Confirmation

This year's Message
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit. ..”
John 20:21-23

The Diocese of San Bernardino has been a communion of Catholic churches encompassing Riverside and San Bernardino counties for over 30 years. Over the course of the life of the diocese thousands of youth and adults have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. These candidates come to this sacrament prepared by the many catechists who have dedicated numerous hours in helping to prepare them come to the fullness of initiation in the life of the church.

The practice and formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation has taken many forms in the long history of the church because of the the changing focus and understanding of this sacrament. Confirmation is a sacrament of Christian initiation (CCC, 1285). This is most evident when it is celebrated together with Baptism according to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Confirmation takes place as a rule within a Mass in order for the connection of the three initiating sacraments to take place; Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Christian initiation reaches its height in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. The newly confirmed therefore participate in the Eucharist, which completes their Christian initiation.

The sacrament of Confirmation gives you as young people of the parish the opportunity to focus on the gift of faith; personally and communally. Each one of us has the opportunity to come to know this Faith in Jesus; through the scriptures, our traditions of the Church, as well as through examples of faith by other Christians. In the Confirmation “journey” we will focus on you the candidate, the mentor/sponsor, and the many ways we know God and can express this experience. Through this formation process, it is our hope that you as candidate might be more informed and able to confirm, to live, and to gain a deeper understanding of your faith more completely.

Here I am Lord - Youth Confirmation Motto
Based upon Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians: (Ephesians 4:1-6)
I then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace; one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.