Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism. In it the baptized are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, bound more perfectly to the Church, enriched with the Spirit's special strength, and, as the Catechism says, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed as true witnesses of Christ (1285, 1303). Like Baptism it imprints a permanent character and can be received only once. This guide is for a candidate, or the parent of one, going through parish preparation in the United States, where the sacrament is normally conferred by the bishop on the baptized who have reached the age of discretion, at an age set by each diocese.

What you need

• Your baptismal certificate (request a recent copy from the parish of your Baptism)
• Enrollment in your parish's Confirmation preparation, usually a year or more of catechesis
• A sponsor who meets the Church's requirements, and his or her sponsor certificate
• A recent Confession, so that you receive the sacrament in a state of grace
• The renewal of baptismal promises read over beforehand

When to pray it

Throughout the preparation period, and especially in the days before the celebration. Many candidates pray a novena to the Holy Spirit in the nine days before Confirmation, using Veni Creator Spiritus or the Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Understand what Confirmation is

   At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles, and from the beginning the Apostles handed on that gift to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands. Confirmation is that gift, given to you. Its effects, the Catechism teaches (1303), are a deeper rooting in divine sonship, a firmer union with Christ, an increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, a more perfect bond with the Church, and a special strength to spread and defend the faith. It is received once, it is normally conferred by the bishop, and in the Latin Church it is ordinarily received after Baptism and at the age of discretion, the exact age being set by each conference of bishops and diocese.

Tips

• Confirmation is not a graduation from religious education, and the Church does not treat it as a rite of passage into adulthood; it is the completion of your Baptism and a sending on mission.
• Baptized Catholics who were never confirmed can receive the sacrament at any age; ask the parish about adult preparation, often in a few sessions in the weeks before Pentecost or the Easter Vigil.
• Attend Mass every Sunday during preparation. The best preparation is a habit of prayer and the sacraments, not the completion of a checklist.
• If your diocese confirms at a young age or restores the original order (Confirmation before First Communion), the preparation will look different; the sacrament is the same.

Related practices

• Spiritual Direction