Confirmation is a sacrament which completes the Christian's initiation and begins their journey as an "adult" member of the Catholic Church.
In this diocese the preparation takes place when the young person is in year 10 and above at school.
The Confirmation programme runs as part of the regular GYM sessions, Fridays (term time), 8-10pm, St Joseph's Church Hall.
Click here for information about the Confirmation service, choosing name and sponsor
In the Guildford Catholic parishes we expect the young person to fill in their own application form, as this is part of their taking responsibility for their own faith journey. Applications open from September of every year. Applications are closed for 2013.
The preparation consists of several sessions, after which the young person makes a commitment to the course and to the group. The sessions run on Friday evenings, 8-10pm in St Joseph's Church Hall, as part of GYM. The 2013 Confirmation programme has been updated here.
In 2011 we decided that the confirmation programme should take place as part of the normal Friday night GYM sessions, rather than as a separate programme independent of our youth ministry, as it has been in the past.
So that confirmation can become a step on a continuous journey of faith development for young people, rather than the beginning and end of their faith journey as teenagers.
So that the young people who come to GYM regularly who have already been confirmed can help evangelise by participating in small group discussion and be examples through their personal witness and commitment to their own faith.
Confirmation being part of GYM means that the sessions have moved from a school room atmosphere to an engaging and alive atmosphere
Fr Aaron Spinelli (former parish Priest of Guildford) reflects on the Confirmation Programme in the Guildford Cluster.
A personal testimony from one of our Confirmation candidates from 2011.
