What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?
“The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that God’s Spirit would rest upon the Messiah to sustain his mission. Their prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus the Messiah was conceived by the Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus on the occasion of his baptism by John. Jesus’ entire mission occurred in communion with the Spirit. Before he died, Jesus promised that the Spirit would be given to the Apostles and to the entire Church. After his death, he was raised by the Father in the power of the Spirit. Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. . . . We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.” (USCCB)
The Sacrament of Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. Through Confirmation, our personal relationship with Christ is strengthened. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.
The Holy Spirit bestows seven gifts—wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, piety, and fear of the Lord—to assist us in our mission and witness. The impact of these gifts accompanies us in the various stages of our spiritual development.
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation
At St. Jude, youth in 8th grade prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, which typically takes place at the cathedral in the spring. Confirmation prep for students who do not attend ASA occurs during our Sunday night religious education classes beginning in September. Please contact the parish office to register.
Please note, even if your child attends ASA, Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation is the responsibility of the individual parishes. Therefore, all children in eighth grade who are eligible for Confirmation, even those who attend ASA, need to go through our Confirmation Prep program. Our Confirmation prep for ASA students occurs during the lunch/recess hour during the ASA school day a couple times a month. The classes are facilitated by St. Jude’s Youth Minister. Please contact the parish office to register.
If you are a baptized Catholic aged 15 or above but never received Confirmation, we would like to invite you to join OCIA to prepare for Confirmation by the bishop in the spring. Please visit our OCIA page for more information.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Marty Smith at msmith@stjudes.net.
Requirements for the Reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation
- Children must attend weekly Faith Formation classes or attend All Saints Academy.
- Children should be at least in the 8th grade and have reached the age of 13.
- Children must attend Sunday Mass weekly.
- Service hours or service project.
- Saint paper.
- Parental involvement at home, attendance at meetings and scheduled special events are essential.
Required Documents
Complete the Sacrament Registration Form.
Baptismal Certificate. If your child was not baptized at St. Jude, parents must provide a copy of your child’s baptismal certificate to the parish office. Please contact us with any questions at msmith@stjudes.net. If your child has NOT been baptized, please reach out to us ASAP.
Helpful Information
Parents are the primary educators of their children in all aspects of life, including faith. Whether you send your kids to ASA or to our Religious Education classes at St. Jude, what they learn at school or in class will have a much better chance of lasting if it’s also being lived at home. Check out this Parenting Tips document for some simple steps every family can take to make our Catholic faith come alive at home.
FORMED has lots of resources that can help us grow in faith and understanding. All of the videos to the right are on FORMED. If you don’t have a free subscription to FORMED, click here to find out how to get one. Normally there is a cost for this, but St. Jude pays an annual subscription so our parishioners can enjoy free access.
2025-2026 Important Dates
January 11, 2026 – Sponsor meeting at 4:30pm in the Brophy Center
March 8, 2026 – Retreat at St. Jude. Begins with Mass at 10:30am. Ends at 5:00pm
- Only students attend the full retreat.
- Parent/Sponsor meetings will occur during the retreat at 3:15pm.
- Adoration will be available for everyone following the parent/sponsor meetings.
- Confession for the students will be available during Adoration.
March 11, 2026 – Confirmation at the Cathedral at 7:00pm.
Preparing at Home
We have selected videos from FORMED to help you prepare at home. The parish has paid for your subscription to FORMED, so please take advantage of this great resource! Find out how to set up your account here. Below is a suggested schedule to help your entire family prepare for these important Sacraments.
September
Sent by the Spirit – Episode 1: Who is the Holy Spirit?
October
Sent By The Spirit – Episode 2: The Grace of Pentecost
Sent By The Spirit – Episode 3: The Rite of Confirmation
November
Symbolon: The Sacraments: Baptism & Confirmation
The Misunderstood Sacrament | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 1
December
The Grace of Pentecost | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 2
The Sacrament of Evangelization | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 3
January
The Rite of Confirmation | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 4
The Completion of Baptism | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 5
February
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 6
The Sacrament of Martyrdom| Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 7
March
The Timing of Confirmation | Lectio: Confirmation | Episode 8