It is with great excitement and joy that we share this Confirmation White Paper, which is a belief-statement about the Sacrament of Confirmation, written collaboratively by:

The Office of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministries

The Office of Worship

The Department of Catechetical Services

The Catholic Schools Office

This belief statement calls those who journey with the young church to intentionally engage in their roles of shaping, inspiring, and animating youth into their role as disciples of Jesus Christ.  Parents/families, confirmation preparation teams, and the parish community are ALL charged with providing environments for catechesis that awaken and empower the Young Church to be the “MORE” in the world today. 

It is our goal that after prayerfully reading this belief statement you identify your role in shaping youth as they gain a fuller understanding of our Catholic faith, committing to participating in the life of the church. 

Click here to prayerfully read the Confirmation White paper in English or in Spanish.

Click here to read through frequently asked questions answered by the Diocese.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is the final sacrament of initiation wherein the candidate is anointed by the bishop and therefore receives a special call to serve Christ in closer unity with Him. The faith given in baptism is confirmed and deepened as the Holy Spirit pours over the recipient just as happened to the apostles at Pentecost.

Confirmed Catholics are strengthened and equipped for their spiritual life with the fruit of the Holy Spirit: charity, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. In addition, the confirmed soul is enriched with graces known as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (awe and wonder) By these the confirmed candidate is empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as a disciple of Christ in the world today & standing up for what the Church teaches.

It is NOT Graduation from the Church, going to Mass, Life Teen, etc. It's a time of TRANSFORMATION.

It is not becoming a part of the Church; you are already part of the Church. That happened at Baptism!

You are not becoming an adult in the Church. You are still a teenager & you have a unique role in the Church.

Confirmation at St. Paul’s is a two year preparation program. The Confirmation candidate is required to actively participate in the youth ministry program through our weekly ministry nights, retreats, and service projects.
Here at St. Paul’s we use LifeTeen’s newest recourse for our confirmation preparation. Purpose is a transformative experience that won’t simply prepare youth for the Sacrament of Confirmation- it will empower them to become lifelong disciples and evangelists in a world that is desperately seeking a purpose that can only be found in Christ.