Confirmation

Confirmation is the third Sacrament of initiation, when the faith first given in baptism is confirmed through the Holy Spirit.

It is an essential building block of faith, a maturing of our relationship with God. In the Western Church the Sacrament is conferred only on people old enough to understand its significance, usually around 14 years of age (Year 10). The Cathedral parish course starts in January with applications open in the autumn of the previous year. Details of how to apply are announced at Masses and published in the Cathedral Newsletter.

Some practising adult Catholics may never, for whatever reason, have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Some preparation, which will be tailored to individual needs by the relevant Chaplain, is required for this, and three or four Adult Confirmation Masses are celebrated in the Cathedral on Saturday evenings over the course of the year.

‘By the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptised are … as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.’

Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 1285