The Sacrament of Confirmation Information & Preparation
Confirmation information and enrolment evening will be held Tuesday 14th May 2024 at 7pm in the Church.
Confirmation will be celebrated on Saturday 29th June at 10am
Please contact parish office, email; warnervaleparish@bbcatholic.org.au; or phone 8379 1740
Confirmation is a milestone celebration in the life of a Catholic and is the second milestone of a three step journey that initiates a Catholic as a full member of the Body of Christ. The first step is Baptism and the final step is Holy Communion. Catholics call these three sacraments "sacraments of Initiation" - the "new life" steps.
In some Dioceses, Confirmation is celebrated in Year 6. The Holy See allows each Bishop to determine individually when is the best time to receive this sacrament. Broken Bay Diocese follows a more ancient tradition of keeping together the order of Baptism, Confirmation then Holy Communion.
Confirmation is a wondrous celebration recognising that God pours out upon the Community the fulness of the Holy Spirit in order for the community to continue the mission of Jesus to save the world. Confirmation recognises in a special way that God gives the community powerful gifts so that it can more truly become and act as the Body of Christ. To each person confirmed, God gives wondrous gifts including wisdom, understanding, right judgement, courage, knowledge, reverence, wonder and awe.
Pre-requisites
The Sacrament of Confirmation is received by children or adults who are seven years of age or over;
who are baptised Catholic;
and who understand what they are participating in.
This mostly involves children in Year 3 or above.
Confirmation is a Sacrament administered usually by the Bishop, and on rare occasions from a priest delegated by the Bishop.
A Baptism Certificate must be produced in order to be confirmed.
A child or adult already baptised and preparing for Confirmation is called a Candidate.
Sponsor
Every child or adult wishing to be confirmed is required to have a Sponsor - a practising Catholic over the age of 16, who has been baptised, confirmed and received Holy Communion and who is not the parent. The Sponsor accompanies the Candidate through the preparation process and helps them better understand what is happening. A sponsor also acknowledges to the church community that the Candidate is ready.
Name of a Saint
Children preparing for Confirmation are encouraged to choose the name of a canonized saint who inspires them to act under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to follow Jesus more closely. The lives of the saints can be accessed at the following address: www.catholic.org/saints