Confirmation
Sacrament of Confirmation
Although, in the West, Confirmation is usually received as a teenager, several years after making First Communion, the Catholic Church considers it the second of the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism being the first and Communion the third). Confirmation is regarded as the perfection of Baptism, because, as the introduction to the Rite of Confirmation states: “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”
In the Archdiocese of Washington the sacrament of Confirmation is normally received by students during the spring of their eighth-grade year. Preparation for Confirmation at St. Joseph’s is a two year process, begun in seventh grade and is conducted by our Office of Christian Formation independently of religious education classes at the parish and school.
We also offer a basic preparation program for adult Catholics who have not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please call the office (301-609-4670) for details.