Letter to Bishop Reed Requesting the Sacrament of Confirmation
All Confirmation students must write a letter to Bishop Reed requesting the sacrament of Confirmation. The purpose of the letter is two-fold. First, it encourages each student to reflect on his or her preparation for this final Sacrament of Initiation and to examine his or her maturing faith. Second, it gives Bishop Reed & Father Jim a glimpse into the faith life of each student prior to Confirmation. The letter must be submitted using the Letter to Bishop Reed Form by March 1st.
Following is a suggested approach to the student’s letter:
Greeting: Begin as you normally would, “Dear Bishop Reed”.
Body: The body of the letter should cover several specific points:
- Start by introducing yourself and providing some background information about you and your family.
- Describe how you have been preparing for Confirmation. You may want to talk about your prayer life, your celebration of other Sacraments (Eucharist, Reconciliation) and your involvement with the specific service projects you have chosen. How have these affected you? Have they impacted your faith?
- Provide several reasons why you would like to be confirmed. What does it mean to you?
- If you chose a Confirmation name, why did you choose that specific name?
- What reasons persuaded you to select your Sponsor for your Confirmation?
- Discuss any future plans you may have that resulted from your preparation - your “journey” to Confirmation.
Conclusion: Conclude your letter by thanking Bishop Reed and close with your complete baptismal name.