Confirmation Preparation
At Holy Family, high schoolers prepare for and receive Confirmation and may start classes in 9th grade or later. Through our Religious Education program, we guide candidates and their families in understanding and appreciating this beautiful sacrament during a 2 year program. Please visit the Catholic Religious Education (CRE) page for more information on classes and preparation.
If you are an adult and want to receive Confirmation, please visit the Order of Christian Initiative for Adults (OCIA) page for information on preparation classes.
Confirmation
The sacrament of Confirmation impresses a character and by it the baptized, continuing on the path of Christian initiation, are enriched by the gift of the Holy Spirit and bound more perfectly to the Church; it strengthens them and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses to Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith.
(Canon 87)
About Confirmation
Confirmation is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Church, along with Baptism and the Eucharist. While Baptism begins our journey of faith, Confirmation strengthens and completes the grace we receive as baptized Christians. Through this sacrament, we are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and strengthened for a life of faith and service.
During Confirmation, the Bishop extends his hands over those being confirmed and prays for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just as the Apostles did in the early Church. Through the anointing with sacred Chrism oil and the laying on of hands, candidates receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
These gifts equip us to become mature Christians, enabling us to witness to our faith through both our words and actions. As confirmed Catholics, we are called to take a more active role in the Church's mission of building God's kingdom on earth.