Confirmation:  The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated in the spring when a child is in the eighth grade or above.  Children are required to attend classes or have been in parochial school for the year prior to receiving a sacrament.  Contact the rectory for more information.

The sacrament of confirmation completes the sacrament of baptism.  If baptism is the sacrament of re-birth to a new and supernatural life, confir-mation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age.  The real confession of Christ consists in that 'that the whole man submits himself to Truth, in the judgement of his understanding, in the submission of his will and in the consecration of his whole power of love... to do this, poor-spirited man is only able when he has been confirmed by God's grace'.

This confirmation in the power of the Holy Spirit leading to a firm profession of faith has always been the particular effect which Catholic tradition has ascribed to the sacrament.  It is effect which complements and completes that of baptism.

The Church Thus Teaches:

Confirmation is a true sacrament instituted by Christ and different from baptism.  It is administered by the laying-on of hands and anointing with chrism accompanied by prayer. the chrism is blessed by the bishop and the bishop administers the sacrament. All baptized persons can and should be confirmed.  The effect of the sacrament of confirmation is to give strength in faith and for the confession of the faith and to impress and indelible character.