Confirmation

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth...The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." JN 14:15-17; 26.  

Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the fullness of the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply as children of God, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with its mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.

A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the Church community and in the world.

Our Confirmation Process is two years, usually beginning in the 9th grade with the students receiving the sacrament near the end of the 10th grade, although we are often confirming 11th and 12th graders too, so that should not be a concern.  Therefore, we refer to our students as First Year students and Second Year students.  Students who are a part of the Confirmation Process register in our High School Youth Ministry Program both their First Year AND their Second Year, and they also register for the Sacrament of Confirmation their Second Year.  Thus attending our Sunday evening Faith Formation Classes is part of the Confirmation Process...click on the link for more information about our Faith Formation Classes.

Our process being two years in length is not intended to be a burden on students.  On the contrary, it is meant to spread out what we ask the students to do over a longer period of time, and thus go through the Process at a more relaxed pace, balancing what we ask of them with all the other commitments in their lives. 

The Confirmation Process begins each year with an Intake Session, which BOTH First Year AND Second Year students attend.   Confirmation Intake Session dates will be available soon.
 

All first and second year confirmation students must attend ONE of the meetings EACH YEAR, with at least one parent. Sponsors are required to attend for the second year students as well (Student, Parents, and Sponsor should all attend the same meeting). Students must attend one of these meetings to be part of this year’s process. (We offer four meetings for your convenience; you choose which one fits best into your schedule.)  If there are extreme circumstances that make it impossible for you to attend one of the four meetings, please contact Tim Janiszewski (410-255-3677 or tjaniszewski@olchesapeake.org) as soon as possible.