Sacrament of Initiation
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.”
Acts 1:8
What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is the sacrament that completes the grace of Baptism. Together with Baptism and the Eucharist, it forms the three sacraments of Christian initiation, whose unity must be safeguarded. By the sacrament of Confirmation, the baptised are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. As true witnesses of Christ, they are more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.
The Effects of Confirmation
Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace. It roots us more deeply in our identity as children of God, unites us more firmly to Christ, increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us, strengthens our bond with the Church, and gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.
Like Baptism, Confirmation imprints a permanent spiritual character on the soul. For this reason, one may receive this sacrament only once in a lifetime.
The Rite of Confirmation
The essential rite of Confirmation is the anointing of the forehead with Sacred Chrism (oil mixed with balsam, consecrated by the Bishop), together with the laying on of the minister’s hand and the words: “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” The bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation, linking the confirmed more closely to the apostolic origins and mission of the Church.
Who Can Receive Confirmation?
Every baptised person who has not yet been confirmed can and should receive this sacrament. Candidates should be in a state of grace, be suitably instructed, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ in the Church and in the world. A sponsor, who may be one of the baptismal godparents, accompanies the candidate.
Prepare for Confirmation
Enrolment is now open for the Sacramental Programme for Confirmation 2027, for young people in Year 9 or above.
For anything else about Confirmation, please contact the parish office on 01296 290545 or at aylesbury.catholic@northamptondiocese.org.