Palanca Letters Sample printable pdf download

Palanca

On Sunday, April 30, the candidates will participate in an all day Confirmation retreat. For many, it will be their

first retreat experience. Because this is a significant process in their lives, it is important that the candidates know

that they have a lot of support behind them in a very tangible way. Therefore, I invite you to write a Palanca or

affirmation letter to your child for his/her Confirmation retreat.

As part of the support of this process, I ask that you please keep this letter confidential and not leave it where your

child may see it and please do not talk about it in front of your child or their friends.

The word Palanca is a Spanish word that means “lever”. Just as a lever enables a person to move something which

is beyond normal strength, Palanca, as used on the Confirmation retreat, empowers the accomplishment of things

which would not be possible without the grace of God.

Palanca, which is one of the most characteristic marks of our retreat, is effective only when the prayers, sacrifices

and works of mercy are done in conjunction with the presence of the Holy Spirit; allowing God to use us to serve

his people.

Bear in mind that these letters in and of themselves are not Palanca. The letters are merely a tangible vehicle in

which we convey the actual Palanca being done. In other words, the effort, thoughts and prayers that go into the

letters are actually the Palanca, not the letters themselves. During a period of reflection at the end of the retreat

day, your child will receive a personalized bag or envelope filled with Palanca. These letters are of such

significance in the retreat experience that every child is assured of receiving – at minimum - three letters: one from

each parent (or a parental figure) and the sponsor. I also ask the team, catechists and other members of the Holy

Trinity community to do Palanca and write Palanca letters to the candidates.

I also invite and encourage you to ask older siblings, extended family and friends to write letters to your child.

However, please make sure all involved in writing a letter are doing so maturely and prayerfully. I also encourage

you to write to another child who will also be on retreat as an extension of the love and support of the Holy Trinity

community; (Please, if possible, get those letters to the candidate’s parent to put in their envelope; if that is not

easy or possible then turn the letter in to me.) I do ask, however, that you keep this experience confidential from

younger siblings that may go through the process in the future.

A parent or the sponsor needs to take responsibility for gathering all letters into the envelope for the candidate

and get it to Sara Seligmann by April 3

All Palanca letters are due April 3

. Please be attentive to this deadline to

assure that all Palanca letters can be sorted and ready for our retreat. If you turn them in after the deadline there

is no guarantee that the candidate will get their letters.

The Palanca envelope** can be sent in by mail, Sara Seligmann, 3513 N St. NW, Washington DC 20007, brought to

the Parish center offices (left with the reception desk in a labeled box), or left in a box at the RE supply offices

connected to the Upper School Cafeteria on Sunday morning (during RE).

**there should be one large envelope filled with all the Palanca letters for your candidate.

*Palanca letter gathering is the responsibility of the parents and sponsor. If this is not done the candidate may have

no letters to open at their retreat while other candidates get theres.

Palanca Letters Sample