To be confirmed in the Catholic Church is to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and to continue living in accordance with the faith. Confirmation is integrally related to Baptism and the Eucharist, as all three of these sacraments symbolize initiation within the Catholic Church.

After Baptism, Catholics first receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist during First Communion, bringing them one step closer to perfect union with Jesus Christ—and one step closer to the Sacrament of Confirmation. The sacrament is called Confirmation because it confirms the faith given to an individual during Baptism.

There are 51 million baptized Catholics in the United States today, according to Pew Research Center. Confirmation enables these members of the Church to confirm the promises made on their behalf at Baptism, and to promise to continue serving God into adulthood.

We are all called to be saints! Saints are ordinary people who relied on the Holy Spirit and who try to live like Jesus; they were men, women, children, teenagers, married couples, single people, and both religious and laypeople, from all over the world. We look to the saints in the Church for inspiration, they’re our Catholic heroes and heroines who show us what it looks like to love Jesus. From Heaven, the Saints continue to pray for the Church on Earth. The Church has a tradition of honoring the saints in many different ways. One way we honor the saints during Confirmation is to choose a saint to inspire us, guide us, and pray for us. 

If your baptismal first or middle name is that of a recognized saint in the church, you can choose to stay with that name during the Confirmation process. You may also choose to pick a saint’s name that symbolizes a new beginning in your faith life. You may take on the name of a saint as your new name to symbolize your journey in faith. If you choose to take on a new name, you do so because the name symbolizes something about you, your passions, and who you strive to be as a holy person. Here are some examples of candidates who choose to take on a new name because it represented something about them or a cause they believe in: 

• Someone who has struggled with eyesight and the threat of blindness chose St. Lucy because she is the patron saint of blindness and light in the darkness. She asks for the intercessory prayers of St. Lucy with her struggle with eyesight. 

• Someone who lost their grandmother to breast cancer chose St. Agatha because she is the patron saint of breast cancer. 

• Someone who struggles to find moments of peace chooses St. Leo the great because he is the patron for peacemakers. This person looks to St. Leo for inspiration in times when he struggles.

• Someone who hopes to one day is a surgeon chose St. Luke because he is the patron of surgeons and doctors. 

These examples show that these people intentionally chose the saint because of the example of their life and because they want to develop a prayerful relationship with them. Rather than choosing a name because of the way it sounds, or how it fits with your current name, choose a name because it has significance and because the saint you are choosing to honor provides you with inspiration. 

Don’t be afraid to choose an uncommon saint. There are so many saints with fascinating histories who fought for righteous causes! There are many saints who are young and connected to youth. Take a look at the following resources when choosing a saint. 

You can choose a female name if you are a male and vice versa. You also can choose a Blessed.

• WIKI List of patron saints by occupation and activity
• Lifeteen- Big List of Confirmation Saints
• WWW.mentalfloss.com
• 15 Uncommon Saints

Choosing a sponsor is one of the major decisions a candidate makes during their journey to Confirmation! At baptism, our parents chose two people to guide us in faith, but during confirmation, it is the candidates’ turn to choose an adult that will journey with them. A sponsor is a special person chosen by the candidate to confirm that they are ready to be fully initiated in the Catholic faith. 

• Must be at least 16 years of age.
• Must be a baptized & confirmed Catholic who actively practices the faith by living a Catholic life and attending Mass regularly. 
• Parents are not permitted to be sponsors for their own children, however, candidates may choose to ask other family members such as godparents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends, or members of the parish community. 
• Sponsors do not need to be of the same gender as the candidate. 
• We prefer for one sponsor to be chosen, however, there are some culture’s traditions that have two sponsors, if this is the case, one sponsor will be chosen officially “on paper” for the sacramental registry, but both can stand with the candidate. 
• If the person who is preferred to be the sponsor lives far away or can not attend for any reason, the candidate may still pick this person as their “official sponsor” but will also need to pick someone as a proxy to stand in their place, however, this person should be a part of your life.
• Sponsors can not be living contrary to Church teaching. They can not be divorced & remarried (just divorced is not an issue.) If they are married, their marriage must be recognized by the Catholic Church. 

• Demonstrate to candidates that they firmly believe in Jesus Christ and try their best to live according to the Gospel. They must demonstrate their commitment to Christ by their regular participation at Mass.
• Sponsors should make themselves available for the interview between the Office of Youth Ministry and the candidate. (do not worry if your sponsor does not speak English, we just want to see them present in your life!)