Confirmation is one of the initiation sacraments, along with Baptism and Eucharist. This sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong. During your Baptism, your parents and godparents made promises to renounce Satan and believe in God and the Church on your behalf. At Confirmation, you renew those same promises, this time speaking for yourself. This comes with the responsibility of not just following Jesus Christ but spreading the Good News as Confirmed disciples.
Confirmation is not:
-
Graduation from Christian Formation classes
-
Claim of adulthood in the Church
-
Single affirmation of the Catholic religion
-
Decision to be or not be Catholic
Requirements
Age/Grade: Candidates must be in 10th grade to be eligible for Confirmation. 11th and 12th grade students that have not received Confirmation are eligible as long as they continue to be enrolled in religious education.
Education: Candidates must be enrolled and attending regular religious education classes OR must be attending a Catholic high school in order to be eligible for Confirmation. Candidates must also have been baptized Catholic (or gone through a Profession of Faith) and received both Reconciliation and First Eucharist.
Attendance: Candidates are expected to attend all of their religious education classes as well as the entire retreat and candidate/ sponsor sessions of the immediate preparation program.
Sponsors
Sponsors are an extremely important part of Confirmation. A person is eligible to be a sponsor if: They are a baptized, confirmed and practicing Catholic; they are able to attend the February session scheduled for candidates and sponsors (sponsors do not need to attend the retreat); and are, preferably, an Epiphany parishioner or a member of a neighboring parish. The idea of a sponsor is to add a support person to your child’s life. Parents are not necessarily ineligible as sponsors, however since the parent is usually the primary source of faith for a child, the purpose of the sponsor may be lost if a parent takes the role. A candidate may opt to have two sponsors - a ceremonial sponsor (someone who is out of town or unable to attend activities) and a program sponsor.
Immediate Preparation Program:
-
30-minute Parent/Candidate Interview with Sarah Brockwell
-
Confirmation Retreat
-
8 Confirmation classes
-
Confirmation Mass rehearsal with Candidates and Sponsors
-
Confirmation Mass
If you have questions, or would like more information, contact Maggie Curtis.