St. Anthony's Parish  Your English speaking Roman catholic parish in Kraineem   

Home > Sacraments > Confirmation

Baptism
Confession
Eucharist
Confirmation
Marriage
Sacred Orders
Anoiting of the sick
Christian Funerals

Confirmation

Confirmations 2005

On this year's Pentecost weekend, 38 candidates presented themselves to be confirmed at ceremonies during the evening Mass on Saturday 14 May and at morning Mass on Sunday 15 May. Read the Michael Quillinan chronicle on this years confirmation clicking here. We have prepared two picture galleries that you may find in the links below

Pictures Confirmation 14 May 2005

Pictures Confirmation 15 May 2005 

If you want to receive an electronic copy of the pictures, please contact me Michael Quillinan at the following e-mail adress: michael.quillinan@tiscali.be

Introduction

Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.

Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian's soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once in one's life.

In the East this sacrament is administered immediately after Baptism and is followed by participation in the Eucharist; this tradition highlights the unity of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. In the Latin Church this sacrament is administered when the age of reason has been reached, and its celebration is ordinarily reserved to the bishop, thus signifying that this sacrament strengthens the ecclesial bond.

A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.

The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized with sacred chrism (in the East other sense-organs as well), together with the laying on of the minister's hand and the words: "Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.) in the Roman Rite, or "The seal of the gift that is the Holy Spirit" in the Byzantine rite.

When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, its connection with Baptism is expressed, among other ways, by the renewal of baptismal promises. the celebration of Confirmation during the Eucharist helps underline the unity of the sacraments of Christian initiation

▲up

The sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Anthony's

Once per year, in springtime, we receive the visit of an Irish bishop who celebrates the rite of Confirmation on the students of the Confirmation programme.

How to prepare for Confirmation?

As part of the Catechetics programme, we prepare children for the Sacraments of First Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation. Please visit our Catechetics page.

▲up