Confirmation
Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation which helps establish young adults as full-fledged members of the faith. This sacrament is called Confirmation because the faith given in Baptism will be confirmed and made strong. During Baptism, parents and godparents make promises to renounce Satan and believe in God and the Church on behalf of the child. At Confirmation, the young adult renews those same promises, this time speaking for themselves.
During Confirmation, the focus is on the Holy Spirit, who confirmed the apostles at Pentecost and gave them courage to practice their faith. Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the Sacrament of Confirmation and gives them the same gifts.
Traditionally, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are knowledge, understanding, wisdom, counsel, piety, fear of the Lord and fortitude (courage). These gifts are supernatural graces given to the soul. The 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity (love), joy, peace, patience, benignity (kindness), goodness, longanimity (perseverance), mildness (gentleness), faith, modesty, continency (self-control) and chastity which are human qualities that can be activated by the Holy Spirit.
The Confirmation ceremony may take place at Mass or outside of Mass, and the presiding bishop wears red vestments to symbolize the red tongues of fire seen hovering over the heads of the apostles at Pentecost. Each person wishing to be confirmed comes forward with his or her sponsor, who may or may not be one of the godparents chosen for Baptism.
Our confirmation programme at St Peter and Paul starts around October/November and consists of a total of 15 sessions. One and a half hour-long sessions are held weekly either on Tuesday 6.00 - 7.30pm or Saturday 11.00 - 12.30pm. Confirmation candidates are encouraged to participate and lead the youth masses held on the last Sunday of every month, lenten projects, stations of the cross during lent and holy hour on first Fridays of the month. A retreat is also organised for them as part of the confirmation programme to a place such as the Kairos Centre, where they will be encouraged and guided on activities to deepen their faith. Four sessions for parents are also arranged where they are given information on the progress of their children and to enhance their parental support.
We give thanks to our Bishop, our Parish Priest, Confirmation Catechists, Parishioners and families for their support in our programme.