Confirmation
Baptized Catholics are enriched and strengthened in their faith through the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation. The sacrament of confirmation allows the new life of faith, which was first received at baptism, to grow and mature by the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Ordinarily, the bishop administers the sacrament of confirmation by the laying on of hands, anointing the candidate on the forehead with sacred chrism, and offering the prayer for the outpouring of seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The grace of this sacrament strengthens Catholics to carry out their baptismal call to become witnesses to our Catholic faith.
The age of confirmation
St. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish will hold confirmation during the 2022-23 school year for children in eighth grade. Faith formation for receiving the sacrament of confirmation is part of the curriculum of our parish faith formation program.
Children must regularly attend our parish faith formation program in order to be properly prepared and eligible to receive the sacrament of confirmation. The sacrament of confirmation will be administered by the bishop, to children in the eighth grade who have been properly prepared during the assigned school year on a date and in one of the parishes of the region determined by the diocese.
Confirmation Sponsor
As part of the preparation to receive the sacrament of confirmation every candidate must select one Catholic sponsor. This sponsor must be a Catholic who has already received all three sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. They must also meet all of the following diocesan requirements for confirmation sponsors:
- Be designated by the candidate, by the parent(s)/guardian(s) or the pastor.
- Have the qualifications and intention of performing the role of sponsor.
- Be at least 16 years old.
- Be a fully initiated Catholic (received baptism, confirmation and Eucharist).
- Lead a life in harmony with the faith and role of a sponsor (i.e., be a member of a parish, attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, not be in an irregular marriage, etc.).
- Not be bound by a canonical penalty.
- Not be the father or mother of the one to be confirmed.
Sponsors for the sacrament of confirmation must abide by the same qualifications as sponsors for the sacrament of baptism. In addition, the following guidelines and/or recommendations apply:
- There is normally one sponsor for the sacrament of confirmation.
- A non-Catholic may not serve as a sponsor for the sacrament of confirmation.
Our diocese continues the practice of requiring proof of eligibility for sponsorship (in accord with the qualifications above) from the parish in which the sponsor is registered.
Confirmation of youth and adult Catholics
If you are a youth or an adult baptized Catholic who has not received the sacrament of confirmation, you are encouraged to call our parish office to learn more about receiving this sacrament. The preparation for the sacrament of confirmation is done in our parish; however, the sacrament of confirmation for persons in this age group is administered each year at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Greensburg, usually during the Easter season or Pentecost Sunday.
Confirmation of non-Catholics
If you are not Catholic and would like to explore the possibility of becoming Catholic and receiving the sacrament of confirmation, please contact us at the parish office to learn more about the process of becoming Catholic.