The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in their document Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, outlines three important goals for the formation of young people. While there are so many good curricula out there for high school youth, it's nearly impossible for a single program to address the unique needs of every parish community in working towards these goals. For this reason, St. Anthony of Padua has chosen to develop a diverse curriculum, pulling material from a variety of different sources, and allowing our catechists to choose what works best for their unique group of young people. Under the careful guidance of our Faith Formation Director and Father, we've curated resources for our catechists from curriculums such as Chosen, LifeTeen, Decision Point, and many more!

This curriculum is designed to provide the essential intellectual and spiritual catechesis that are critical to Sacramental Preparation. The goal of this kind of catechesis is to bring about a personal encounter with Jesus.  It is teaching conversion. The result is not a classroom full of smart students, but a peer group full of followers of Christ. Each lesson has been carefully designed with this aim in mind.

Below, you'll find a list of topics covered in our Confirmation and Sacramental Preparation programs:

First Year Preparation 

• The person of Jesus Christ
• The Church - why be Catholic?
• The Holy Spirit
• The Trinity
• Sacraments of Initiation
• Sacraments of Healing
• The 4 Last Things - What happens when we die?
• Revelation: Scripture and Tradition
• The Old Testament
• The Gospel's and Paul's Letters
• Conscience, Virtue, and Sin

Second Year Preparation 

• The Saints
• Vocation and Calling
• Prayer
• Catholic Social Teaching
• Sexuality and Healthy Relationships
• The Dignity of the Person
• The Virgin Mary
• Suffering and the Problem of Evil
• Participation and Engagement in a faith communityRegister for Confirmation Preparation