Confirmation
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. (John 6:27)
Confirmation at St. Hugo (8th grade)
Preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation takes place concurrently with the 8th grade level curriculum in both the after school Religious Education Program and in St. Hugo School.
Adult Confirmation
Throughout the year, Confirmation preparation sessions are offered to welcome baptized Catholic high school students, young adults, and adults as they prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with joy and confidence.
Confirmation may be received at different times throughout the year. At St. Hugo of the Hills, this may include the Easter Vigil or the parish celebration of Confirmation for our Religious Education Program. Candidates may also participate in Confirmation celebrations at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on the Feast of Christ the King Sunday in November or on Pentecost Sunday in the spring. The Archdiocese of Detroit encourages high school students, young adults, and adults to participate in their parish celebration whenever possible. When that is not possible, candidates are warmly welcome to participate in the Cathedral's Confirmation ceremonies.
The path to Confirmation is a simple three step process, and we are grateful to accompany you each step of the way:
1. Begin by sharing where you are on your faith journey. Those who have been baptized and have received First Communion in the Catholic Church are ready to begin Confirmation preparation. If you have not yet received these sacraments, we would be happy to help you take the next welcoming step through our OCIA program.
2. Join us for three Confirmation preparation sessions on dates and times to be determined by personal schedules and availability. These sessions are meant to help each candidate grow in faith, ask questions, and feel prepared to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. At the first session, please bring a recent copy of your Baptismal Certificate with notations. You may request this from the church where you were baptized and ask for a new Baptismal Certificate with notations issued within the past six months. You will also be invited to choose a Confirmation sponsor who can encourage and support you in faith. A sponsor must be over sixteen years of age, be a practicing Catholic who has received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, and not be the father or mother of the person to be confirmed (cf. CCC 874). Canon Law further states: "It is desirable that the one who undertook the role of sponsor at Baptism be sponsor for Confirmation" (CCC 893).
3. When you feel ready, choose the date on which you would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. We will be glad to help you prepare for that day with prayer, encouragement, and the information you need.
Life is filled with invitations! Sometimes these invitations can lead us to unexpected and grace filled experiences. We offer you an invitation that can lead someone you know to a life of peace, faith, and hope. Everyone is welcome!
The OCIA program warmly welcomes any high school student, young adult, or adult who is:
· Unbaptized and recognizing a desire for spirituality in his or her life
· Baptized and raised in another Christian tradition but interested in learning about the Catholic faith
· Baptized in the Catholic faith but did not receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation
· Baptized in the Catholic faith or another Christian faith tradition but never received any formal religious training
· Fully initiated young adult and adult Catholic parishioners of St. Hugo of the Hills who wish to experience a renewal of the faith they professed and received during their youth.
People often respond to a personal invitation from someone they know and trust. As active Catholics, we are called to invite others to share faith in Christ. Consider inviting a family member, co-worker, neighbor, or friend to discover the Catholic Church through the OCIA program.
The OCIA Program at St. Hugo of the Hills Parish may begin at any time a person is ready.
Come and join us on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings. On Sundays, we attend the first part of the 10:00 a.m. Mass, then we are dismissed after the homily for a formation session. On Wednesday evenings, we gather at 6:30 p.m.
For further information, please contact the Parish Office by calling 248-644-5460 or email Deacon Chris Stark at christopher.stark@sthugo.org.
At confirmation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and confirm our baptismal promises. Greater awareness of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conferred through the anointing of chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop.
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds. (CCC 1316)
Through the Sacrament of Confirmation we renew our baptismal promises and commit to living a life of maturity in the Christian faith. As we read in the Lumen Gentium (the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church) from the Second Vatican Council:
Bound more intimately to the Church by the sacrament of confirmation, [the baptized] are endowed by the Holy Spirit with special strength; hence they are more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith both by word and by deed as true witnesses of Christ. (no. 11)
Scriptural Foundation for Confirmation
In the Acts of the Apostles we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. While baptism is the sacrament of new life, confirmation gives birth to that life. Baptism initiates us into the Church and names us as children of God, whereas confirmation calls us forth as God’s children and unites us more fully to the active messianic mission of Christ in the world.
After receiving the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Apostles went out and confirmed others, showing confirmation to be an individual and separate sacrament: Peter and John at Samaria (Acts 8:5-6, 14-17) and Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19:5-6). Also the Holy Spirit came down on Jews and Gentiles alike in Caesarea, prior to their baptisms. Recognizing this as a confirmation by the Holy Spirit, Peter commanded that they be baptized (cf. Acts 10:47).
