Sacrament of Confirmation

The effect of the sacrament of Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit...which brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace (Catechism 1302-1303).

"Confirmation...is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds" (Catechism, 1316).

At Our Lady of Mercy Parish, we celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation every year for students in grades 12. Preparation for the reception of this sacrament takes place in the parish faith formation ministry. Teens who are enrolled in private Catholic schools are required to participate in the immediate preparation for the Sacrament in their home parish. At Our Lady of Mercy, the immediate preparation for Confirmation is 11th grade religious education.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

Together with Baptism and the Eucharist, the sacrament of Confirmation completes the "Sacraments of Christian Initiation," as such, the unity of these rites must be safeguarded. The final completion of Baptismal Grace is essentially completed by the sacrament of Confirmation. Through the sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church thus enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Two, Section Two, Chapter One, Article 2.I).

With the sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized now become a true witness of Christ, and charged with a higher obligation to spread and defend the faith through word and deed. The seeds of the sacrament of Confirmation can be traced back to the Acts of the Apostles, specifically Acts 8:14-17, which states that "Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit."

One of the immediate images of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the laying of hands, as mentioned in Acts 8:14-17, and 19:6. While this is obviously important, the essential element of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the anointing of the confirmand (the one who is being confirmed) with an aromatic oil known as chrism, accompanied by the words "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit."

This seal is the consecration, representing the final safeguarding by the Holy Spirit of the graces conferred during the Rite of Baptism.

Candidates are required by Canon Law to have a sponsor. Sponsors for the sacrament of Confirmation must meet the same requirements as a godparent for baptism. The Church encourages that the sponsor be one of the candidate's godparents whenever possible. Doing so is a visible sign of the connection between Baptism and Confirmation. However, another person who meets the requirements may be selected if necessary.

Requirements for serving as a conformation sponsor:

• The sponsor must be someone other than the parent of the one to be confirmed.
• The sponsor must have celebrated the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
• The sponsor must be at least 16 years of age and may be male or female regardless of the gender of the candidate.
• The sponsor must be a practicing Catholic, registered in a parish, who regularly attends Mass on Sundays and Holy Days and receives the Eucharist.

College aged teens and those adults who have not been confirmed should contact the Director of Religious Education for information about our RCIA process. These individuals are prepared for reception of this sacrament through the RCIA.

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The journey of Christian discipleship is an awesome undertaking. The road is full of surprises. You travel in the company of fantastic people of faith. The Guide has never lead anyone astray and has been known to carry those who weary. And the destination is out of this world. Come and join us on this journey of Christian discipleship.

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