The process of preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation is one that deepens a person’s faith and readies them for becoming a fully-initiated Catholic who has received the graces of the Holy Spirit. Like RCIA, the Confirmation program challenges participants to deepen their relationship with God through self-reflection, group discussion, and study of Scripture and Church teachings.
The Confirmation preparation is for Catholics who have already been baptized and received First Communion as children. Participants typically have not completed catechism classes as teenagers but would now like to become fully-initiated Catholics. Those who have not been baptized or never received First Communion need to participate in RCIA but will attend group sessions along with those in the Confirmation program.
Participants will take part in group sessions that begin during Advent and conclude at the end of the spring semester when the Bishop confirms the candidates. Sessions cover various topics related to the Church, and while the program varies each year, participants are typically asked to present on a particular topic at least once during the semester. Participants will also select a Confirmation sponsor who will help guide them through the process and formally present the candidate to the Church community at the Confirmation Mass.
Confirmations
Some Catholic students come to 17³Ô¹ÏÍø without receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. These students may contact Fr. Jim Hayes, S.J., for more information. The program begins on the first Sunday of Advent at 4 p.m. in Campion. The meetings continue on Sundays throughout the second semester. An afternoon of recollection is held on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. Confirmation ordinarily takes place on the last Sunday of April. Bishop Robert McManus presides at Confirmation for college students in Worcester.