Confirmation

While Baptism is the gateway into the Catholic faith, the Sacrament of Confirmation affirms each baptised person's commitment to their faith, and First Holy Communion fully initiates us into the Catholic Faith.

During the sacrament, confirmands renew their baptismal promises and are supported by a sponsor. The sponsor is a Catholic chosen by the confirmand to guide them in their faith and help them to prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is typical for baptised children to be confirmed in Year 3 or higher, which the Church considers the age of reason. In this way, the sacrament is often likened to a rite of passage.

The timing of First Holy Communion and Confirmation has changed in recent years, so if you’re over 30 years old, you might have done it differently. The current order of the Sacraments of Initiation reflects the intended purpose from ancient times, which always was to renew your baptismal promise before First Holy Communion.

St Benedict’s Parish offers a parish-based Children’s Sacramental Journey that begins with Confirmation at Year 3 or above. The following year these children receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion after having made their Confirmation. This is a journey that fully initiated the children into the Catholic Faith. 

For more information on joining our Children’s Sacramental Journey at St Benedict’s Parish please email the Parish Office [email protected]

For adults 17 years and older, who are seeking to become Catholics, please refer to Becoming Catholic, our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).