Confirmation Dates:
Friday 20th March 2020 at 5pm, in The Church of St. John the Baptist, Galbally.

According to Catholic doctrine, the Sacrament of Confirmation enables the faithful to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, strengthening them in their Christian life. Confirmation celebrates the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a baptised person, completing and strengthening the grace given by the Spirit in Baptism. It marks the Christian as a follower of Christ and a full member of the Church.

In the Parish of Donaghmore, children normally celebrate Confirmation in primary 7. Much of the preparation is carried out in school with the parish offering a complimentary preparation programme.

At Confirmation, the Bishop or priest prays that the gifts given by the Holy Spirit for the living out of the Christian life will grow in each person being confirmed. These are the gifts of:

• Wisdom,
• Understanding,
• Knowledge,
• Right Judgement,
• Courage,
• Reverence and
• Wonder and Awe in God’s presence.

Growth in these gifts is a lifetime’s experience and leads the Christian to share in the mission of Jesus Christ.

The decision to be confirmed is not one to be taken lightly, for it involves both faith and commitment.

In the Parish of Donaghmore the Sacrament is administered by the Priests of the Parish with the blessing of the Archbishop Eamon Martin mainly due to the very large number of children, or is sometimes done by the Bishop himself. This allows for smaller and more intimate celebrations, which also emphasises the Christian Community’s involvement.

Who Can Receive?

Any baptised Catholic wishing to advance on the path of developing their faith. For young people, this is usually part of the primary 6 or 7 primary school program.

For adults who were not confirmed as children, it means taking part in the Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.)

A sponsor stands behind the candidate for Confirmation at the Confirmation ceremony and places their hand on the shoulder of the candidate as a sign that they will support them in living out their baptismal promises. However, the role of the sponsor is not just for one day. The sponsor undertakes to assist the confirmed person in growing in the fullness of their faith and in their membership of the Catholic Church.

A person qualifies as a sponsor by being a reasonably mature adult, who is at least 16 years old, and has already received the Sacraments of Initiation, (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) themselves.

The Confirmation sponsor may be one of the people who was a sponsor at Baptism (subject to the notes here).

Choosing a sponsor

To be admitted to undertake the office of sponsor, a person must:

• Be appointed by the candidate, or by the parents or whoever stands in their place, or failing these, by the parish priest or the minister; to be appointed the person must be suitable for this role have the intention of fulfilling it.
• Be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a different age has been stipulated by the diocesan Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister considers that there is a just reason for an exception to be made.
• Be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken.
• Not labour under a canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared.
• Not be either the father or the mother of the candidate.

Name

The tradition of taking a new name at Confirmation emphasises the new identity of a Christian being called to witness to their faith. People are encouraged to take the name of a saint or a person from the Bible who inspires them in some way.

Oil

The oil used is called the Oil of Chrism. It is olive oil mixed with balsam that is blessed by Archbishop Eamon Martin and priests of the diocese in Armagh cathedral at the ‘Chrism Mass’ on Holy Thursday. The Sacrament is conferred with the anointing with this ‘Oil of Chrism’ on the forehead as the Bishop says ‘Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit’.