Important Information

The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It strengthens and deepens the grace received at Baptism and completes a person’s initiation into the Catholic faith. Through Confirmation, a person receives a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who gives them the strength and courage to live as a faithful Christian.

During the sacrament, the bishop or priest anoints the person’s forehead with sacred chrism and says, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” This anointing represents being strengthened and marked as a follower of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives the confirmed person gifts such as wisdom, understanding, courage, knowledge, and reverence for God.

Confirmation calls Catholics to take a more active role in their faith and to share the message of Jesus with others. It reminds them that they are members of the Church and are called to serve God and their community. Overall, Confirmation is a sacrament of spiritual strengthening, commitment, and receiving the Holy Spirit.

Choosing a saint for Confirmation is more than choosing a name you like. It is an opportunity to ask: What kind of disciple is God calling me to become?

Your Confirmation saint can become a spiritual friend, role model, and intercessor whom you turn to throughout your life.

Step 1: Begin with Prayer

Before researching saints, take some quiet time to pray.

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you:

Come, Holy Spirit. Help me to know Jesus more deeply and to recognize the saint who can inspire me to live my faith. Show me the gifts and virtues You are calling me to develop. Amen.

Spend a few minutes in silence. Don't worry about choosing a name yet. Simply ask God to guide your decision.

Step 2: Look at Your Own Life

Take some time to reflect honestly on who you are.

Write down your answers:

My strengths:

• What am I good at?

• What gifts has God given me?

• How do I help other people?

My struggles:

• What do I find difficult?

• What virtues do I need to grow in?

• Where do I need God's help?

My interests:

• What people, activities, causes, or subjects am I passionate about?

• What kind of person do I admire?

My faith:

• What part of following Jesus is easiest for me?

• What part is hardest?

• What do I hope will change in my relationship with God through Confirmation?

Step 3: Explore the Saint

Don't just look for the saint with the coolest story or the one whose name sounds best. Look for someone whose life, faith, struggles, and virtues speak to you.

Consider saints who:

• lived through struggles similar to yours

• demonstrated a virtue you want to develop

• served people in a way that inspires you

• had a strong relationship with Jesus

• courageously lived their faith

• used their particular gifts to serve God

• remind you of the kind of Christian you want to become

Choose 3–5 saints to investigate more deeply.

For each saint, learn:

1. Who was this person?

2. What was their life like?

3. What challenges did they face?

4. How did they respond to God?

5. What virtues did they demonstrate?

6. What can I learn from them?

7. Why might I want this saint as my Confirmation patron?

Step 4: Meet the Saints Personally

Choose your top three saints and spend several days getting to know each one.

Read about their lives. Look at their prayers or writings, if available. Learn about their relationship with Jesus.

Then ask:

Saint #1

What attracts me to this saint?

What virtue do I see in this saint that I want to develop?

What part of this saint's life challenges me?

What could this saint teach me about following Jesus?

Can I imagine asking this saint to pray for me throughout my life?

Repeat these questions for Saints #2 and #3.

Step 5: Pray for Discernment

Once you have learned about your finalists, stop researching for a little while.

Spend time praying.

You might say:

Holy Spirit, guide me as I choose my Confirmation saint. Help me to look beyond a name and to recognize the person whose example can help me become more like Christ. Give me wisdom, peace, and an open heart. Help me choose a saint whose life will continue to inspire me long after Confirmation Day. Amen.

Then sit quietly.

You don't need a miraculous sign or a dramatic feeling. Discernment can be simple. Pay attention to what you have learned, what draws you toward a particular saint, and which saint's example genuinely challenges you to grow.

Step 6: Ask Yourself the Most Important Question

Now ask: “Why do I want this saint to accompany me on my journey of faith?”

Complete this sentence:

I am choosing Saint __________ because ____________________________.

Your answer should be deeper than:

• “I like the name.”

• “My friend chose them.”

• “They are famous.”

• “They have the same birthday as me.”

Instead, look for an answer such as:

“I am choosing Saint ______ because they showed courage when their faith was difficult, and I want to become more courageous in living my faith.”

or:

“I am choosing Saint ______ because they cared deeply for people who were overlooked, and I want to learn to see and serve people the way Jesus did.”

Step 7: Consider the Virtue You Want to Carry Forward

Your Confirmation saint can represent a particular virtue or quality you want to grow in.

Ask: What is one virtue I especially want to develop?

Examples:

• Courage

• Faith

• Hope

• Charity

• Patience

• Humility

• Forgiveness

• Compassion

• Wisdom

• Perseverance

• Purity

• Generosity

• Justice

• Joy

• Trust in God

Write:

The virtue I most want to develop is __________ because __________.

Then ask:

How did my chosen saint demonstrate this virtue?

Step 8: Make Your Choice

After prayer and reflection, choose your saint.

Remember: You are not choosing a saint because you are already like them. You are choosing someone who can help you become more like Christ.

Your saint does not have to be perfect in the worldly sense. Saints had weaknesses, failures, questions, and difficult circumstances. What makes them saints is the way they responded to God's grace.

Once you have made your choice, pray:

Saint __________, pray for me. Help me to follow Jesus faithfully. Teach me to use my gifts for God and for others. Help me to grow in __________ and to live my Catholic faith with courage and love. Pray for me as I receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and throughout my life. Amen.

My Confirmation Saint

My saint's name: ______________________________

My saint was:

One thing I admire about this saint:

A challenge this saint faced:

A virtue this saint demonstrated:

The virtue I want to develop:

One thing this saint can teach me about following Jesus:

Why I chose this saint:

My Confirmation Commitment

Because I have chosen Saint __________________ as my Confirmation saint, I want to grow in the virtue of __________________.

One specific way I will try to live this out is: Saint __________________, pray for me!

