Instructional Report

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

Grade 8 Formation (Sacrament of Confirmation)

Academic Year 2026–2027 | Sundays, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Welcome to the 8th-Grade Confirmation Seminar. I am a husband, father of four, parishioner, and catechist who spent the last several years preparing our children for the Sacrament of Confirmation. I am excited to walk with your children as we get stronger in knowing and living our faith. My mission as catechist is to lead our young scholars beyond passive learning into an active, intellectual, and spiritual ownership of the Catholic Faith. While they may not fully understand everything we cover in class, I hope we plant seeds that germinate at the right time in high school, college, and life.

I designed this year's course as an academic seminar focused on St. Thomas Aquinas’ disputatio format. I believe in our middle school scholars. At 13 and 14 years old, our children stand at a developmental threshold where abstract reasoning matures, peer influence expands, and they are ready to test their “wings.” Rather than relying on simple worksheets and coloring pages, our classroom functions as a collaborative seminar where scholars learn to analyze, articulate, debate, and defend Church teaching using Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Magisterial writings, and sound logic. My role is that of a seminar moderator: setting rigorous standards, guiding debate, clarifying doctrine, and walking alongside each student as they prepare to receive the full gifts of the Holy Spirit.

You can find additional course materials, parish resources, and family faith formation guides at www.familiarisdei.com. Feel free to contact me at mreneislas@crescere-strat.com if you have questions, need to notify me of planned absences, or if you or your scholar has additional needs.

1. The College-Seminar Environment

I treat our confirmandi as young scholars capable of high-level theological discussion. Instead of traditional classwork, this class does its heavy lifting live through dialectical reasoning grounded in the disputato format. 

Candidates are held to four core standards:

• Be Ready: Candidates are expected to arrive on time for the 10:30 AM start and review assigned Scripture passages or Catechism citations before class.

• Express Yourself: Candidates must contribute constructively to weekly debates, grounding their points in reason and Church teaching rather than unexamined personal opinion.

• Be Kind: Candidates must listen attentively to peers and offer critiques with courtesy and respect.

• Live Your Faith: Candidates must cultivate a personal life of prayer, attend Mass every Sunday, and I encourage us to remain in the state of grace through regular reception of the Sacrament of Penance.

• Enjoy the Ride: It is fun to think and explore concepts with friends. I want us to be active and enjoy our time together.

2. 75-Minute Instructional Rhythm (10:30 AM – 11:45 AM)

Classes follow a strict 75-minute schedule designed to maximize student reasoning time:

• 10:30 – 10:40 AM (10 min) | Opening Gathering & Creed: Recitation of the Apostles' Creed or Nicene Creed, intention setting, and attendance.

• 10:40 – 11:00 AM (20 min) | Catechetical Mini-Lecture: Direct instruction covering targeted Diocese of Arlington Standards of Learning.

• 11:00 – 11:40 AM (40 min) | Scholastic Disputation: Live, student-led academic debate using the Thomistic dialectical structure.

• 11:40 – 11:45 AM (5 min) | Closing Prayer & Memory Check: Recitation of prayers defined in the Diocesan standards.