2024 Confirmation:
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: St. Christopher the Martyr Church
Celebrant: Abbot Justin Brown
2024 Confirmation Dues:
$50.00/per child. Please use online payment portal via website.
2024 Confirmation Schedule: (SOME DATES TBD)
August 30, 2023, 6:30 PM - General Meeting
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
Candidate & at least one parent must attend
September 12, 2023, 6:30 PM - 1st Candidate Prep Class
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
October 11, 2023, 6:30 PM - 2nd Candidate Prep Class
***Place: St. Christopher School Cafeteria***
November 8, 2023, 6:30 PM - 3rd Candidate Prep Class
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
December 13, 2023, 6:30 PM - 4th Candidate Prep Class
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
January 10, 2024, 6:30 PM - 5th Candidate Prep Class
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
February 2024 - Confirmation Retreat (TBD)
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
February 21, 2024, 6:30 PM - 6th Candidate Prep Class
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
March 13, 2024, 6:30 PM - 7th Candidate Prep Class
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
March 28, 2024, 8:00 PM - Candidates attend Holy Thursday Services
Place: St. Christopher the Martyr Church
(If out of town, candidate should attend Holy Thursday Services and bring back a bulletin from that church to Vance Ott, Confirmation Coordinator, at the next meeting.)
April 2024 - Candidate Interviews w/Clergy (TBD)
Place: St. Christopher Rectory/Parish Office, 309 Manson Ave., Metairie, LA 70001, Ph: 504-837-8214
April 10, 2024, 6:30 PM - 8th "Last" Candidate Prep Class prior to Confirmation
Place: St. Christopher Parish Center
May 5, 2024, 6:00 PM - Confirmation Rehearsal
Place: St. Christopher the Martyr Church
Candidate, sponsor, and at least one parent must attend.
May 7, 2024, 7:00 PM - Sacrament of Confirmation
Place: St. Christopher the Martyr Church
Celebrant: Abbot Justin Brown
Candidates only, will meet in the Parish Center no later than 6:30 PM for a group picture and for line up to process into Church.
- All prep classes are to be held in the St. Christopher Parish Center, 3924 Derbigny St., Metairie, LA 70001 (located on the corner of Manson Ave. & Derbigny St.), unless instructed otherwise.
- Meeting dates are subject to change due to weather, unforeseen circumstances, etc. Please note that this is a tentative schedule. Any changes will be communicated to the candidates.
- It is the candidate's responsibility to stay up to date with assignments & any changes regarding the schedule. Any and all changes/announcements will be relayed via one or more of the avenues of communication: church Facebook page, pulpit announcements during weekend Mass, church bulletin, or group email.
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:
“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]
Links for the Candidates:
2023-2024 Confirmation Packet
Documents to be Submitted when Assigned:
Choosing a Name for Confirmation
Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor
Letter to Confirmation Sponsor
Confirmation Service Projects
Candidate Service Project Proposal and Record
In Search of Me
Parents' Evaluation of Child's Readiness for the Reception of Confirmation
Self-Evaluation of Candidate for Confirmation
Parent Consent Form and Liability Waiver
Links for the Formation Team:
Confirmation Candidate Attendance Record
Confirmation Candidate Evaluation
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.