmands join the St. James of the Marches community in practicing their Catholic faith.  If you are away and can’t attend Mass at St. James, you are required to attend another Church and have the Parish Priest sign one of their bulletins.  You should bring the bulletin to class and give to your catechist teacher. If you are sick or have a family emergency and couldn’t attend Mass, you must contact the Religious Education Office and leave a message why you could not attend Mass.
 
Prayer: Students are to pray daily for the guidance of the Holy Spirit during the period of preparation for themselves and their class. Each Confirmand will also have a prayer partner from our parish that will also be praying for them.
 
Responsible: Students are to be more responsible in their family, church and community.
 
Retreat: There will be a two day retreat each year before the Confirmation ceremony.  All students must attend the retreat.
 
Community Service: Thirty (30) community service hours and Twenty (20) Parish hours are required to be served from 7 ^th grade up until Confirmation. All hours must be completed before Confirmation takes place. Many hours will be offered through activities organized by the Confirmation class at St. James of the Marches. Outside activities should be recorded on forms available from the Religious Education Office or Catechist Teacher.
 
Sponsor: Each student will select a person to sponsor him or her throughout the Confirmation process. This person must be a Confirmed, practicing Catholic over the age of 16 and not the young adult’s parents. If the sponsor is not a member of St. James of the Marches, a "Priest’s Verification of Confirmation Sponsor" form must be completed. The forms are available from the Religious Education Office or Catechist teacher.
 
Saint Name: Each student will select a saint name. They will need to research the saint and write a paper about it. Students will be encouraged to share their saint paper to the class throughout the second year of class.
 
Confirmation Test: Students are required to learn Confirmation material and prayers. Tests will be administered periodically. Each student is required to pass each test.
 
Final Exam and Interview: Students who will be receiving their Confirmation are required to take a final exam.  Each student will also be interviewed by the DRE and/or Father before Confirmation.
 
Please read carefully the material enclosed.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Religious Education Office.  May God bless all of us as we go through this amazing journey together!
 
Yours in Christ,
Kathryn
 
Kathryn DiPasquale
Director Confirmation Religious Education
St. James of the Marches
973-790-0288 office
973-727-9106 cell
gdkdcdmd@optonline.net