In the early Church Baptism and Confirmation were celebrated in a single ceremony. It is still done this way in the churches of the East. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of the West, the two sacraments gradually separated. The Church in the West wanted the bishop to complete a person’s initiation. As the Church grew and the bishops ministered over ever larger territories, the bishop could not be present for every Baptism. So began the custom of gathering groups of baptized Catholics together later so that the bishop could confirm them all at one time. In the process over time the reception of the Eucharist came before the celebration of Confirmation.

Just as Baptism gives new life, Eucharist nourishes life, and Reconciliation restores life when it is broken, Confirmation strengthens that life by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is about strengthening what God has given, and continues to give, to his sons and daughters.

Baptism marks the start of our relationship with Christ. Our soul is changed permanently, and one is filled with God’s grace. Through Confirmation, the Holy Spirit strengthens these graces, gives you more of them, and seals them all inside you. This brings you closer to Christ and better prepares you to face the daily challenges of Christian life.

Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Christian’s relationship with God is made stronger. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are strengthened: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. In this way the Christian is equipped to become a better witness to Christ in the world.

In Confirmation the Christian becomes more closely united with Christ. With the strengthening of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit the Christian is able to accept new responsibilities for witnessing Jesus to the world.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is not the Catholic equivalent to the Jewish bar mitzvah. Confirmation is not a “coming of age” celebration. True, most young people are just beginning to pass into early adulthood when they receive the sacrament. But Confirmation is not about coming of age. Reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation does not mark the end of formal religious education. We never outgrow a need for a deeper knowledge and appreciation of our faith.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is not a rite of passage, nor a graduation from religion class, nor a ratification of a personal faith choice. Rather, it’s all about what God is doing for his beloved daughters and sons.

And what is God doing? Strengthening the divine life which he gave at Baptism, nourishing us in the Eucharist, and reconciling with us in Penance. Why? So that the individual can better defend and witness to the faith through the gifts and workings of the Holy Spirit. And there are—and will be—many situations where we are called upon to defend and witness to our faith. And we need all the help we can get!

Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.   We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.

Confirmation is usually administered to young people in tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade who are ready to take on a more adult role in the Church. These candidates for Confirmation were usually baptized as infants and must now accept the Catholic faith as their own and make a commitment to live it out with God's help. Most confirmands participate in one or two years of preparation classes before receiving the sacrament.

Adults joining the Catholic Church also receive the sacrament of Confirmation after baptism and a period of instruction. They, too, must freely accept the Catholic faith and commit to practicing it at all times.

In the United States the designated age for Confirmation is between the ages of discretion and the age 16. In order to be confirmed a person

1. must have reached the age of discretion, which is defined as about the age of seven;
2. profess the Catholic faith and desire to receive the sacrament;
3. be in a state of grace;
4. be ready to live as a witness to Jesus Christ.

A bishop is the usual celebrant of the Sacrament of Confirmation. During the celebration of Confirmation, the bishop extends his hands over those to be confirmed and calls upon God: “Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide.” Then each person to be confirmed is anointed with chrism on the forehead as the bishop says, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.”

A New Confirmation Candidate? Welcome!

Are you going into the ninth grade?  Would you like to begin the process of Confirmation?  Be sure to explore our website with a great deal of information.

We believe that we are in partnership with the families in the confirmation preparation.  Our mission is to help in the formation of the young church.  Together with their families the young church will be involved in worship, taking servant leadership in liturgical ministries.  The young church and their families will go to catechetical sessions together six times each year.   Teens will reflect on their experiences of service to God’s people.  Part of our mission is to have reflection time in the form of retreats.  Together let us build a strong and meaningful church for our teens and their families.  At the sacrament of Confirmation, we will celebrate what is–teens who are committed disciples of Jesus Christ.  We will have family informational sessions in late August for the candidates who will be going into 9th grade (or older) in September 2020.

Click here for the CONFIRMATION CHECKLIST

Requirements

• Attend a family information session
  • In late August
• Attend 12 sessions throughout the 2 years
• Attend 2 retreats (one each year)
• Be involved in aliturgical ministry throughout the 2 years
• Attend the 4rites and rituals throughout the 2 years
• Attend 4 Youth Ministry activities throughout the 2 years (at least two each year)
• Complete aservice project reflection by the end of the second year.

Adult Confirmation 

The Adult Confirmation process is a fun interactive opportunity for Catholics who have not had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Confirmation to complete their full initiation into the Catholic Church.  This ten-week process emphasizes the basics of Catholic teaching respecting the adult audience’s many concerns, questions and responsibilities.  Some of the topics include the Trinity, sacraments, prayer, and morality. The last session is a retreat-like evening of prayer, reflecting on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Sessions are weekly, in the evening, during the winter months. The Confirmation celebration takes place annually, during the Easter season, and is arranged in accordance with the Bishop’s calendar.  We are taking information for the the sessions that will begin Winter 2020.

To express your interest in Adult Confirmation 2020, please complete and submit the Adult Confirmation Interview Form.

In light of the health crisis, click here to see all of our sessions

Requirements for Adult Confirmation Preparation 

• A Roman Catholic adult who has received first Eucharist.
  •    A copy of Baptismal Certificate
  •    One must select a sponsor to accompany them in the preparation process.

Requirements for Sponsors 
•    A sponsor must be a confirmed Catholic who lives their faith and is willing to accept the privilege of supporting their candidate during the Confirmation preparation and beyond.
•    A sponsor may not be the candidate’s parent.

For more information on the sacrament of Confirmation please contact;

Jaime Gutierrez, Youth Confirmation Coordinator

Fr. Richard Vega, Adult Conformation Coordinator