Confirmation 2026 Thursday, March 5th at 4 PM
Saints Peter and Paul Parish Sacrament of Confirmation Information Summary
· Children and sponsors meet in the Church Hall (underneath the church) so they know where to sit for practice. There will be a card with the child’s name on a chair for the sponsor (This card should be carried by the sponsor and given to the Priest or Deacon so they can announce the child’s Confirmation name to the Bishop. There will be a name or certificate on the chair for the child. Sponsors will sit in corresponding seats with their child. Anything on the chairs at practice which identifies the students, should be left on the chair for the next day unless told otherwise.
· Children should be in their seats in the church hall by 3:00 at the latest on the day of Confirmation
· Bishop will not meet the students prior to Mass but may very well ask them questions during Mass. Students should be prepared to ask and answer questions! Confirmation questions are attached.
o Teachers and Parents – Please use an opportunity ahead of time to talk to the children about Confirmation and discuss any questions that they might have for the Bishop. A few, if not all, should be prepared to ask a question of their choosing. It could be, how did you know that you wanted to be a priest, what is your favorite part about being a priest or Bishop, do you remember your Confirmation?
o After Confirmation, we ask everyone to please stay in their seats until the children and their sponsors as well as the Bishop, Father…have left church. This will give the Bishop space and time to go to the church hall while sponsors and children also go down and line up for pictures.
o There will be one individual picture with the Bishop in the church hall.
o After pictures, the child can leave with their sponsor or a parent can pick them up in the church hall. We ask everyone to use the side door to the church hall to eliminate crowding.
o The Sponsor will recite the child's Confirmation name to the Bishop as well as hand the card to the priest and/or deacon.
Confirmation Mass summary:
· Penitential Rite, Gloria (Introductory Rites)
· Readers go up for the readings
· LOW-First Reading, Response (song), Second Reading
· After the collect (a prayer father will say and then sit down), the readers should come up the aisle and go to the center and bow at the altar together.
· The readers then go to the lectern by the Blessed Mother on the left.
· The first reader stands at the lectern and reads while the second reader sits behind him or her.
· The first reader reads from the missal which we will mark. After reading, please open it to the second reading for the next reader which also will be marked.
· After the first reader reads, they sit next to the 2nd reader
· Both remain seated while the cantor sings the responsorial psalm
· Once the responsorial psalm is over, the second reader goes to the lectern and reads
· Once the second reader is done, please change the page to the Gospel which will be marked
· Then both readers walk to the center, bow to the altar together and go back to their seats.
· LOW - Gospel Candidates remain standing for Presentation of Candidates
· Presentation of candidates by Pastor, Monsignor Citino (only candidates stand) sample of what is said but Father can write his own. Sample below.
· Presentation of candidate’s sample:
o For a Priest Celebrant: Bishop ________, the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul is honored by your presence. I present to you, our sons and daughters who are candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Under the guidance of their parents, guardians and catechists and with the prayerful support and encouragement of this parish community they have prepared for this Sacrament of Christian Initiation which was begun at their baptism. I ask that you impose hands upon them and anoint them with the Sacred Chrism, sealing them with the gift of the Holy Spirit. We pray that their participation in the Holy Eucharist with all of us assembled here will strengthen them as faithful witnesses to Christ.
· Homily
· The Rite of Confirmation
· Renewal of Baptism Promises – (only candidates stand with hands folded):
Bishop: Do you reject Satan and all his works and all his empty promises?
Candidates: I do.
Bishop: Do you believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
Candidates: I do.
Bishop: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
Candidates: I do.
Bishop: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who came upon the apostles at Pentecost and today is given to you sacramentally in confirmation?
Candidates: I do.
Bishop: Do you believe in the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
Candidates: I do.
Bishop: This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All present: Amen.
· Laying of Hands – All candidates, sponsors and congregation stand. After this, all sit. Bishop asks the Holy Spirit to fill the children with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The 7 gifts are wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord (wonder). After this all sit.
· Anointing with Chrism/Confirmation rite:
· The children are seated in rows together in front
· The children’s sponsors are seated in rows and seats behind them. IE: If there are 6 rows of children and sponsors, the sponsor for the child in row 1 seat 1, will be seated in row 4 seat 1, the sponsor for the child in row 1 seat 2, will be seated in row 4 seat 2…. This will be clear when they actually get to sit in their seats at practice.
