Confirmation - Youth

What is Confirmation?

CONFIRMATION is the sacrament which roots us more deeply in divine relationship. It incorporates us more firmly into Christ, strengthens our bond with the church, associates us more closely with her mission and helps us bear witness to the Christian faith in words and deeds. 

Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation together make up the Sacraments of Initiation. When we receive the sacrament of Confirmation, we receive the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit granted to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost.

Essential to the Rite of Confirmation are:

• The anointing on the forehead with holy chrism
• The laying on of hands with the words, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit”
• The sign of Peace

What does youth preparation for Confirmation look like at St. Columbkille?

At St. Columbkille, we are committed to our Parish Mission in every aspect of Faith Formation:

God CALLS us to be disciples and FORMS us by our Catholic Faith to ENCOUNTER Christ, EMBRACE deeper faith and EMPOWER Christian action.

For youth Confirmation preparation, this means walking with our students and being a model of how we carry out this mission. Here are some more details of our preparation:

• Preparing youth during their Freshman year of High School, and receiving Confirmation during the Fall of their Sophomore year. Older high schoolers are certainly welcome!
• Eight sessions (approximately once per month September - May), which focus on the Archdiocese initiatives for understanding surrounding Confirmation
• Each session consists of a live speaker on the content of the evening, a young adult witness talk, small group discussion and a scripture reflection with a Pastor. 
• A break in formal sessions over the summer months and service opportunities presented to EMPOWER Christian action in our youth.