Confirmation
Sacrament of Confirmation
The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John. Jesus’ entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit.
Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world… We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.
Choosing a Confirmation Name
When you are confirmed, you will be given the option to choose a separate Confirmation name. Although there is no obligation to select a Confirmation name that is different from the name you were given at Baptism, you should choose the name of a saint for your Confirmation name.
If the candidate’s baptismal name is that of a recognized saint of the Church, there is no need to select a new name for Confirmation. Using the baptismal name for Confirmation is preferred because it highlights the relationship between the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
If the candidate chooses to take a new name for Confirmation, however, it should be a name selected in honor of Jesus or Mary or from the list of recognized saints of the Catholic Church. Names of saints are chosen to serve as patrons and models for those being confirmed. Candidates should choose a patron whose Christian life or virtues can be imitated.
Importance of Names
Your parents probably spent many hours thinking about what they would name you. Your name may have been chosen to honor a relative or a saint who is revered by your family or culture. While it is customary to use the names of saints as baptismal names, the Church now permits other names at baptism a long as they are not incompatible with the Christian faith. However your baptismal name was chosen, it is now a part of your history and identity.
Names are important in our religious tradition as well. In the Old Testament, God promised David: “…and I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth” (1 Chronicles 17:8). “I call you by your name” (Isaiah 45:3-4). In the New Testament, Jesus tells the disciples that their names are written in heaven (see Luke 10:20) and both the Letter to the Philippians (4:3) and the Book of Revelation (21:12-14) refer to names being written in the book of life.
A Confirmation Name
Taking a new name at Confirmation can be symbolic of a new or deeper stage in your faith life. There are several Scripture stories of people whose names changed after they experience a conversion: Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, and Saul to Paul. Celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation is an opportunity for you to reflect on how you want to witness to the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. If you choose a name other than your baptismal name, look to saints and holy people who are truly witnesses of faith for you. Choose the name of a saint you admire and whom you want to be your patron.
Prayers
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful
by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for Charity in Truth
Father, your truth is made known in your Word.
Guide us to seek the truth of the human person.
Teach us the way to love because you are Love.
Jesus, you embody Love and Truth.
Help us to recognize your face in the poor.
Enable us to live out our vocation to bring love and justice to your people.
Holy Spirit, you inspire us to transform our world.
Empower us to seek the common good for all persons.
Give us a spirit of solidarity and make us one human family.
Amen.
Sample Bishop Letter
Dear Bishop Persico,
Answer the following questions in your letter in this order:
1. Why do you feel you are ready to celebrate this sacrament?
2. Please list the service projects in which you were involved.
3. Please write a few words on how you felt about giving during your service projects. How will these experiences encourage you to further service in the future?
4. What saint’s name have you chosen?
5. What characteristics of the saint or the person whose name you are taking would you hope to model in your life?
6. What was the theme of your Confirmation retreat? Please write a few
words on what was the most meaningful part of the retreat for you.
7. Tell why you picked your sponsor. What in your sponsor’s life tells you what it means to be a follower of Christ?
8. [God calls each of us to be disciples in a particular way of life. This call is lived out through a variety of vocations such as marriage, the single life, the life of a deacon or priest or that of a religious sister or brother.]
Have you prayed to God asking that he reveal your vocation to you?
9. Have you ever thought God might be calling you to follow him as a priest or deacon, religious sister or brother?
End by thanking the bishop for taking the time to read your letter.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Important Due Dates
Sponsor Name: January 9, 2025
Your sponsor must be Confirmed and a practicing Catholic. Your sponsor cannot be your parent. If the sponsor is not a parishioner at St. Jude Church we will need a sponsor certificate from their parish. Students will complete the Google form located on the website.
Sacrament Form: December 5, 2024
Parents: Please complete the Google form located on the website.
Saint Name: January 9, 2025
Saint will need to be found in Butler’s Lives of Saints. Students will complete the Google form located on the website.
Bishop Letter: January 9, 2025
Other Sacraments
CONFIRMATION
We celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation each year with our bishop. We are inviting young people in grades 9-11 to consider getting confirmed.
MATRIMONY
We love celebrating the love between two people! Contact us to learn more about how the church supports strong and healthy marriages.
FIRST EUCHARIST
Children in third grade are usually prepared for First Holy Communion. Any child in third grade or older requesting first communion can be added to our preparation classes.