Confirmation Preparation Programme 2026

Confirmation 2026 Online Resources

The Confirmation Programme is based on two resources – Discovery (a faith study series by CCO: Catholic Christian Outreach) and the YouCat Confirmation book (published by CTS). It is supplemented by resources developed and compiled by the catechetical team of the Catholic Parish of Bishop’s Stortford.

WELCOME!

Welcome to the Confirmation Programme pages 2025-2026! Do keep an eye on this page for all the latest information and announcements about the preparation programme. We hope and pray that the sessions would provide some food for thought and allow you to spend time deepening your personal relationship with God.

BEFORE EACH SESSION

We want to make good use of our parish website to help supplement what we will cover together. Before each session, don’t forget to look at the webpage for the up-coming session to find out what to read or watch in preparation for the session.

AFTER EACH SESSION

After each session we will post extra resources, based on what we have discussed, so do become familiar with it and visit often!

To make any contributions towards the books and materials we use during the Confirmation Programme or to pay for the residential retreat in March 2026, please visit this page, giving you all the information you need to do so. You can begin making your contribution towards the retreat anytime. If you think you will have any problems with making these payments, do speak to Sophie or Fr Peter in confidence – we certainly do not want young people to be prevented from going because of the financial cost.

Important Notices

CONFIRMATION 2025-2026

CONFIRMATION DATES POST-CHRISTMAS

NB Monthly Sunday sessions begin at 3.30pm and finish by 5.45pm and are immediately followed by Mass together in the church at 6pm

Sunday 18 January 2026, 3.30pm – Encounter Session 1 – Holy Spirit
Sunday 8 February 2026, 3.30pm – Encounter Session 2 – Community/Sacraments
Sunday 8 March 2026, 3.30pm – Encounter Session 3 – Moral Issues
Friday 20 March, 4pm – Sunday 22nd March 4pm – Residential Retreat @ the SPEC Centre
Tuesday 24 March & Wednesday 25 March (Times TBC) – Reconciliation Services
Sunday 12 April 2026, 3.30pm – Encounter Session 4 – Love & Service: CST
Sunday 26 April 2026, 3.30pm – Encounter Session 5 – Saints
Thursday 21 May 2026 6.30pm – Rehearsal
Sunday 24 May 2026 – 6pm – Pentecost Mass ONLY (no session)
Saturday 30 May, 11am – Confirmation Mass with Bishop Paul McAleenan
Sunday 28 June 2026, 4.30pm – Encounter Session 6 – Where do we go from here? and family celebration

All these sessions are obligatory parts of the confirmation preparation programme and so young people are expected to attend

Dear young people and parents,

This is just a gentle reminder that the next confirmation preparation session for our young candidates is coming up this Sunday 8th February, starting at 3.30pm promptly and finishing with us going to 6pm Mass together.

The session will begin with a few moments of prayer in the church, so young people should come straight there, please, at 3.30pm. We will then head over to the parish centre for the rest of the session.

There will be a snack provided half way through, but young people should bring their water bottles with them for a drink.

Please encourage your young person to read their orange YouCat Confirmation Book in advance of the session. We will be focusing on the themes from chapters 9 & 10 (p.75 – p.95) on the Church and the Eucharist. They do not need to bring their book with them to the session – having a read of it at home is the important thing.

Also, in a slight change from our usual encouragement to put phones away during the session, on Sunday we will be inviting your young person to use their phones to access a group activity using mentimeter, which is a website which allows us to respond to questions on a specific theme. It is not an app they need to download, just a website to access called menti.com. All will be explained during the session. Anyone without a smartphone can share someone else’s for the exercise. Suffice to say that, following the activity, we will be asking that phones are switched off for the remainder of the session. Many thanks for your support.

With many thanks
Sophie

on behalf of the confirmation team

Please email Sophie with any questions: bstortfordcatechist@rcdow.org.uk

The Sessions

Each session will be populated a week before the meeting date and updated following our gathering.

Please click on an image to access the content for that session.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where is the Parish Centre?

To access the Windhill Churches Centre by foot, make your way along the public footpath past the churchyard that runs between Windhill and Apton Road. This is just to the left of the St Joseph’s church and council office buildings, a little further down the hill, and runs along the St Michael’s church grounds (the church with the high steeple). The entrance to the walkway leading to the parish centre is accessed via a black iron gate a few metres down the footpath, on your right.

