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).
Confirmation Is...
One of the initiation Sacraments, completing your initiation into the church
Strengthens the Spirit that was given to you at Baptism, at Baptism you were anointed as chosen and now Confirmation strengthens your Baptism
Unites us more firmly to Christ
Increases the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
Bonds us closer with the church
Gives us strength to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses to Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly and to never be ashamed of the cross
Confirmation Is Not...
Choosing to be Catholic, you’re already Catholic
The end of your faith journey or your graduation (It’s actually a NEW beginning!)
No one can force you to be Confirmed – it must be something that you choose for yourself. In Confirmation, God is asking you to let Him complete the work He started at Baptism, to seal you in His spirit and let the Gifts of the Holy Spirit fully manifest themselves in and through you. And while it is a choice, because of what God is offering you, Confirmation is much more of a gift to be received – The choice comes in deciding whether or not to receive it.
Preparing for Confirmation
This sacrament is offered to those adults, who for various reasons, have never completed their initiation into the Catholic community by celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparation for this sacrament is offered each year. For more information, contact Julie Klinkenberg.
This is an ongoing process for students in grades 7-12 who are seeking full initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) into the Catholic Church or who have not yet received First Reconciliation or First Eucharist. Teens meet as a small group with a catechist, who prepares them for reception of the sacraments. Teens also attend weekly Youth Ministry gatherings to aid in their catechetical formation. For more information, click here.
This is an ongoing process for children, seven years to twelve years old (6th grade), who have not been baptized or have been baptized in another faith tradition and wish to become Catholic. This yearly process provides children with a basic understanding of their faith as well as prepares them for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. For more information, contact Julie Klinkenberg.