Confirmation
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Just as bodies and minds grow, Catholics believe that the soul also needs to grow in the life of grace. The sacrament of Confirmation builds on the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and Holy Communion, completing the process of initiation into the Catholic community.
Confirmation is one of the three Sacraments of Christian Initiation and establishes young adults as full-fledged members of the Church. The sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism is now confirmed and made strong.
During your Baptism, your parents and godparents make 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, and publically confirming your commitment to be active followers of Jesus Christ.
During Confirmation, the focus is on the Holy Spirit, who confirmed the apostles on Pentecost and gave them courage to practice their faith. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts.
Traditionally, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, right judgement, courage, knowledge, reverence, and wonder and awe. These gifts are graces given to the soul. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, kindness, joy, peace, patience, goodness, self-control, gentleness and faithfulness. All of these human qualities that can be activated by the Holy Spirit.
Our Parish Programme:
Who Can Be Confirmed?
You can join the Confirmation programme if you are in Year 10 or above at school and have been baptised.
The Programme
Runs from January until the celebration of Confirmation in May/June.
Includes a compulsory retreat weekend away at Worth Abbey – this is always the most popular part of the course!
We take part in the joint Deanery Confirmation programme and the weekly sessions take place in a Deanery location.
The Content
During our sessions we discuss a variety of issues related to committing to living our lives as Catholic Christians:
- Community – What does it mean to belong to a community and in particular the Church?
- Prayer – How do we develop our relationship with God through prayer?
- Creed – What do we believe in?
- Actions – How can we live out our Christian beliefs in our lives?
- Making choices - How do we make moral decisions?
- Confirmation – What is this and all the other Sacraments for?
How do I Join?
To join the Confirmation programme you will need to complete a registration form. These are also available in the Church porch throughout the summer. Details for registration will be published in the Newsletter at the beginning of the new school year. Only those who have registered before the first meeting will be eligible for the programme and full participation is expected throughout.