What is Confirmation?

     Confirmation completes our initiation into the Catholic Church. Through an outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Confirmation “seals” our relationship with Christ and equips us with the grace needed to actively participate in the life and mission of the church. 

What Confirmation is not

     Confirmation is not a “graduation” marking the end of an individual’s faith formation or participation in church.

Participation in the Confirmation program here at St. Boniface presumes that: 

• Students and their family are parishioners in our parish 
• Students have been receiving ongoing faith formation either in a parish religious education program or a Catholic school.  (Students who have had a gap of more than 2 years without Religious Education of any kind will be asked to complete the Freshman class before entering the Confirmation Class.)
• Students are open to continuing to explore and participate in their faith.
• Students will strive to live their faith by participating in weekly Mass. 

A Word about Readiness

     Confirmation is a gift freely given to us by God. He invites our free and open response to this gift of grace but will not force us to receive it or respond to it.

     Sometimes for a variety of reasons students are simply not ready to make the commitment their faith and receive this sacrament. While we strongly encourage you to sit down and discuss the issue with the Pastor or DRE before making a final decision, you should know that we will ultimately respect students’ right to choose not to be confirmed.

     Parents should know that when a student chooses not to be confirmed it is not necessarily because he or she is rejecting God or the church or even you and your faith. Often students choose not to be confirmed because they are still sincerely seeking and feel that they have not yet found the perfect home along their journey towards God.  

     Students should know that whether or not they are ready to be confirmed they are welcome to attend classes with their peers, ask questions and strive towards a deeper understanding of our faith. If they make the decision to delay Confirmation it is important for them to know that this was not a once in a lifetime opportunity. The doors of the church are always be open and they still may participate in the life of the church even if they are not confirmed.