Confirmation Information

site last updated 8/6/23

CONFIRMATION IS:

• The Gift of the Holy Spirit.
• The sacrament of the Church’s mission which brings the saving presence of Jesus Christ to the world.
• A Sacrament of Mission to the World, which enables the Body of Christ to be active in the world. It is a moment of initiation into the Church, for the purpose of mission to the world. The Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ – particularly through His gifts and fruits – so that we can make Christ present in the world by our prayers, words, and actions.
• The Rite of Confirmation states that this sacrament is a completion of Baptism. The culmination of Christian Initiation is the Eucharist, toward which Confirmation and all of the sacraments are directed.

• A “graduation” sacrament, or a rite of passage for adolescents in the Church.
• A replacement for Youth Ministry.
• A replacement for religious education.

The candidate must be open to receiving the grace of the sacrament. The candidate is asked to prayerfully consider this undertaking, and prepare properly for the reception of Confirmation.

❖Must be a registered member of St. Andrew
❖ Must have received the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist
❖ Individual seeking Confirmation must present proof of Baptism in the Catholic Church.
                   (Canon Law 842 – A person who has not received Baptism cannot validly be admitted to the other sacraments.)
❖ Candidate must be currently enrolled in at least 10th grade, and be at least 15 years old.
❖ Preparation for Confirmation must be a separate and distinct program from youth ministry or religious education.
❖ All candidates must be concurrently enrolled in a religious education program during the year in which they prepare for Confirmation. This can be either enrollment in a Catholic School, or participation Faith Formation
❖ All candidates for Confirmation must participate in the Confirmation preparation program. This includes all Catholic school students as well as home-school students.
❖ Per Diocesan guidelines, all candidates must participate in a retreat experience as part of their sacramental preparation.
❖ Candidates and parents attend an orientation session to help candidates discern their readiness and disposition for sacramental preparation.
❖ The Parish conducts separate interviews of both the candidate and his/her parents, which determines whether the candidate should begin the preparation process. It also assesses the candidate’s participation in the sacramental life of the Church, especially regular attendance at Sunday Mass/reception of Holy Communion, and basic formation in the Gospel as evidenced through knowledge of the Catholic faith and desire for ongoing conversion.
❖ Once confirmed, students attend and participate in a Mystagogy Retreat. Here they will reflect on their journey to Confirmation and look to the future to continue growth in their faith. This is where they will receive their Confirmation Certificate.

ROLE OF PARENT

Recognizing that “parents are the first and most important educators of their own children” (Pope St. John Paul II in Letter to Families), parents play a central role in that they reinforce the teachings of the Catholic Church at home. The decision to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation rests with the candidate, but should be made in consultation with the parents.