Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation completes Christian initiation, and imprints an indelible character on the Christian’s soul. Through this sacrament the baptised are more perfectly bound to Christ and his 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. The confirmed person receives the power to profess faith in Christ publicly and, as it were, officially.

The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptised with sacred chrism, together with the laying on of the minister’s hand, and the words: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The Sacrament of Confirmation is normally administered by a bishop, highlighting the unity of the confirmed with the universal Church. In certain circumstances, however, the parish priest may be authorised to administer the sacrament in place of the bishop.

For those who have been brought up Catholic, the Sacrament of Confirmation is generally celebrated during Year 6. The candidates are prepared through the parish school in collaboration with the parish, or, for those at non-Catholic schools, preparation is conducted through the parish’s after-school Chi Rho program. For more information about the Chi Rho program, please contact Helen Lesniak through the parish office.

Adults who have not yet been confirmed most commonly receive the sacrament during the Easter Vigil, after a period of preparation known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). For more information about our parish’s RCIA program, click here.