What to Expect
Confirmation preparation at St. James will be for grades 6-8. Middle school is a great time of transition for our young people. They are met with new challenges, changes, and are beginning to mature and become ready to dive deeper into their faith. These 3 years of preparation will give middle school students the best chance at gaining and developing a lifelong relationship with Jesus. We will be flexible as we understand that everyone has different circumstances. If you have a youth in 7th grade or 8th grade that has not been part of Confirmation preparation, we will work with them to make sure they are in a place to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation with their peers. We will do everything that we can to serve you and your families, so please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your family’s circumstances.
EDGE meets every Sunday during the school year.
EDGE Session
Parish Center | 3:00-4:30 PM
Youth will gather together in person each Sunday in the Parish Center to learn about their faith through engaging talks to help prepare them for Confirmation. The youth are assigned to a small group they remain with for the entire year. In these groups, youth are challenged to dive deeper into their Catholic faith and encouraged to grow as young disciples. Students are required to attend at least 80% (16 sessions) of the EDGE sessions. We witnessed the fruit of the youth attending regularly this past year, and we truly want what is best for the youth and their faith formation. We are understanding of excused absences, but we truly know the benefit of having youth attend as many EDGE events as possible throughout the year. Please reach out with any questions and/or concerns. We are here to accompany your youth and family.
If students are not able to attend 80% of EDGE sessions, a homeschool option is available.
Homeschool:
The homeschool option allow parents to be the primary catechist with your son/daughter and has two components: at home study and Encounter.
- At Home Study: Parents must choose a Confirmation Program from the Archdiocese of Chicago approved Confirmation Program list. Youth will complete this program at their own pace at home throughout the three years. Homeschool youth must complete an entire Confirmation Program by the Spring of their 8th grade year.
- Encounter: Though youth will do most of their preparation at home, a large part of being Catholic is being part of community. Home school youth are highly encouraged to attend the monthly Encounter nights offered by St. James. See below for more information about Encounter.
The cost for the year is $250.
Encounter Nights
All youth (and their families) are encouraged to attend the parish-wide Encounter Night. This night, once a month consists of Adoration, an opportunity to go to Confession and a talk to help aid in prayer for the night. Dinner will also be provided to continue to foster community at St. James.
Other Opportunities
-Service Projects (in and outside of the St. James community)
-Seasonal Adoration and Confession
-Extravaganzas: Organized social events
-Meet for Masses as an EDGE community
Contact Us
We understand life is an adventure and you might be reading this after EDGE has started. If this is the case, please reach out to our Confirmation team, and they will gladly work with you and your child so they can be adequately prepared to be Confirmed.
For additional questions regarding EDGE, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
St. James Confirmation Team
224.345.7213
[email protected]