Confirmation “celebrates the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a baptized person, completing and strengthening the grace given by the Spirit in Baptism,” states Celebrating the Sacraments from Saint Mary’s Press. “Like Baptism, Confirmation imparts a permanent character or seal in the person, marking him or her as belonging totally to Christ and as united to the church.”

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “Confirmation, together with Baptism and Eucharist, form the Sacraments of Initiation that are all intimately connected. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized person is ‘sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit’ and is strengthened for service to the Body of Christ. … The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John.”

At St. Mary’s, full initiation through the Sacrament of Confirmation is generally celebrated in eighth grade with those in PACT?Religious Education or Catholic school. For more information contact Dr. Bill Mascitello at  201-384-0557 Extension 20 or e-mail bill@stmarystdumont.org.

Adults interested in Confirmation for themselves, e-mail Kathy Sylvester at kathy@stmarysdumont.org.