Confirmation

This Sacrament goes hand in hand with Baptism, even when it is received several years later. It completes the signs of God giving his children his Holy Spirit, and confirms the recipients as ones chosen by God to live and work as Christ’s followers. It is much preferred that those who enter the adult Sacrament of Marriage should already be Confirmed, and any who go for Holy Orders must already be Confirmed.

Different Churches and different Dioceses allow for Confirmation to be administered at differing ages. While many Eastern Orthodox Churches Confirm infants at Baptism, most Roman Rite Catholics are Confirmed at an older age. In our own Diocese of Leeds, the normal minimum age for Confirmation is during School Year 6 or aged 10/11. Generally, Bishop Marcus administers Confirmation each year, in one or two Churches in each Deanery (our Deanery covers the areas of Wakefield and Pontefract).

In our own Parish, application forms are made available soon after Easter. Most of the preparation programme happens in our Parish Hall or Rooms, at weekends and outside of school hours. Plans are drawn up for one meeting just before the summer holidays and the programme then continues through the autumn, with Confirmations likely early in the New Year. We use a programme of Family Catechesis, which requires at least one adult, ideally a parent, to remain and work with their child throughout each meeting; but the whole family is welcome to come along.

When there are older (adult) applicants, it is usually more appropriate for them to either join a part of the Initiation of Adults programme or follow a tailor made programme, either of which can be arranged.

Such as details of application forms and reminders of meetings are well announced in our Parish Bulletin.