St. Paul Catholic Church

“Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts.”

~Saint Ambrose

 

The Sacrament | Catechism of the Catholic Church 1302 - 1304

 

The effect of Confirmation is the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace. 

1. It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!" 

2. It unites us more firmly to Christ. 

3. It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us. 

4. It renders our bond with the Church more perfect. 

5. It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.

 

Like Baptism which it completes, Confirmation is given only once, for it also imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the "character," which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of his Spirit so that he may be his witness.

 

Receiving the Sacrament

 

Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian initiation remains incomplete (CCC 1306). 

 

At St. Paul, we are excited and grateful for the initiative of Bishop William Wack to restore the original order of sacramental initiation and allow our children to be blessed by these rich sacramental graces at an earlier age.

 

The former sacramental norm for the Diocese of Pensacola - Tallahassee was to confirm Catholic youth when they had reached high school age–typically years after they had received first Holy Communion.

 

As promulgated by Bishop Wack in 2025, the new sacramental discipline for our diocese will be to confirm children at the same Mass in which they receive their first Holy Communion. These sacraments can be administered as soon as a child has reached the age of reason (7 years old) and is sufficiently prepared. 

 

Sacramental preparation will depend on the parents’ sense of readiness in their own child; it will not “default” to any particular grade level.

 

We anticipate that at St. Paul Catholic Church we will be ready to implement this restored order in the spring of 2027. That is, baptized children who are prepared and at least 7 years old are expected to receive Confirmation and then first Holy Communion during the same Mass in 2027. 

 

What About Catholics Who Have Already Received First Communion But Not Confirmation?

 

Confirmation of Children | Contact Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson at thompsone@stpaulcatholic.net

Children who have already received first Holy Communion no longer have to wait until 9th grade to receive the powerful graces of Confirmation. Heaven knows they need the help of the Holy Spirit sooner rather than later! 

 

This year (2025 - 2026), in addition to our teenagers, we also invite middle school aged children and eligible siblings to prepare for Confirmation and to enter more fully into the sacramental life of the Church.

 

Next year (2026 - 2027) we look forward to expanding Confirmation preparation to our elementary school aged children.

 

Another important feature of our diocese’s renewed sacramental discipline is the full engagement of families in the celebration of the sacraments and in handing on the Faith to the next generation. Parent participation will become a more central element in our sacramental preparation. For this reason, parents may decide that it is the best investment of their time to have multiple siblings confirmed together. 

 

Register HERE to prepare a baptized child or teen for Confirmation

 

Confirmation of Adults | Contact Mrs. Debbie Ridder ridderd@stpaulcatholic.net

We encourage all baptized adults to complete their full initiation into the Catholic Church and receive the sacrament of Confirmation. It is the practice of Bishop Bill Wack to celebrate a special Mass for the Confirmation of adult Catholics every year in both the Pensacola and Tallahassee areas. 

 

The next Confirmation Mass for Adults will be October 12, 2025 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola. We encourage you to contact Debbie Ridder to learn about preparing for adult Confirmation with St. Paul parish. 

More information may also be found on the diocesan website, https://ptdiocese.org/adult-confirmation