Adult Confirmation in the Diocese of St. Augustine
December 23, 2014 • Diocese of St. Augustine

Bishop Felipe J. Estévez will confirm 17 adults on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the 11:15 a.m. Mass at Holy Faith Parish in Gainesville.  These adults have been preparing for some time to complete their initiation in the Catholic Church.

Bishop Felipe Estévez confirms candidate at St. Madeleine Catholic Church in High Springs / Photo by Scott Smith
Bishop Felipe Estévez confirms candidate at St. Madeleine Catholic Church in High Springs / Photo by Scott Smith

While many people think of teenagers when they hear confirmation, there are many adults who have not celebrated this sacrament.  Some polls estimate that more than 35 percent of Catholics who have received First Communion have not received the sacrament of confirmation.

With this statistic in mind and to offer this opportunity to as many adults as possible, Bishop Estévez celebrates adult confirmation twice a year.  One celebration is held at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine and one is scheduled in the western part of the diocese where the hosting parish rotates.

Confirmation is the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The effects that this sacrament has on those who receive it are many:

  • Roots us more deeply in divine filiation (being children of God)
  • Unites us more firmly to Christ
  • Increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us
  • Strengthens our bond with the Church
  • Associates us more closely to her mission of bearing witness to Christ
  • Helps us and more strictly obliges us to spread and defend the faith by word and deed (CCC #1303)

The next adult confirmation will be held Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine.  If you or someone you know has not received this final sacrament of initiation, have them contact their parish as soon as possible to begin formation sessions.

For more information, please contact Erin in the Office of Christian Formation at: emcgeever@dosafl.com or call (904) 262-3200, ext. 118.