Now Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ~ Mark 8: 27

What do you believe? Who is the person that you are becoming? These are interesting questions for anyone to answer. They are prominent questions for young people moving into adulthood. While our identity in the world is important, our identity as Christians is even more profoundly so.

Confirmation is the final Sacrament of Initiation, whereby an individual accepts their Christian identity, invests in their own faith development, and becomes a fully-initiated member of the Catholic Church.

Those preparing for the sacrament, known as the Confirmandi, come to understand the depth and breadth of the universal Church that they were baptized into prior to Confirmation. It the final Sacrament of Initiation.

Traditionally, a new name is chosen by each Confirmandi as a symbol of the Christian identity they have embraced and chosen for themselves. It may be the name of a saint or a holy woman or man who has inspired their faith journey. And all Confirmandi have a Sponsor, one who stands in solidarity as the Sacrament is received.

At St. Margaret, Confirmation takes place every year for our young people who are in 7th grade in the context of a liturgy near the feast of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost. They learn more about their faith during the school year and participate in service projects. Adults who enter the faith through RCIA will normally receive the Sacrament during the Easter Vigil.