CONFIRMATION PRAYER

Spirit of God, grant me:
The gift of wisdom to see the world through your eyes.
The gift of counsel to make difficult decisions.
The gifts of knowledge and understanding to use my mind to know you and to love you.
The gift of fortitude to have the courage to live in the faith despite the difficulties and disappointments.
The gift of piety to be able to express my special love and commitment to you.
And the right kind of awesome fear that makes me pause to wonder and revere God’s Love.
Amen
 

A DAILY PRAYER FOR YOUR CONFIRMATION

O God, I pray that you give me a right heart, that I may come to know you in Jesus. 
Lead me to know the sinfulness of my own heart, and your great love for me, in Christ Jesus. 
Help those who teach me, to give me the teaching I need. 
Grant that, on my Confirmation Day, I may be ready to give myself to be your faithful servant to my life’s end.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen 

The Church celebrates the outpouring  of the Holy Spirit upon the baptized in the sacrament of confirmation.To be confirmed, baptized Catholics who have the use of reason must be suitably instructed, properly disposed and able to renew their baptismal promises. Candidates must have reached the common age for confirmation in the Diocese of Pittsburgh (except in the danger of death) which is commonly 13 or 14 years of age (8th - 9th grade). The Chancellor's Office notifies the parish of the chosen date for confirmation - the parish will then notify the confirmation families and parish of the chosen date.

For baptized Catholics who are beyond the normal age of confirmation, please contact the parish office at 412-661-0187 for more information.

Confirmation is not a completion of religious education nor a graduation from learning the faith, but an initiation into the fullness of the body of Christ, the Church. As confirmandi have received the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, these gifts are to be used to build of the Church by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through words, deeds and actions faithfully lived out in one's life in accordance with the teachings of Christ.   

Sacred Heart celebrates the sacrament of confirmation with candidates who are in 8th grade.  The time of preparation begins upon one's baptism as individuals grow in communion with Christ and his Church; specific preparation begins two years prior to the reception of the sacrament.  The sacrament is normally conferred in the spring of the 8th grade year.

Sponsors for Confirmation

A confirmation sponsor must meet the same criteria as a baptismal godparent:

• can be either male or female regardless of the gender of the candidate 
• may be a baptismal godparent if still eligible and can obtain a sponsor letter of eligibility
• must be a practicing Catholic who leads a life in harmony with the faith.
• must be at least 16 years of age having been fully initiated into the Church having been baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist.
• Catholics who have abandoned the Catholic faith are not to serve as a sponsor.
• must not be bound by any legitimately imposed canonical penalty.
• may not be the mother or father of the child.
• an eligibility/sponsor certificate is required from the sponsor from his/her current parish including sponsors from Saint Jude
• have the intention of performing this role
• present the candidate to the bishop at confirmation