Father Simon Gore from Animate Youth Ministries explains the process of applying for the 2024 Confirmation programme.

 

New Year – New Me.

 

I wonder how many people woke up on 1 January and said something similar. There is always something enticing about the start of a new year. A chance to put aside all those things that we want to change and to turn over a new leaf.

 

Even in a spiritual sense, it is another chance after Advent and before Lent to try something new. Maybe the resolution is to get up earlier for those morning prayers we miss in the hectic rush of the school run?

 

Or the decision to take time at night before bed to reflect on where God has been in the day? For our young people in the diocese, those in Year 8, it is a chance to think about the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

The start of 2024 is an opportunity for Year 8 pupils to think if they would like to receive the sacrament this year. Anyone of that age wishing to register for the Confirmation programme should go to www. liverpoolcalled.co.uk and fill in the simple form there. If they have trouble with this, their school will be able to help. The online form will be open from 15 January until 15 March.

 

As Animate, we will tour our diocesan schools to try to explain why the sacrament is important at this stage in the life and development of a young person. School staff will follow this up with classes on the subject developed by the diocesan education department. On 15 March the names that have been registered with the website will be sent to the deaneries, who will then contact young people for local preparation meetings.

 

As we will be near Easter by that time, it might be that parishes contact young people after Easter, so do not worry if you do not get an email immediately on 15 March. Each parish/deanery will start and end their preparation at different times, so if you are unsure, ask your own parish priest what the plans might be.

 

It may be that a classmate from a different parish is starting their preparation sooner as not all young people in each school will necessarily be on the same timeline.