Please mark your calendar for the Night of Prayer and Rehearsal for the Sacrament, May 13 and 14. Parents will receive an email to RSVP from our office. Questions? Please email Trish Martin (tmartin@stmatthewcatholic.org).
IGNITE PROGRAM: Candidate’s Responsibility
Ignite Program Coordinator: Trish Martin , 704-543-7677 x
A youth may enter into this part of the Confirmation process in eighth or ninth grade, provided they have completed the prerequisite Invited topics or a year of Catholic school or another Catholic parish Faith Formation program. There are five components of the Confirmation process: Ignite Trimester, Be The Church Experiences, Parent-Teen Retreat Day, Choosing a Catholic Sponsor and Choosing a Saint.
2025-2026 Program Year
We are currently accepting registrations for youth volunteers and adult volunteers and their children. General registration will open on July 13 at 3 pm through an online form. Link will be posted below.
IGNITE TRIMESTER: Candidate must be enrolled in a eight week IGNITE session (choose Fall, Winter or Spring). Attendance is expected at all eight sessions, but we recognize that illness or unforeseen family circumstances may prevent attendance. For that reason, we built in a grace for absences as well as the ability to ‘swap sessions’ as defined at the link below. Please note that if a candidate misses more than two sessions, they will be required to re-enroll and begin the IGNITE program again.
| Ballantyne Campus | Waxhaw Campus |
|---|---|
| Sunday 7 to 8:15 pm | Sunday 6:30 to 7:45 pm |
| Tuesday 6:30 to 7:45 pm | Wednesday 6:30 to 7:45 pm |
BE THE CHURCH: During the program year, candidates are expected to begin to more closely discern how the Holy Spirit is guiding them to a role in the life of the parish. Each candidate is expected to participate in nine Be The Church experiences. The candidate must submit a reflection of their experiences via the link below. No more than two experiences may be the same and one experience outside of the parish is allowed. COMPLETE BY: May 1, 2026
PARENT-TEEN RETREAT DAY: Candidate and parent must attend a half-day retreat during the trimester in which candidate is enrolled. If a candidate is unable to attend the retreat due to illness or another obligation, the parent must arrange a make-up retreat time with the Office of Faith Formation. Dates will be posted here for 2025-2026.
THE SPONSOR: A candidate’s sponsor should be viewed as a lifelong guide in faith. The responsibility of the sponsor is to present the candidate to the Bishop at the Mass of Confirmation and to guide them in the Catholic faith everyday forward. A sponsor must be at least sixteen years of age, a practicing Catholic who has received all Sacraments of Initiation and lives a life of faith abiding by the truths and precepts of the Catholic Church. The sponsor can not be the parent or legal guardian of the candidate. Once chosen, the sponsor will need to complete the form found at the link below, or provide a letter from their home parish. COMPLETE BY: March 1, 2026
THE SAINT: Candidates will choose a saint to be their heavenly prayer champion and lifelong guide. The chosen will be the name used during the anointing and will be entered into the sacramental records alongside the candidate’s given baptismal name. Only names of canonized or beatified (blessed) saints recognized by the Catholic Church can be chosen as confirmation saints. Candidates are expected to write a personal reflection at least three paragraphs in length which tells of who you are, who your saint is and why you feel a connection to this saint. COMPLETE BY: March 1, 2026
Thank you for allowing us the privilege of supporting your family through the Sacramental process.