Confirmation Ceremonies
Confirmation challenges
Inspired by Blessed Carlo Acutis, who is to be canonised on April 27th 2025, and aligned with the Jubilee Year of Hope, this theme highlights dependence on Christ as the source of hope and faith. It also complements the Synodal Pathway encouraging unity, reflection, and a journey of faith shared as a community.
Confirmation Challenge 2025
For this years’ Confirmation Challenge Bishop Denis invites you to take on ONE of the following challenges
1. Eucharistic Adoration Visits:
Organise sessions where candidates can spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, reflecting on Blessed Carlo’s devotion to the Eucharist, recalling his words: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven”.
2. Random Acts of Kindness:
Recall Blessed Carlo’s words: “A life will be really beautiful if we arrive to love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves”.
Brainstorm what Random Acts of Kindness the children might perform at home, in school, in the parish and in the community. Ask the children to write the ideas on cards then collect the cards and place them in the sacred space. Invite the children to pick a card every morning and perform the Act of Kindness that day.
3. Sharing our Faith:
Blessed Carol’s words: “Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies”.
How do we experience our dependence on Christ in daily life? Arrange small group discussions where pupils can share examples of their own experience. Have the children write some of their examples on post it notes, collect the notes and display on a poster in the Sacred Space under the heading ‘Without Him I can do Nothing’
4. Recall Blessed Carlo Acutis’ words:
“Everything passes away … what alone will truly make us beautiful in God’s eyes is the way that we have loved him and our brothers”.
Plan activities such as helping in the parish, visiting the elderly, fundraising for charity organising or supporting parish events to live out their call to serve others in Christ’s name
5. Digital Presentation:
Recall Blessed Carlo’s words: “God has written for each one of us a unique and unrepeatable story, but he has left us the freedom to write the conclusion”.
Have candidates research and present on Blessed Carlo’s life and how his message applies to their modern-day context.
Confirmation in the Faith
Confirmation celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit.
In the Acts of the Apostles chapter 2, verses 1 to 13, we read of the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit. They had been hiding after Jesus’ death, afraid and uncertain. The coming of the Holy Spirit with his gifts inspired them and enabled them to take the step of preaching the good news.
We are made members of God’s family at Baptism. At Confirmation, our Baptism is completed or “sealed” by the Holy Spirit and we are called to be Christian witnesses, just like the apostles. The whole of our Christian living and the life of the Church, too, are sustained by the same Spirit.
Who Can Receive?
Any baptised Catholic wishing to advance on the path of developing their faith. For young people, this is usually part of the 5th/6th class primary school programme.
For adults who were not confirmed as children, it means taking part in the Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.)
Sponsor
A sponsor stands behind the candidate for Confirmation at the Confirmation ceremony and places their hand on the shoulder of the candidate as a sign that they will support them in living out their baptismal promises. However, the role of the sponsor is not just for one day. The sponsor undertakes to assist the confirmed person in growing in the fullness of their faith and in their membership of the Catholic Church.
A person qualifies as a sponsor by being a reasonably mature adult, who is at least 16 years old, and has already received the Sacraments of Initiation, (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) themselves. The Confirmation sponsor may be one of the people who was a sponsor at Baptism (subject to the notes here).
Choosing a Sponsor
(Ref. Code of Canon Law §874) To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:
- be appointed by the candidate, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
- be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made;
- be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
- not labor under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared;
- not be either the father or the mother of the candidate.
Name
The tradition of taking a new name at Confirmation emphasises the new identity of a Christian being called to witness to their faith. People are encouraged to take the name of a saint or a person from the Bible who inspires them in some way
Oil
The oil used is called the Oil of Chrism. It is olive oil mixed with balsam that is blessed by the bishop and priests of the diocese in the Cathedral at the ‘Chrism Mass’ on Holy Thursday. The Sacrament is conferred with the anointing with this ‘Oil of Chrism’ on the forehead as the Bishop says ‘Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit’.