Hello, Everyone.

First, thank you to all who attended the retreat this weekend.  Everyone participated in and contributed to the discussions.  If anyone did not deliver their letter of intent at the Mass, please be sure to deliver your letter to the rectory this week.

Second, for those who could not attend because of COVID issues, please read the attached article and bring written answers to the following questions to our next meeting in January.  The questions to be answered are, as to each gift:
1.  What does the gift do for us?
2.  What does the gift bring to perfection in us?
3.  How can we use this gift in our life?

Thanks,
Vance Ott

Confirmation at St. Christopher the Martyr Church will be celebrated by Bishop Fernand J. Cheri, OFM, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at 7 p.m.

Young adults who desire to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation must complete our registration process and be accepted into our program.  They will participate in a one-year process of formation that includes prayer, study, and service to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Some aspects of this process will include parental and/or sponsor attendance.

  Note:  Acceptance into the Confirmation program presumes that the student has had ongoing religious education and Mass attendance.  If not, completion of supplemental formation and material will be required.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost.  Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace, as it:

• roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, “Abba!  Father!”
• unites us more firmly to Christ
• increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
• renders our bond with the Church more perfect
• gives us a special strength from the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross

“The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words:  ‘Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti’ [Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit].”  In the rite of Confirmation, the sign of anointing signifies and imprints a spiritual seal.

Anointing, in Biblical and other ancient symbolism, is rich in meaning:  oil is a sign of abundance and joy; it cleanses (anointing before and after a bath) and limbers (the anointing of athletes and wrestlers); oil is a sign of healing since it is soothing to bruises and wounds; and it makes radiant with beauty, health, and strength.  Anointing with oil has all these meanings in the sacramental life. The prebaptismal anointing with the oil of catechumens signifies cleansing and strengthening; the anointing of the sick expresses healing and comfort.  The postbaptismal anointing with sacred chrism in Confirmation and ordination is the sign of consecration.  By Confirmation, Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which He is filled, so that their lives may give off “the aroma of Christ.”

When baptized Catholics receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, they receive the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God’s presence.  Confirmation should be treasured as a gift, for through it, each person is marked with a sign as the Lord confirms them and places His pledge, the Spirit, in their hearts.

Like Baptism, which it completes, Confirmation is given only once, for it too imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the “character,” which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of His Spirit by clothing him with power from on high so that he may be His witness. This “character” perfects the common priesthood of the faithful, received in Baptism, and “the confirmed person receives the power to profess faith in Christ publicly and as it were officially (quasi ex officio).”
            [Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church Articles 1293 – 1305]

For information and details about the CCD formation and preparation program to prepare children for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation, please e-mail, call, or text Mr. Vance Ott at 454-1744.

Adults new to the Catholic faith who would like to become a Catholic must engage in the process known as "RCIA," the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults."  This gradual adult initiation program is one of spiritual formation that includes prayer, sharing, and study and occurs in the context of the parish community.  For further details, please see the RCIA page under Faith Formation.