CONFIRMATION
“Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
ACTS 2:3-4
Confirmation is the sacrament whereby God completes the graces of a person’s baptism and deepens His seal within them, marking them as belonging to Him (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13-14). When received within a life of faith, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through confirmation empowers us to live the Christian life, which we simply couldn’t do otherwise. Thus, it is not a person’s “adult choice to be Catholic,” rather it is God who chooses us, and we can then choose Him day by day.
When a person is confirmed he or she is:
-
Made a new creation, an adopted son or daughter of God, who has become partaker of the divine nature. – CCC 1265
-
A member of the Body of Christ, the Church. – CCC 1267
-
Freed from the power of darkness and is brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God. – CCC 1250
-
Able to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues; Given the power to love and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through
REQUIREMENTS
Parents
-
Parents must be willing to bring their child up in the Catholic Faith. Baptism is the beginning of supernatural life, but it must be nurtured throughout life.
-
Parents must attend a baptism preparation class here or at their parish.
Godparents / Sponsors
-
Must be good examples and sources of support for both the child and the parents and be fully initiated members of the Catholic church.
-
Must be confirmed and at least 16 years old.
-
Must either be living a chaste life as a single person or be married in a valid Catholic marriage.
-
Must be actively living their faith, attend Mass and confession regularly.
-
Must attend a baptism preparation class here or supply proof of attendance from their local parish.
-
Only one Catholic godparent is required.