COMING SOON!

Choosing a Confirmation sponsor is more than choosing a relative, friend, or someone you admire. A sponsor is someone who can walk with you in faith, pray for you, encourage you, and help you continue growing as a disciple of Christ.

1. Begin with prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance.

Come, Holy Spirit. Help me choose a sponsor who will encourage me to grow closer to Jesus, live my faith with courage, and remind me of God's presence in my life. Give me wisdom and peace as I discern. Amen.

2. Reflect on your own faith journey

Ask yourself:

• Where am I in my relationship with God right now?

• How do I hope to grow after Confirmation?

• What challenges might I face in living out my faith?

• What kind of encouragement or example would help me?

3. Make a list of possible sponsors

Think of people in your life who are mature in their faith. They might be a godparent, family member, teacher, parishioner, mentor, or trusted family friend.

Remember: the best sponsor is not necessarily the person you are closest to or the person you think will give the best gift. Choose someone who can genuinely support your life of faith.

4. Consider each person prayerfully

For each possible sponsor, ask:

• Does this person take their Catholic faith seriously?

• Do I see qualities in them that I would like to develop in my own life?

• Would I feel comfortable talking with them about faith, life, struggles, and questions?

• Do they encourage me to become the person God created me to be?

• Are they someone I can trust?

• Would they be willing to pray for me and stay connected after Confirmation?

• Can they challenge me with kindness when I need guidance?

5. Ask: “Who points me toward Christ?”

A good sponsor is not someone who makes the journey about themselves. Their role is to help you recognize and follow Jesus.

Consider this question:

When I think about this person, do I see someone whose life helps me want to know, love, and follow Christ more deeply?

6. Pay attention to what brings peace

After praying and reflecting, notice where you experience a sense of clarity and peace. Discernment does not always mean having absolute certainty. Sometimes it means making the best decision you can with prayer, wisdom, and trust in God.

7. Ask the person intentionally

When you have made your decision, ask them personally. You might say:

I have been praying and thinking about who I would like to ask to be my Confirmation sponsor. You are someone I admire and trust, and I see the way you live your faith. I would be honored if you would be willing to walk with me, pray for me, and be my sponsor as I prepare for Confirmation. Would you be willing to be my Confirmation sponsor?

Throughout the Confirmation preparation journey, candidates should be meeting with their sponsor somewhat regularly to check in. Especially for those who are not local, it is important to schedule time to talk about faith together. The Office of Lifelong Formation, in collaboration with Loyola Press, presents a 6-conversation resource to help candidates and sponsors to discuss important topics related to the Confirmation preparation journey. 

Each of the 6 conversations has a resource for the sponsor for pre-reading to prepare them and a guide to help the candidate and sponsor to talk about a specific topic. 

An optional but encouraged reflection can be submitted after any of the conversations the candidate and sponsor completes.

10 Tips for a solid Confirmation Candidate/Sponsor conversation:

1. PRAY before each session together. 

2. MAKE ROOM for the Holy Spirit. 

3. BRING YOUR CURIOSITY to the front; keep your certainty in your back pocket.

4. Be prudently HONEST. Share your own experience of faith. 

5. BE RECEPTIVE. Let each have their own space to share. 

6. LET THERE BE SILENCE. 

7. BE PREPARED. Read through any material ahead of your conversation. 

8. Sponsor, RECALL YOUR OWN YOUTH. 

9. LOOK FOR SIGNS OF GOODNESS in each other. Notice generosity, courage, faith, hope, love, and other virtues. Name them. 

10. Above all, GIVE THE GIFT OF RESPECT. 

Click HERE to be taken to the conversations page. 

As part of your Confirmation preparation, you are invited to write a personal letter to the pastor. This letter is an opportunity to reflect on your faith journey, your experience preparing for Confirmation, and what Confirmation means to you.

Your letter should be written to:

Rev. Elmer Romero

St. Cletus Parish

600 West 55th Street

La Grange, IL 60525

Your letter should include:

1. A Greeting
Begin your letter by addressing the pastor respectfully.

2. Your Faith Journey
Share a little about your relationship with God and how your faith has grown. You might write about:

• What you believe about God

• A person who has influenced your faith

• A meaningful experience at church, at home, or during Confirmation preparation

• A Bible verse, prayer, or teaching that is important to you

3. Your Confirmation Experience
Reflect on your time preparing for Confirmation. Consider:

• What have you learned?

• What has challenged you?

• What has been meaningful or memorable?

• Has anything changed about the way you think about your faith?

4. What Confirmation Means to You
Explain in your own words what it means to be confirmed and to take a more active role in your faith.

5. Looking Ahead
Share your hopes for your faith after Confirmation. What kind of person or Christian do you hope to become? How would you like to grow in your relationship with God and your church?

6. A Closing
End your letter with a thoughtful closing and your name.

A Few Reminders:

• Be honest and personal. There are no "perfect" answers. Your pastor wants to hear your thoughts and experiences.

• Write in your own words. This should be your letter—not something written by a parent, friend, or AI.

• Be specific. Personal examples will make your letter more meaningful.

• Proofread your work. Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation before submitting it.

• Aim for about 1–2 pages, unless your church has given you different requirements.

Some questions to help you get started:

If you're not sure what to write, think about these questions:

• Why did I choose to be confirmed?

• What does my faith mean to me right now?

• What have I learned about God during Confirmation preparation?

• When have I felt closest to God?

• Who has helped me grow in my faith?

• What has surprised me during this experience?

• What do I hope my faith looks like five years from now?

• How can I live out my faith in my everyday life?

Remember: This letter is not about giving the "right" answer. It is about sharing your story, your faith, and your hopes for the future. Fr. Elmer really loves to read these letters and pray with them and for you!