The Sacrament of Confirmation

Preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation takes place every year and will be advertised in our newsletter. Young people of the age of fourteen or above before the date of Confirmation are eligible to apply for the classes. Anyone over eighteen who would like to receive the sacrament of Confirmation should join the RCIA class for adults.

The sacrament of Confirmation is intended for those who are already living the graces of their baptism as practising Catholics. Young people joining the course will be expected to be regularly practising their faith, demonstrated at a minimum by attendance at Sunday Mass every week.

What Is Confirmation?

Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, along with Baptism and

the Eucharist. It is given to those who have been validly baptised, and according to Church

law, it is typically received by those over the age of reason (around age 7).

This sacrament brings the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just as He was given to the

Apostles at Pentecost. It completes and strengthens baptismal grace, helping us grow more

deeply in our relationship with Christ and the Church.

Through Confirmation, we are more deeply rooted in our identity as children of God, more

closely united to Christ, and more perfectly bound to the Church. It also strengthens us with

the grace to spread and defend the faith by word and action, a true strengthening of the soul,

as the word "confirmation" suggests.

The sacrament imprints a permanent spiritual mark or character on the soul (like Baptism),

which is why it can only be received once. The Holy Spirit gives and seals within us His

seven gifts:

• Wisdom

• Understanding

• Counsel

• Fortitude

• Knowledge

• Piety

• Fear of the Lord

These gifts help us to live out our faith with courage, holiness, and discernment in our daily

lives.