Confirmation

Confirmations for high school age parishioners are administered once each year. Faith formation for this sacrament is two years.
Confirmation I is for all students who are in grade 8 or higher who have not begun the process. Students who have completed 8th grade in a Catholic school will have met criteria for 1st year.
Confirmation II is for all students 9th grade and higher who have completed Confirmation I.

Excerpt from The Vatican’s “Catechism of the Catholic Church” on Confirmation

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”

In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit; his whole life and his whole mission are carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit whom the Father gives him “without measure.”

This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah’s, but was to be communicated to the whole messianic people. On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit, a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim “the mighty works of God,” and Peter declared this outpouring of the Spirit to be the sign of the messianic age. Those who believed in the apostolic preaching and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit in their turn.

Guidelines for Confirmation Candidates

Guidelines and Parish expectations of the Confirmation Candidates

Confirmation candidates, their parents and their sponsors must show readiness for the sacrament by fulfilling the following parish expectations.

Parents:

Will collaborate with the program by helping the candidate to come to all the assigned classes, arriving on time, and participating in the scheduled parent meeting.
Will come to the Confirmation Retreat at the assigned time.
Will motivate the candidate, by word and example, to attend weekly Sunday Mass.

Sponsors:

Will fulfill the requisites of sponsorship
1. Be a fully initiated Catholic 16 years or older (must be baptized, confirmed and received communion).
2. If married must have the marriage sacramentally blessed by the Catholic Church.
3. Must be active participating member of a Catholic parish, attend Mass regularly, and have the capacity to receive communion on the day of Confirmation.
Sponsors will attend to the meetings scheduled for them.
Sponsors will help the candidate in his/her journey by mentoring him/her in the faith and actively inquiring about the candidate’s progress in the classes by meeting with them several times during the year.

Candidates:

Each candidate shall strive to conduct him/herself as a Christian at school, at home, and in outside activities.
Each candidate will make prayer a special part of his/her life, especially by the practice of weekly Mass attendance. He/she will also demonstrate an understanding of the healing power of God by regular participation in the Rite of Reconciliation and confession.
Each candidate will actively participate in two service projects with their class, supervised by their catechists and Director of Religious Education.
Each candidate is expected to participate in a retreat day and all activities planned in the program.
Each candidate will commit himself /herself to further his/her Catholic religious training.

Confirmation Saint Name Form

At Confirmation, you deepen your commitment to the Church and to your faith. Choosing a saint name for Confirmation is a very important step in your Sacramental Preparation. It is an acknowledgment that the Holy Spirit will change you through the grace of this Sacrament. In Scripture, Jesus changed the name of some of his disciples to signify that their role had been changed and that they were becoming, in a sense, a new person with a new identity. Just like you on the day of Confirmation. For example, Abram became Abraham (Genesis 17:5), Sarai became Sarah (Genesis 17:15), and Simon became Peter (Matthew 16:18). So, as a symbol of this change, you get to choose a new name. You see, at Baptism, your parents chose your Baptismal name, which became your new Christian identity in the Church through the waters of Baptism. Now, you get to choose your Confirmation Name. When the Bishop asks you what your Saint name is, he will be recalling your baptismal name as a sign of your new identity.

Confirmation names should either be an approved Catholic Saint or the candidate’s baptismal name, assuming it is a Catholic Saint Name. When choosing a saint name, you should choose someone who exemplifies a quality, characteristic or special quality of holiness that you wish to have, somebody whose life you want to emulate, or somebody you have something in common with. Choose a saint that inspires you, a spiritual role model that can help guide you throughout your faith journey and one you wish to emulate. By researching saint names, you will come to realize that they failed and succeeded, struggled as we all do, had faults and gifts like us, but they strived to live a virtuous and holy life and were faithful disciples with an extraordinary faith in God. Ask yourself what kind of person you want to become, then pray about your decision, research a saint name, and ask your parents and priests for help.

Remember That It Must Be A Catholic Saint’s Name. If you aren’t sure, then please ask. Websites that might be helpful to you are:

Write a one-page essay and include a picture if you wish, be creative, and have fun. Questions to discuss would be: Why did you choose this saint’s names for Confirmation? When and where was your saint born? What did your saint do for a living and why were they considered to be a saint? What struggles did they go through and what made them special?