While symbolically, on our foreheads and senses, our bodies are anointed with this oil that we see, our souls are sanctified by the holy and life-giving Spirit. – St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Baptized, Catholic teens in high school (grades 9-12) are invited to enter a one-year Confirmation Preparation process and are expected to be:

• attending Sunday Mass and receiving Holy Communion,
• participating in Religious Education through the parish, a Catholic school, or a valid homeschool    program
• desiring to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, sharing the fullness of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and in the community,
• prayerfully discerning readiness for Confirmation (see Letter from the Diocese and Confirmation discernment tool: Am I ready to be Confirmed? attached below)

Once an individual has decided to seek Confirmation he or she needs to:

• request intention to seek Confirmation via a written letter to Fr. Orr (or a meeting with Fr. and a  parent), explaining why they are ready (DEADLINE: August 30,2025),
• Receive approval email from the parish to move forward
• participate fully in the preparation process, which includes
  • continuing Religious Education and weekly Mass,
  • Complete assigned essays and forms
  • attending at least 2 Discipleship Events (40 Hours Devotions and Youth Group meetings) as well as a scheduled service project and gatherings with Confirmation Mentors,
  • a final interview with the priest,
  • the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Rite of Sending
  • and Confirmation Mass rehearsal and Confirmation Mass with Sponsor.
• Candidates determined to be ‘not ready’ will be deferred and helped to set a plan for Confirmation in the future.

To sign up for the Parish Religious Education program, find the online registration form here: https://forms.gle/42dDTVTzMDgkx8JD8. If you are attending a Catholic high school or are pursuing the homeschool option, please share this information with Tammy Nesbitt, Director of Religious Education, at tnesbitt@dioceseaj.org.

Sponsors for the Sacrament of Confirmation must obtain a certificate of eligibility from the parish in which they are currently registered in order to verify that they meet the requirements.

Every baptized person not yet confirmed is encouraged to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Adults and young people beyond the 12th grade who wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation are asked to call the Religious Education Office to arrange for participation in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).