Confirmation

Confirmation is the sacrament that completes the grace we receive in Baptism. It seals, or confirms, this grace through the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit that we receive as part of Confirmation. This sacrament also makes us better able to participate in the worship and apostolic life of the Church. Like Baptism, Confirmation is received only once in a person’s life.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Through Jesus, we receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Wisdom helps us recognize the importance of others and the importance of keeping God central in our lives.
Understanding is the ability to comprehend the meaning of God’s message.
Knowledge is the ability to think about and explore God's revelation, and also to recognize that there are mysteries of faith beyond us.
Counsel is the ability to see the best way to follow God's plan when we have choices that relate to him.
Fortitude is the courage to do what one knows is right.
Piety helps us pray to God in true devotion.
Fear of the Lord is the feeling of amazement before God, who is all-present, and whose friendship we do not want to lose.

A New Name

When preparing for Confirmation, a person is invited to choose a Confirmation name to show that a change is taking place in him or her. Such name changes are common in the Bible (for example, Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah, Jacob to Israel, and so on) to indicate a change in the person. In the New Testament, Peter’s original name was Simon. The name Peter, meaning “rock,” was given to him by Jesus to symbolize Peter’s role in the Church (Matthew 16:18). Often people preparing for Confirmation will choose the name of a saint or holy person whom they look to for guidance in following Jesus.

Signs of Confirmation

The signs of Confirmation are the laying on of hands on a person’s head, most often by a bishop, and the anointing with oil.