Confirmation

“When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit
had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 8: 14 – 17

"Recall then that you have received this spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts."  (+St. Ambrose of Milan, 340-397).

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

At confirmation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. While the sacrament of Baptism gives us birth and gives us life through the Holy Spirit, in the sacrament of Confirmation the same Holy Spirit equips us and strengthens us with all that we need to live the Christian life at its fullest. Greater awareness of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conferred through the anointing of chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop.

Scriptural Foundation for Confirmation

In the Acts of the Apostles we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly the sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)
 

Even after baptism, the bible and the first Christians testify that the Holy Spirit is given in a different way through the sacramental sign of the laying on of hands of the Christian leaders.  "Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:14-17)
 

"On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them;..." (Acts 19:5-6a)

Why be confirmed?

The Bible makes clear that the Holy Spirit is given in a unique and different way than in Baptism, and so the Church reminds us that "the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace." We are "enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit." Since God gives us nothing in vain or for no purpose, the confirmed "are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed." (CCC 1285)  The sacrament of Confirmation is ordered to helping you attain the fulfillment of your life by carrying out the Holy Will of God for you...being who God made you to be...and doing what God has planned for you to do.

Who can be confirmed?

Only a person who has been baptized but has never previously received the sacrament of Confirmation can be confirmed.  Confirmation imparts a permanent mark or seal upon the soul of the one confirmed and it is a sacrament that is not repeated.
 

Teenagers: In accord with the promises that parents make in baptizing their children, they have a serious obligation to keep their word to God by ensuring that they do all they can to lead their children by example and support to receive this sacrament.  Classes are typically held concurrently with the school year, and are held Wednesdays from 5:30pm - 7pm. There is a break over summer and holidays, and the program requirement from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is two years.  Orientation for the confirmandee and the parents is held at the beginning of each year.
 

The age established by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for our youth to receive the holy Sacrament of Confirmation is in the high school years. The earlierst a baptized youth may receive the sacrament is in 9th Grade. Please contact the Confirmation Coordinator for any further information.

Deacon Pilar Garcia
505-884-3922
qhyouthadult@qofhabq.com

Adults: For anyone beyond high school age, preparation classes are typically held concurrently with the school year. CLICK HERE to sign up for Adult Confirmation.

 

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation," whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For "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.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1285)