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Q: Where can I find the Confirmation forms?
A: The church website at https://saintmartindetours.org/tlmconfirmation.
Q: What ages may apply to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation?
A: Ages 7-17
Q: If I have multiple children seeking Confirmation, may I combine them all on one form?
A: No, one application form must be filled out per child.
Q: Are there any fees that I need to pay?
A: No, there are no fees. Donations for Monsignor DeBlanc will be accepted if you would like to
do that.
Q: What is the deadline to turn in the forms?
A: Forms must be turned in by Palm Sunday, March 24th. They will then be turned in by Msgr.
DeBlanc to the Bishop.
Q: What exactly am I turning in?
A: The documents that are to be turned in to receive the Sacraments are your child's application
form, your child's sponsor's form signed by the sponsor, and a copy of your child's baptism
certificate which needs to be mailed to the parish office at:St. Martin de Tours Church
PO Box 10
St. Martinville, LA 70582.Q: If I turn in this paperwork, is my child guaranteed to receive the Sacrament of
Confirmation?
A: No, permission must come from the Bishop. Secondly, the children will need to pass an oral
exam sometime in May administered by Fr. Vidrine or his designee(s). If given the go ahead,
Confirmations are currently scheduled for Saturday, May 18th, 2024, at 10:00am, at St. Martin de Tours Church in St. Martinville.
Q. Are there going to be Confirmation prep classes?
A: No, instruction is to be done by the parents at home, using the books stated by Fr. Vidrine on
the application form. Children ages 7-10 need to read and learn the St. Joseph First Communion
Catechism and be able to answer questions about the material in the book. Children ages 11-17 need to read and learn the St. Joseph First Communion Catechism *AND* the Angelus Press book
titled Preparation for Confirmation and be able to answer questions about the material in both
books. Confirmandi must know the following prayers word for word: Act of Contrition, Act of
Faith, Act of Hope, and Act of Love.
Q: How do we choose a sponsor? Are there requirements?
A: Yes, there are requirements to be a sponsor. A sponsor is meant to serve as an example of living the Catholic Faith. In order to serve as a sponsor, he/she must be able to honestly affirm that he/she is a single person living in a publicly chaste manner (i.e. not living with a significant other) or that he/she is currently married in the Catholic Church.
Sponsors will also be required to affirm that they are a Baptized Catholic, have received the Sacrament of Confirmation, actively living their Catholic faith (attending Sunday Mass and other Holy Days regularly, etc.), and in good standing as a Catholic.
Additionally, they will have to affirm that they understand that they are called to serve as a companion, guide and role model to their sponsoree, through their own example and witness as a Catholic. They will also have to indicate that they resolve to live their Catholic Faith while regularly attending Mass and receiving the Sacraments. Finally, boys should have a male sponsor and girls should have female sponsor.
Q: May a brother or sister be their sibling's sponsor?
A: Yes, as long as the sponsor sibling is 16 years old or older and meets the requirements listed
above. This is what Canon Law stipulates, and exceptions cannot be made. The age requirement
of 16 is firm.
Q: May a parent be their child's sponsor?
A: No.
Q: May a grandparent be a sponsor?
A: Ideally not.
Q: May the child's godparent also be their Confirmation sponsor?
A: Yes.
Q: What are sponsors required to do for the Confirmation ceremony?
A: Sponsors are required to attend the meeting immediately preceding the ceremony (about 45
minutes prior to the start of the ceremony) and sit with their sponsoree during the ceremony and Mass. Sponsors must know their sponsoree’s Saint name since they will announce the SAINT NAME to Monsignor during the ceremony.
If your child’s sponsor is not familiar with St. Martin de Tours church, consider inviting him/her
to a Mass so that he will be familiar with the new environment prior to Confirmation. If the sponsor is not able to visit SMDT prior to Confirmation, parents should inform the sponsor of the customs of the parish, especially the procedures for the reception of Holy Communion and the uniqueness of the pews.
Q: What if my child's sponsor is not able to attend the Confirmation?
A: If a sponsor is not able to attend the Confirmation due to reasonable extenuating circumstances, Father will consider allowing a proxy to stand in for the sponsor provided that the circumstances warrant the need and the proxy meets the same requirements as the sponsor. Proxies will be required to complete the sponsor form as well.
Having a proxy must be approved by Father in advance of Confirmation.
Q: Can my child's saint's name be the same as his baptismal name?
A: No. The child's saint's name should be one different from his baptismal name.
Q: What is the dress code for Confirmation?
A: Young ladies are to wear a white/off-white head covering and a modest white or off-white dress that covers the knees and the shoulders, has no plunging necklines, etc. Young men are to wear dress pants and a white oxford shirt, and black tie. The dress pants may be black, gray, or
khaki.
Serving as role models for confirmandi, sponsors should observe similar dress requirements. Female sponsors should wear a head covering and observe the same modesty requirements when dressing for the ceremony and Holy Mass. Male sponsors are encouraged to wear a coat and tie.
Q: Will there be a special opportunity for Confession, allotted for confirmandi, the week
prior to Confirmation?
A: No. If your child is not able to go to Confession during regularly scheduled times, parents
should make arrangements to ensure their child receives the Sacrament of Penance prior to
Confirmation.
Q: What do I need to do to stay informed about deadlines and other information regarding
Confirmation?
A: Parents are required to sign up for flocknote notifications for either their email address or text messages. You can do that here: Sign Up for TLM Confirmation Flocknote
Q: I have a question not answered here. Who do I contact?
A: E-mail one of the following:
Dcn. Adam Conque ([email protected])
Stephanie Armbruster ([email protected])
St. Martin de Tours Office ([email protected]) -