The Sacrament of 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." (CCC 1285)

The effect of the sacrament of Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:
- it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";
- it unites us more firmly to Christ;
- it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
- it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
- it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross. (CCC 1303)

Confirmation Preparation for Adults

If you are an adult in need of the Sacrament of Confirmation please contact the Amy Parent  amy@stthomascamas.org  (834-2126 ext 212) for more information on Adult Preparation for Confirmation.

If you are an adult interested in being Confirmed and joining the Catholic Church you will need to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). Please call Amy for more information and to register.

Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation:
separate programs are available for adults and for youth

Adult Confirmation Prep:
 

Adults who have not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation are encouraged to join a new opportunity to prepare for the Sacrament this month on Thursday evenings beginning Sept 12, 2024 (7pm - 8:30pm). Participants will meet in the Aquinas Center Conference Room for nine sessions. A Confirmation Mass is being scheduled with the Archdiocese and is expected to be celebrated in late April or early May, 2025. To register for this class or for more information, contact Amy Parent at amy@stthomascamas.org.

The purpose of all sacramental preparation is to help the candidate understand and appreciate the gift they will be receiving in the particular sacrament. Adult Confirmation Prep is designed to give an overview of the Faith (basic elements of the Creed, Sacraments, and Catholic Morality) while preparing candidates for Confirmation. Typically, those who missed Confirmation as teens were not able to be as engaged with the Church as they could have been and so once they are motivated to reconnect (often years later) they can usually benefit from a general refresher so that they feel confident about Catholic teachings in general as well as practical things like understanding the various parts of the Mass. It can also be an opportunity for frank discussions about things from the past that have angered, confused, or disappointed them about the Catholic Church. It is usually a fairly small group which offers a more comfortable setting for questions and discussions.

Part of our discussions in the Adult Confirmation Prep course will be to help prepare participants for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and a return to the Eucharist, if appropriate. We will also have the opportunity to help guide those Catholics who were not married in the Church to understand and correct this situation. Please see below for an overview of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Youth Confirmation Prep: 2024 - 2025
 

In-person sessions meet weekly on Sunday mornings at 9:45pm beginning Sep 10, 2024. See the schedule posted below. These sessions form the immediate preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation celebrated each Spring. The date of our parish Confirmation Mass remains to be determined until the Archdiocese schedules this event. It is expected to be celebrated in late April or early May 2025.  For 2024-2025, candidates are to be at least in 7th Grade or above who meets the proximal year requirements. 

Please contact Denice Twyman if you have any questions (denice@stthomascamas.org; 360-834-2126, ext. 202). 

We use the Decision Point curriculum developed by Dynamic Catholic. The material is all available online; check it out at http://dynamiccatholic.com/confirmation/. According to Dynamic Catholic, the goals of Decision Point are "to prepare young Catholics for Confirmation by presenting the genius of Catholicism in a compelling way; to demonstrate the relevance of Catholicism in every aspect of their lives; to help them develop a personal relationship with Jesus; to give young Catholics an appetite for learning more about Catholicism; to engage them in a dynamic conversation about our faith; and to convince them that no matter what happens, they should always give God and the Church a central place in their lives."
 

Parents and sponsors play a critical role in this "dynamic conversation" and necessarily play an active part in this process.

Youth Confirmation Checklist:

• For 2024-2025, the Candidate is a student in 7th Grade or above who meets the proximal year requirements as outlined in this year's Confirmation Orientation Packet. 
• Candidate’s family is registered at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish or has permission from his or her pastor to prepare for and/or receive the sacrament of confirmation at St. Thomas. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER WITH ST. THOMAS
• Copy of candidate’s Baptismal Certificate is verified. 
• Qualified Confirmation Sponsor is identified (i.e., one who is a fully-initiated Catholic, able to participate in the sacramental life of the Church, over 16 years of age, and not the candidate's parent or guardian).
• Registration fee (includes religious education materials, cost of weekend Confirmation Retreat (TBD), and youth faith formation registration).
• At least one parent participates in an interview with the pastor or his representative to discuss the candidate's readiness and all aspects of the program (key dates, requirements). 
• At least one parent participates in the monthly Parent Faith Formation program.

Registration Forms: please complete the Faith Formation online registration form.



Parish Points of Contact:

• Confirmation Coordinator: Denice Twyman (denice@stthomascamas.org)
• Confirmation Catechists: Tamar Parker (tamarparker@gmail.com)
                                    Scott Parker (bradeyboy@juno.com)