For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.
(John 6:27)
About Confirmation
At confirmation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and confirm our baptismal promises. Greater awareness of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conferred through the anointing of chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop.
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. (CCC 1316)
Through the Sacrament of Confirmation we renew our baptismal promises and commit to living a life of maturity in the Christian faith. As we read in the Lumen Gentium (the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church) from the Second Vatican Council:
Bound more intimately to the Church by the sacrament of confirmation, [the baptized] are endowed by the Holy Spirit with special strength; hence they are more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith both by word and by deed as true witnesses of Christ. (no. 11)
Scriptural Foundation for Confirmation
In the Acts of the Apostles we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. While baptism is the sacrament of new life, confirmation gives birth to that life. Baptism initiates us into the Church and names us as children of God, whereas confirmation calls us forth as God’s children and unites us more fully to the active messianic mission of Christ in the world.
After receiving the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Apostles went out and confirmed others, showing confirmation to be an individual and separate sacrament: Peter and John at Samaria (Acts 8:5-6, 14-17) and Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19:5-6). Also the Holy Spirit came down on Jews and Gentiles alike in Caesarea, prior to their baptisms. Recognizing this as a confirmation by the Holy Spirit, Peter commanded that they be baptized (cf. Acts 10:47).
High School Pre-Confirmation
Grades 9-12
When teens reach high school, they will be invited to continue to grow in faith through a Discipleship module as opposed to strictly instructional classes. Discipleship isn’t about passing a test or learning facts over a set number of years; it’s a life-long journey where someone continues to deepen their relationship with Christ and commits to living their life like His. It reminds us that our Catholic Faith is something to be lived rather than just learned! Small groups meet every other week with an adult Small Group Leader and spend time discussing questions they may have about God, faith, relationships, religion, life, their future and anything else they may want to discuss. Small Group Leaders facilitate discussion and share about what it means to be a practicing Catholic in today’s world. The goal is for the teens to grow in relationship with others in their parish community and receive guidance and support from their leader and dive into a deeper understanding of the faith and into a deeper relationship with our Lord. Teens that have spent at least one year during high school attending small group and begin to take ownership of their faith life are invited to begin the Confirmation Preparation program when they desire to.
Small Groups Meet Monday Evenings From 6-7 PM.
Post-Confirmation Small Group
After a teen is Confirmed, teens are invited to continue to grow in their faith and continue to grow in relationship with other teens in their parish community. They meet once a month and will be provided with continued opportunities to encounter Christ and grow in authentic relationship with Him. There will be discussion evenings on a variety of topics both with Small Group Leaders and visiting speakers and they will enjoy events, gatherings, and service and prayer opportunities. The Post-Confirmation Small Group provides those on the road to becoming a young adult the opportunity for continued support and encouragement in taking ownership of their faith life, deepening their faith and becoming a disciple of Christ.
Please contact Cyndie Baker if you have any other questions!