Confirmation

Welcome

Confirmation is one of the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. This sacrament deepens our baptismal life, and 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 The videos below should answer questions you may have about Confirmation for either yourself or your child. If you are an adult and have not yet been confirmed, send an e-mail to stmarysbr@archtoronto.org expressing your desire to receive the Sacrament. Letters are sent home with children in our family of Catholic schools, who are of the age to receive the Sacrament, those in Grade 7 and Grade 8. Announcements are made after all the Masses, and information is posted on our website, beginning in August, to remind parents of the upcoming registration. If the registration deadline is missed, your child will be able to receive the Sacrament the
following year.

What is Confirmation?

The sacrament of confirmation confers special graces of the Holy Spirit upon the person being confirmed, just as such graces were granted to the Apostles on Pentecost. Like Baptism, therefore, it can be performed only once, and Confirmation increases and deepens all of the graces granted at Baptism. Just as bodies and minds grow, Catholics believe that the soul also needs to grow in the life of grace. The sacrament of Confirmation builds on the sacraments of Baptism, Penance, and Holy Communion, completing the process of initiation into the Catholic community. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist form a unity, it follows that "the faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time" for without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian initiation remains incomplete. (CCC)

Who can be confirmed?

Anyone who has been baptized Catholic can be confirmed. At St Mary’s, students in Grade 7 or older can be confirmed. If you are over the age of sixteen and missed the Remote Preparation offered to students you can still be confirmed. You can register for the Adult Confirmation program by sending your request to: stmarysbr@archtoronto.org. You need to be a member of the parish or be within the geographical boundaries of the parish. If you are not a member, and not within the boundaries please contact the Archdiocese of Toronto to find the parish closest to you.

Who can be a Sponsor?

A sponsor is a person who encourages and assists a candidate to embrace and actively practise the Catholic faith both before and after Confirmation. The primary responsibility of the sponsor is to provide the candidate prayerful support and guidance in his or her Christian walk. The sponsor also presents the candidate to the Bishop (or his delegate) at the celebration of Confirmation. 

Ideally, you should choose one of your godparents from Baptism, provided he/she meets the guidelines. Choosing your Baptism godparent emphasizes the unity of the two Sacraments, Baptism and Confirmation.

If it is not possible to choose a godparent, then you might ask somebody else whom you view as an example of a committed, practising Catholic. This could be: a grandparent, aunt or uncle, family friend, parent of one of your friends, a teacher. The requirements of the Catholic Church say that a
sponsor:
 May be either a man or a woman. (A sponsor does not have to be of the same sex as the candidate)

 Is a person who regularly attends Sunday Mass and celebrates the Sacraments.

 Must be a fully initiated Roman Catholic. (Baptized, Confirmed and has made First Communion)

 Must be at least sixteen years old.

 May not be the parent of the candidate.

I would like my Godparent to be my sponsor but they live to far away to be present.
It is possible to have a sponsor who cannot be physically present. They will be your designated sponsor, and on the day of the Confirmation celebration, a person will physically stand in for them. This person can be a member of your family or a family friend.

I cannot find a sponsor that meets the requirements to be one.
Let the Preparation team know that this is an issue for you and they will help you to find a sponsor in the Parish community.

Our Catholic schools do what they can to prepare our children for the Sacraments of First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation. This preparation is called the Remote Preparation program. Each parish decides how they are going to add to that, which we call the Immediate Preparation program. We place a lot of importance on the immediate preparation program, because we want to ensure that you and your children fully understand what is being received in the Sacrament.

We hope that during the immediate preparation program, you and your children will benefit from and be spiritually enriched through the process. Through God’s grace, we trust that you will be able to come closer to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church that He has founded.

Why must I submit a Baptism certificate?

Only someone who is baptised Roman Catholic or who has been received into the Roman Catholic Church may receive the Eucharist. The parish is responsible for verifying this by collecting Baptism Certificates or Certificates of Reception from the parents of the children preparing for First Communion

Who is a Parishioner

Each Catholic parish has geographical boundaries. The Pastor of the parish is responsible for the souls within that boundary, whether they attend Mass or not. You are automatically a parishioner if you live within the boundaries. That is the parish where you can request the Sacraments – Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage and Funeral. 

You can also be a parishioner if you are outside of the boundaries but you have made St Mary’s the parish where you come for Mass every Sunday. You are a parishioner by participation.

What does it mean to ‘register’ at a Parish?
When you complete a Registration Form, provided by the parish office, you are registered as a Parishioner.

Why should I register as a Parishioner?
The process of registration provides the parish with your contact information. It also allows the administration staff to provide an annual tax receipt of your charitable donations.

Do I just register myself or my whole family?
If your whole family in your household participates in Mass with you, it is a good idea to add all their names. If your spouse is not Catholic, or does not attend Mass, and if some of your children no longer attend Mass, you may decide not to include them in your registration.

How do I register as a Parishioner?
You can e-mail the Parish office at stmarysbr@archtoronto.org and a staff member will forward you a Registration form, which you can then e-mail back.