Confirmation
YOUTH CONFIRMATION
Youth Confirmation is for children who are seeking to be Confirmed. This is a process of preparing to receive the Holy Spirit by discovering God in new ways— especially by serving others, learning about our faith, growing in community, exploring new ways of prayer, and working for justice. We now host Confirmation every year.
For 2025-26, Confirmation will be held for students in grades 6-9, and they will be Confirmed in the spring (Apr-June, exact date TBD) 2026.
For those interested in Adult Confirmation or OCIA (formerly RCIA), click here to learn more.
An Important Letter about Changes to Confirmation:
September 4, 2025
Dear CCSB Families,
Beginning this year, we will be lowering the age for the sacramental preparation process and celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. This decision comes in response to updated guidelines from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which encourage all parishes to align with the Church’s longstanding tradition of administering the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist—in a closer sequence. This shift brings us into deeper unity with the broader Church and reflects a renewed commitment to nurturing the faith of our young people from an earlier age.
This is also a wonderful opportunity for families to grow together in faith. Parents and guardians play a vital role in preparing their children for Confirmation, and this transition provides a meaningful time for families to engage in deeper conversations about faith, prayer, and the mission of the Church. We are hopeful that this change will enrich the spiritual lives of our young people and our entire parish community.
The following timeline shows the gradual progression of our parish’s offerings for sacramental preparation for Confirmation:
Year Grade Level Receiving Confirmation
2025–2026 Grades 6, 7, 8
2026–2027 Grades 4, 5, 6
2027–2028 Grade 4
Beginning with the 2027-28 Formation Year, Confirmation will be offered each year in Grade 4 of Religious Education, in a manner similar to our First Reconciliation and First Communion Preparation programs.
Regarding this year’s program of formation for Grades 6, 7, and 8: sessions for Confirmation will take place in Holy Cross Hall, 6:15-7:30PM, on the 4th Sunday each Month. Confirmation families are encouraged to attend the 5PM Sunday evening Mass.
October 26
November 23
December 28 No Session
January 25
February 22
March 22 – retreat day from 1-6PM; no evening session
April 26
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated at one of our parish Masses in late Spring, depending on the schedule of the bishop who will be confirming.
FAQs
“Isn’t Confirmation about becoming an adult in the Church?”
Confirmation is not about becoming an adult in the Church, but about strengthening the grace of Baptism and receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live out the faith more fully. While it may coincide with adolescence, the sacrament is primarily about spiritual empowerment, not a marker of adulthood. Our focus in the celebration of any sacrament is not so much about what we are doing, but about what God is accomplishing. Moreover, Confirmation does not represent the end of our progress in spiritual learning or growth; it is an initiation, a beginning on the journey of discipleship.
One of the primary reasons for the change is to allow the grace of the Holy Spirit, received through Confirmation, to strengthen our youth at a crucial stage in their faith journey. Rather than waiting until high school, younger parishioners will be empowered to live out their Catholic faith more fully and confidently during their formative middle school years.
"What if my child is in high school but hasn’t been Confirmed?"
CCSB will offer an additional opportunity for sacramental formation this year for our registered parish families with high school children through a high school peer ministry component, concurrent with the dates and times above. If your child is currently in high school and has not been confirmed, please still register using the signup link below. This will be the only year that our parish will be able to offer Confirmation preparation at the high school level. Anyone still desiring to be Confirmed would eventually be invited to participate in the adult Confirmation programs/celebrations offered by the Archdiocese.
"What about middle school youth group?"
Middle school youth group will continue to be offered on the second Sunday of each month, 6:15PM in Good Counsel Hall. Youth group activities are geared towards fellowship and service-learning. Participation in middle school youth group activities will not count towards fulfilling requirements for preparation for Confirmation.
"How will parents/sponsors be asked to participate?"
Parents are an essential part of the formation process for all sacraments offered for our youth. We will invite the Confirmation candidates to interview parents and sponsors about their own sacramental journey, and provide take-home discussion questions. Parents and sponsors are asked to attend the final session of Confirmation preparation on April 26, and all families are strongly encouraged to take an active part in the regular sacramental opportunities offered at our parish.
Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to the spiritual formation of our children.
In Christ,
Fr. Kevin
In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the promises of baptism are made whole. As one of the sacraments of initiation, Confirmation is intended to draw the faithful into deeper communion with God and His Church. The anointing with sacred chrism recalls the anointing of each Christian after their baptism as "priest, prophet, and king." When the bishop speaks the words "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit" as he anoints the forehead with oil, his actions both symbolize and actually confer a spiritual seal. This seal, or mark, constitutes an outpouring of God's grace through the Divine action of the Holy Spirit.
In Confirmation, we are united with Christ as God's children and with the Church as His body here on earth. The gifts of the Holy Spirit–present within us as a result of our baptism–are strengthened and perfected, enabling the confirmed Christian to live a life worthy of the Gospel.