Confirmation

Diocese Sacramental guidelines (English)

Diocese Sacramental guidelines (Spanish)

All candidates for Confirmation must go through preparation in order to have a solemn First Holy Communion celebration at Mass. In order to qualify for the parish Confirmation Preparation program, students must have completed at least one year of formal religious education either through the parish program, Catholic school, or homeschooling and meet the following requirements:

Student must be 15 years old by September 1 of the current year.
Student must have already received the Sacraments of Baptism and First Holy Communion.
Student’s family must be registered parishioners and also registered for Religious Formation for the current school year.
Student must attend the annual Confirmation retreat.
Student must complete five (5) service projects during the school year.

The guidelines for sponsors of Confirmation candidates are the same as for godparents of baptism candidates (see above under “Sacrament of Baptism”).

“Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17).

Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:

it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba! Father!”;
it unites us more firmly to Christ;
it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross… A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ…”

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church