From the early days of the Church, while priests and deacons were authorized to baptize, the bishop retained to himself the right to complete the rite of initiation with anointing. In this completion of baptism, we recognize in a special way the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives through anointing with the Sacred Chrism, a mixture of olive oil and perfume blessed each year in the cathedral by the Archbishop during Holy Week. Today we continue this tradition, inviting young people of our church to celebrate this sacrament with the bishop here at St. Brendan. Adults who have not yet been confirmed are invited to participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) or to be confirmed in a regional celebration each year during Easter time with the regional bishop.
For young people, confirmation is generally celebrated at St. Brendan each year during the Easter Season with a visit by the bishop. Preparation for confirmation is a two-year process that involves learning, prayer, spiritual growth, social justice projects and community-building experiences. To learn more about the process, please contact the parish office.
For adults, those who were baptized in the Catholic tradition and have received their first communion would generally be confirmed by the pastor during the Easter Vigil as part of the RCIA process. To learn more about how you can receive this sacrament, contact the parish office.