Youth Parishioner Profile: Meet Collin Swedzinski

A Formative Journey of Faith to the Sacrament of Confirmation

"The best is yet to come.” These words are often heard in relation to some of life’s major milestones — the birth of a new baby, the first week of college, or a couple’s wedding day. It may come as a surprise, however, that this forward-looking phrase also provides an apt description for the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Indeed, far from signaling an “end” to a child’s formation in the faith, Confirmation is a Sacrament of Initiation encompassing the completion of baptismal promises, the reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the beginning of one’s full life in the Church.

Here in the Holy Family Area Catholic Community, our 11th-grade students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this month. St. James parishioner Collin Swedzinski is looking forward to this milestone in his faith journey. Like his peers, he has been preparing for Confirmation since his sophomore year of high school.

“The sophomores and juniors from the three parishes go to Montevideo for the Confirmation classes,” Collin says. “I’ve enjoyed getting to meet new people from the three different areas and growing stronger in our faith. We watch videos, read our book and answer questions. Sometimes we play games or do adoration or Reconciliation. Last year was my first time in adoration, and I liked that it was nice and quiet and you could think.”

Collin chose his uncle, Greg Swedzinski, to be his Confirmation sponsor.

“My Uncle Greg is my godfather, and I enjoy spending time with him,” Collin says. “He’s also very strong in his faith. When we were doing our talks, I could just sense his faith and how strongly he believes.”

Traditionally, our Confirmandi also choose a patron saint to help guide and inspire them on their faith journey. This ritual signifies the young person’s identity as a Christian and their place in the communion of saints. With a possible future career as a chiropractor in mind, Collin chose St. Raphael the Archangel, the angel of healing, to be his patron saint.

As a high school junior, Collin has witnessed firsthand the struggles that many of his peers face in today’s world. He encourages them not to lose hope and to keep the faith. Collin offers the example of a recent hunting trip — early in the morning, a newcomer downed an 11-point deer. Collin felt discouraged but told himself to keep his head up and believe that something would come his way. Sure enough, that evening, he landed an even larger buck. Now, Collin looks back on that story as a reminder that we never know what good things God may have planned for us at any given time.

Though he is busy with studies and sports at Dawson-Boyd High School, Collin still makes time to participate in parish life as an altar server and volunteer at the Fall Festival. He looks forward to receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and continuing with an active faith life at St. James.

“I think Confirmation will make me feel stronger in my faith and closer to God,” Collin says. “Maybe a few years down the road, I will serve as an usher. I think it’s simple, but something that I could do for the church.”

Let us all rejoice in the Confirmation of Collin and so many of our Holy Family youth on April 10! May the gifts of the Holy Spirit they receive in this sacrament inspire them to a deeper faith, a closer walk with Christ, and a full life in the Church.

Collin Swedzinski with his prized buck

Collin Swedzinski