Confirmation
Confirmation is the second sacrament of initiation, although it is normally received third. The sacrament of Confirmation seals the recipient with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Along with the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, it makes up the sacraments of Christian Initiation.
Interested in Receiving this Sacrament:
- As a 8th grader through high school student, please visit our Youth Confirmation page.
- As an adult, who has never received First Communion, please visit our RCIA page
- As an adult, who received First Communion, but not Confirmation, please visit our Adult Confirmation page.
Insights & References
Like Baptism, Confirmation can only be received once since it imprints on our soul an indelible spiritual mark. At Confirmation, we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
In the Diocese of Cleveland, Confirmation is most often conferred in the 8th grade. Preparation begins in the 7th grade. Classes focus on the sacrament itself and on Church teachings so that students are fully prepared to be members of the Catholic faith. The candidates choose a patron saint and a sponsor. The patron saint is chosen based on attributes he or she exhibited in life that the candidate wishes to emulate, or for some other similar reason. A man or woman, faithfully living out the Catholic faith, is chosen as a sponsor - to be a support and a role model of Christian living. It is appropriate to choose one's baptismal godparent as one's sponsor, with the connection that Confirmation and Baptism truly have.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.” — Ephesians 1:13-14
By the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” — CCC #1285