CONFIRMATION
Sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit
It is not always easy to be a witness to our faith. We need special help from God just as Jesus’ disciples did. As the disciples were blessed with the fullness of the Holy Spirit and received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we receive the sign or the seal of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation. When we were baptized we began our initiation into the Church. Through Confirmation, we continue with one more step into the Body of Christ. We are called to give public witness to the good news to the Catholic community. We are then sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit and strengthened to live our baptismal promises. Because, like Baptism, Confirmation imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, like Baptism it can never be repeated.
When we are confirmed, we may choose another name in addition to the one given at Baptism. This additional name may be the name of a patron saint we admire.
Confirmation is celebrated during a Mass with a bishop or his representative presiding. During the celebration, the bishop extends his hands over those to be confirmed and prays to God, the Father, “Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their Helper and Guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.”
The bishop then makes the sign of the cross on their foreheads and anoints them, saying, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” This anointing is the most important sign of the sacrament of Confirmation. The Sacrament of Confirmation perfects baptismal grace and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit helps us grow to Christian maturity. This sacrament 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.
The normal period of life for confirmation in the Catholic Church takes place around 14 years of age. At St. Mary, our young adults usually celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation while in the eighth grade. Please contact our Religious Education Office at 740.369.8228 for more information.
Confirmation 2023-2024 Information
Welcome to the special and exciting year of Confirmation Preparation! Our first Parent Meeting we will be gathering to review information on Thursday, September 14th at 6:30-7:30pm in the Commons.
All Confirmation Students at St. Mary's Parish Requirements
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Sunday Nights - Jesus Movement Middle School Youth Formation
All Confirmation students in the parish are asked to attend our Sunday Night Middle School Youth Ministry nights of Jesus movement! A Damascus missionary is running these evenings and they will be a great time of formation and fellowship for all Confirmation students, both in the school and PSR formation students.
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Special Topics Nights!
Once a month Confirmation teachers and Clergy will be teaching a special formation class for Confirmation. These nights are required for all Confirmation Students. Two of the evenings parents of Confirmation students are required to attend with their students. Please see the attached Special Topics Nights for specifics. Students must attend a minimum of 9 of these evenings in order to be Confirmed this year.
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Confirmation Retreat Oct 13th -15th at Damascus
To register, please make an account, register and pay for this date through Damascus using this link that is exclusive to St. Mary Delaware's group - select Confirmation 2. Please register by September 15th. This is a requirement for Confirmation.
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Service Hours
All students are asked to complete 24 hours of service in the community before they are confirmed. This is to help them find their interest - or charism - in being part of the larger church community, once they are fully initiated Catholics after Confirmation. Only 8 of these hours can be done at "home" - for grandparents for example. The rest must be done in the community or the parish community. Download the form.
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Picking a Sponsor
Prayerfully discern this person to mentor you through your spiritual life moving forward. They must also be an actively participating Catholic that has received the sacrament of Confirmation, and must be at least 16 years of age. Parents cannot be sponsors.
If the sponsor chosen attends a parish OTHER than St. Mary's, they must contact their church for a letter of suitability to be sent to us. Please have the sponsor's parish send it to St. Mary's, addressed to the attention of the Sacraments Coordinator.
If the sponsor chosen does attend St. Mary, they must contact the parish office for us to verify. Please email Clare Galuzny, our Sacraments Coordinator, at cgaluzny@delawarestmary.org.
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Picking a Saint
Discernment Process will be introduced to the group on the Special Topics nights. This process is essential to picking a Saint for Confirmation.
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Letter of Desire for Confirmation to Father Garland by February, students are required to write a letter to Father Garland articulating their choice and desire to be Confirmed.
PSR Formation
All Sunday Nights with Jesus Movement and Special Topics on the calendar attached below are required for Confirmation preparation. Students must attend a minimum of 9 of the Special Topics evenings in order to be Confirmed this year. There are also 2 of these evenings that parents are required to attend. Please see the Special Topics Calendar below for more specifics.
See the 8th grade calendar for all the dates Confirmandi are expected to attend.
See the 7th grade calendar for all the dates Confirmandi are expected to attend.
School Formation
Religious formation based on the diocesan religion course of study standards are taught during the school day for St. Mary school students. Required Special Topics sessions that are held once a month for preparation of all Confirmation students are on Sunday nights. Students must attend a minimum of 9 of the Special Topics evenings in order to be Confirmed this year. There are also 2 of these evenings that parents are required to attend. Please see the Special Topics Calendar below for more specifics
We strongly encourage those in the school to also attend the Jesus Movement Middle School Formation nights for fun fellowship and formation with their peers in the parish community. The Highschool Youth Ministry Jesus Movement will also be happening at this time on Sunday. We hope that Confirmation students will build friendships and community that will continue after 8th grade, as they go into high school and attend Youth Ministry Nights on Sundays after Confirmation.