Alternatively, walk through the car park for the council offices from Windhill and around the back of the Monastery Gardens behind the Church. Or it can also be accessed via Cardinal’s Walk, which is a passageway running between the church and the priest’s house at number 3 Windhill.

The physical address for the parish centre is: Windhill Churches Centre, Old Monastery Gardens CM23 2PE.

Here is the location on google maps:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/a457UKJ2BCYUioN59

When am I going to be confirmed?

Saturday 30 May 2026 at 11am is the date and time set by Bishop Paul McAleenan for him to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation upon each of you. At the Confirmation Mass itself, each young person being confirmed will be allocated one pew each for close family and their sponsor.

What are the parish Mass times?

Parish Sunday Mass Times for the Catholic Parish of Bishop’s Stortford are as follows:

St Joseph’s and the English Martyrs, Bishop’s Stortford – Sat 6pm, Sun 9am, 11am & 6pm

Holy Cross, Much Hadham – Sun 11.30am

Most Holy Redeemer, Sawbridgeworth – Sun 9am

You are encouraged to attend Mass weekly at whichever Mass you choose to attend. However, on the day of a Confirmation Session, will expect you to attend Mass together, at 6pm, with the rest of the confirmation group. Your parents are also warmly welcome to attend 6pm Mass with you.

What Parish responsibilities do I need to take part in?

An important part of Confirmation is becoming involved in the life of the Parish and starting to take on adult responsibilities. Some of you may already be involved with these opportunities. If so, do please continue with these. We hope all of you will become involved with one of these ministries and commit to it at least once a month for about an hour for the year of 2026 (with the exception of holidays). As with many things, what you get out of your faith, how you grow in it, is linked to what you put into it – by involvement in the parish and the wider church.

We will finalise your choice in the weeks that follow. Once we have been able to allocate everyone a responsibility, based on your preferences, we will connect you with a “link” adult who is already involved in that role in the parish and will organise a meeting with them to discuss what’s involved. Be assured that you will receive training and support, as needed, for your chosen responsibility. We will do our best to accommodate your preferred choice, but please note that there will be times when it is not possible. Please click on this link to read about what’s on offer

How do I choose a Confirmation Name?

In the Bible we read that God gave a new name to a person when they were given a special task to fulfil. For example, when God called Abram away from his tribe and promised to make his descendants into a great nation, he renamed him Abraham. When Jesus gave special authority to Simon, he renamed him Peter. In the Acts of Apostles, we read that Saul was called Paul after his conversion.

When we receive the Holy Spirit at Confirmation we are making a decision to offer our lives to God. The Gifts of the Spirit will help us to do this. To mark this important decision you may take an extra name. You should choose a recognised saint, someone you admire. Start now to learn about their life and pray to them for help and guidance. Choosing a new name is optional, you can use your baptismal name, this reminds us that Confirmation is linked to Baptism.

“In general, candidates for confirmation who choose a special name should pick a saint or blessed who provides a role model for living the Christian life. They should also consider that choosing such a name will place them under the patronage of the saint. Thus in determining a certain saint they may wish to consider a saint who gives them special inspiration or a saint who can intercede for them in a special matter based on their own needs.” (Rev. Msgr. Charles E. Pope is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.)

If you need some inspiration in choosing an appropriate confirmation name for you, this is a good website:

https://lifeteen.com/blog/biggest-best-list-confirmation-saints-guys-girls/

You could also watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgIVcGO2qnY

What is a Confirmation Sponsor?

The task of a Sponsor is to support you in your decision to be confirmed through their prayers, to be a public witness of your decision and, where possible, to present you to the Bishop on the day of your Confirmation. They are also expected to be there to help and support you in your journey through life as you mature in your faith.

A Sponsor must be:

● A person over 16, who is a baptised and confirmed member of the Catholic Church

● A practising member of the church community

● Someone who knows you well

The ideal is for one of your Baptismal Godparents to be your Confirmation Sponsor but this is not always possible. Parents do not usually sponsor their children. An older family member – including a brother or sister, aunt or uncle – could be your Sponsor or you could ask a family friend. It is very important that your Sponsor fulfils the required conditions.