Confirmation Guidelines for Parents November 2013

Confirmation completes Baptism, unites us more firmly to Christ, confers the special strength of the Holy Spirit for the witness of Christian life, and imprints a spiritual seal or indelible character on the soul such that, like baptism, this Sacrament is received only once.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
In the Rite of Confirmation, the bishop implores God to send the Holy Spirit with his gifts on the candidates who are to be confirmed:
Wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence and wonder and awe.
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit are listed in Sacred Scripture as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Candidates for Confirmation are to be led to understand that the Holy Spirit comes in Confirmation to make them more like Jesus Christ and to help them, as children of God, give witness to the Lord.
Confirmation Name
It is customary for children to choose a saint’s name for Confirmation as a sign of the new birth and identity they receive in Christ. This custom is to be encouraged since the saints are those, who, having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, have shown the fruits of the Spirit in the witness of a good and holy life. Towards the time of Confirmation, the saints chosen by the children will be invoked regularly as part of a “Litany of the Saints” in class prayer times.
Sponsor
Candidates will choose a Sponsor for Confirmation. The Sponsor, who represents the whole Church in the faith formation of the candidate, must be over 16years old and a practising Catholic in full communion with the Church.
The immediate preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation should include the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Families are encouraged to take the children to the sacrament. We hope to take the children on a one day retreat to allow a time for reflection.
It is especially to be borne in mind that the centre of the Sacraments of
Initiation is the Eucharist. One of the marks and obligations of the fully initiated Catholic is full, active and conscious participation at Sunday Mass. Young Catholics must fulfil the serious obligation to participate at Sunday Mass so that the Eucharist will be at the centre of a full Christian life.
Further information will be sent home during our preparations for this great sacrament. Please look at the school website for a reflective power point from Mary O’Duffin, RE Advisor for primary schools, Glasgow Archdiocese.