Hello SKD Family,
This will be a very special weekend as we welcome Bishop Dennis Madden to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at our parish. As is tradition in our parish, we will celebrate this sacrament within the Sunday liturgy at the 5:00 PM mass this Saturday evening 1 October. This is a slight departure from what many churches do, but traditionally sacraments are meant to be celebrated among the community. We hope to celebrate with many of you either in person or through our live stream. It will be my honor to present 20 teens and one adult to all of you.
In preparation for this day, our candidates gathered regularly in their respective groups to study & reflect on a variety of topics related to our faith.
In addition to catechetical sessions, these candidates engaged regularly in two distinct and important kinds of activities as a reflection of their commitment to follow the Lord, Jesus, because they recognize that knowledge and belief alone are insufficient to authentic Christian living.
One of these activities is community service. Each candidate chose a service project that they were personally passionate about, recognizing that God speaks to us through the gifts he has given us.
The other activity is parish ministry. Candidates engaged regularly in some form of outreach to their sisters and brothers within the community of faith in recognition of the importance of the community of disciples they are a part of.
In addition, each candidate undertook a pilgrimage to a destination of their choice. Many chose to visit local sites which allowed them to see how church history is rich here at the Archdiocese of Baltimore and neighboring dioceses. Others chose to visit sites while traveling which allowed them to see the global impact of our church.
Finally, retreat and spiritual direction complemented and completed their preparation process.
Through all of this, these candidates recognize that to successfully live and witness their Catholic faith, they need the support of one another and the whole Christian community. They know that together we are stronger and more faithful to the gospel.
As we approach Saturday, I ask that all of you join me in praying for these young people. We have a couple discerning religious life. Many continue to heal from a rough couple of years. All of them are ready to take on the responsibilities that come with receiving the final sacrament of initiation. These teens represent the faithful of today in a way that should give us all hope for the future church.
Thank you to all of you who continually keep our youth in your prayers and a special thanks to Deacon Jeff Sutterman, Beth Sutterman, Samantha Sutterman, Dan Kmiecik, Leo Zanchettin, Michael Smith, Alyce Luck, Stuart Henderson and Alissa Zentz for their service as catechists and mentors of our confirmation students. It is truly a team effort. Please hold us all in prayer as we do our best to support our youth in their faith. If you would like to pray for our Confirmandi by name, please see below for those receiving the sacrament form our community. Parenthesis indicate a chosen confirmation name
· Daniel Victor (Francis) Amon-Kotey
· Theophilus Alexander (Ignatius) Amon-Kotey
· Caeden Tru Bennett
· Peter Augustine (Mary) Bronzi
· Thomas Martin (Joseph) Furlong
· Patrick Gordon Griffin
· Adelia Elizabeth (Francis) Hopman
· Clare Therese (Therese) James
· Francesca Maria (Dymphna) James
· Todd Daniel (Anthony) Kmiecik
· Maxwell Gray Leache
· Josie Marie (Teresa) Masser
· Mychal-Mali McCaskill
· Aidan Michael (Joseph) McCrohan
· Michael (Thomas) Metz
· Isabelle Marie (Anthony) Piraino
· Julia Ann (Augustine) Remmers
· Dayton (Michael) Rhodes
· Jason Andrew (Ignatius) Roberts
· Ryan James (Joseph) Ullman
· Theo Dipita