· The center aisle child and sponsor go up first starting on one side, then left rotating back and forth. There will be someone there to help.
· The sponsor goes up with their right hand on the child’s shoulder the entire time including when they walk the child out of the pew to the Bishop, recite the child’s Confirmation name and hand the priest or deacon the card with the Confirmation person’s name on it. Once the child is Confirmed, the sponsor and child continue to where they were seated with the Sponsors hand on the child’s shoulder the entire way until they sit down.
· We will have an adult to help with this and again, the sponsor's right hand is on the child’s right shoulder the entire time.
· You stand before the Bishop getting as close to the Bishop as you can (Bishop will not nor should he have to come to you) Keep processing forward.
· Your sponsor has his/her right hand on your shoulder and gives the card you’re your Confirmation name to the Deacon or priest to read LOUD to the Bishop. –
† The bishop anoints you by using oil of Chrism consecrated oil) to make the Sign of the Cross on your forehead while saying your Confirmation name and “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
† You respond, “Amen.”
† The bishop then says, “Peace be with you.”
† You respond, “And with your spirit”
† Sponsor walks you back to your seat with his/her hand on your right shoulder the entire time (All in bold remains the same)
· After Confirmed, the child goes to their pew with the sponsor behind them with their hand on their right shoulder the entire time until the child sits down in their pew. The sponsor then continues to their pew and sits down.
· Bishop washes his hands
· When the Creed is being recited, the reader of the Universal Prayer will walk up to the altar and bow and stand at the ambo until the creed is finished.
· Procession of the gifts
· Eucharist… For Holy Communion, we go as we normally do at mass with everyone going through the aisle to the center rows, receive the Blessed Sacrament and then go all the way around back into your pew sitting where you sat before.
· After the final prayer but before the final blessing, we will thank the Bishop for coming.
- 1st Good afternoon Your Excellency and welcome to our parish. My name is (Name). On behalf of the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Confirmation class of 2024 I wish to express how grateful we are that you have come to celebrate this sacrament with us today. Please know of our prayerful support of your important ministry in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. As a sign of that support, we have acquired a membership for you in the Spiritual Union of Perpetual Adoration at the Convent of Divine Love. We ask that you please pray for us as well as we strive to be courageous ambassadors of Jesus Christ in the world.
- 2nd Good afternoon Your Excellency. My name is (Name). On behalf of the newly confirmed, I would like to share that, in addition to our spiritual bouquet, we have made a donation in your honor to the Catholic Social Services. Thank you for being with us today and for all that you do for the Church in Philadelphia.
After final blessing, families should remain seated until told to do so.
Confirmation Reminders:
· Confirmation – Thursday, March 13th at 4PM
· Confirmation Practice – Monday, March 10th from 6:30 to 8 PM; sponsors attend the last 45 minutes. If the sponsor can’t attend practice, please attend so you can let them know what to do, where to sit. Also forward them this information for their review.
· Some years we had to limit the number of guests each family could bring to 9 people. This year we hope not to have a limit. If we do, we will let you know. We do ask that everyone be mindful that if there is someone who is elderly or infirmed who needs a seat that we offer it to them. *This is subject to change due to number of Confirmandi, how many the church can hold etc.
· After Confirmation, we ask all to remain seated until dismissed so the Bishop can get downstairs safely followed by the students and their sponsors.
· Sponsors can leave with the children from the side door in the church hall.
· If any child requires a gluten free host at Confirmation, please let us know. In these scenarios, whomever is gluten free would go up the altar after everyone goes and wait on the right side of it until Father can get a low gluten host for them. This is the same for any guest.
· Attire – Each child should have and wear their red robe. Boys are to wear dress pants, dress shirt and dress shoes. Girls are to wear a dress or skirt/blouse and dress shoes. NO sneakers or flip flops.
· Confirmation is a special time for your child. Each time we receive a sacrament, we get closer to Jesus and receive His grace. The children and their families should use the time prior to receiving the Holy Spirit in Confirmation to reflect, pray, and open their hearts to what is about to happen.
· We ask everyone to please refrain from taking pictures and videos. There will be a professional photographer present taking pictures which you may purchase and each family will be given a link to a video of the Confirmation Mass. Photos being taken by multiple people is distracting to the children and detracts from the real reason we are there.
· Please visit and chat outside or in the narthex before you enter the church. From 3:45 PM on, please use the time to reflect on God’s goodness.
Come Holy Spirit,
Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And You shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.
