Confirmation means "making strong" or "strengthening." Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Holy Spirit comes to us in a special way to join us more closely to Jesus and his Church and to seal and strengthen us as Christ's witnesses. We are accepted as fully initiated members of the Church and are expected to take up the challenge of becoming mature Disciples of Jesus Christ. We view Confirmation as a sealing of our Baptism. It is an opportunity for us to say "yes" to the vows taken for us by our Godparents in the Sacrament of Baptism, and share more fully in the mission of Jesus Christ and his Church.

People preparing for Confirmation in the Catholic Church are called "candidates."

At St. Robert's, young people are eligible to prepare for and receive the Sacrament upon entering the 8th grade (or later). The period of preparation is called "formation."

Young people are formed for the Sacrament by participating in an intensive 14-week program of personal and spiritual exploration. Through videos,  facilitated group discussions, retreat, and Christian service, candidates experience the joy of entering into deeper relationship with Jesus and living that joy in the community of his Church.

Candidates are accompanied on the journey of faith by parents, family, sponsors, catechists, and the entire St. Robert's community. Through prayer, study, reflections, and service, they grow to understand how living as a disciple of Jesus gives meaning and purpose to their lives.

Candidates meet weekly from early December through the date of Confirmation.

Please see schedules, etc. on the main Confirmation page.

When we are aware of the Life of the Spirit moving in us, we cannot help but be changed even through we may not feel any different. The Spirit makes available to us certain gifts that will help us be better disciples, but God never forces us to use them. When we choose for ourselves to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of God, we will see the fruits of that choice in the world around us.

After receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, you will be expected to be a witness for Christ, to claim your faith as your own, to defend it, and to spread it whenever possible.

What does it mean to be a witness to Jesus Christ?

To be a witness to Christ means to share openly with others the relationship you have with Jesus in the Holy Spirit by the way you live your life. You don’t need any special skills or training. Instead, all you need is a desire to let other people know that you continually stand in the love Jesus has for you, and that Jesus has that same love for them too.

As fully initiated members of the Roman Catholic Christian community you are now called in a special way to:

● Continue to practice and grow in your faith through a life of personal prayer

● Go deeper in your knowledge and understanding of what Christ taught by reading and studying the Scriptures

● Obey the Commandments of God and live the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew, Ch. 5)

● Follow the example of Jesus by keeping yourself pure and free from sin, and live in service to others

● Heal any wounds in your relationship with God and others by regularly celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation

● Worship God properly by living out the grace of the Sacraments, participating in the Mass each Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation, and being active in the life of our Parish community

One of the great traditions of the Church at the time of Confirmation is choosing a new name. In Sacred Scripture, when God gives a new name to someone (Abram became Abraham; Sarai became Sarah; Jacob became Israel; Simon became Peter; Saul became Paul) it signifies a new purpose, mission and direction for that person’s life. By what name will God call you for your new mission? After prayerful reflection, you may want to choose the name of a Saint who is an example of heroic faith and virtue, and whose life reflects the kind of Christian you hope to be. Choosing your Saint’s name is a very special decision, and not one you should take lightly. You should explore thoroughly the lives of several Saints before you select a name.

Candidates, guided by their parents, choose a sponsor. The role of the sponsor is an important one. A Sponsor must be a person who knows the candidate, is willing to share his/her own faith, and can support the candidate on this spiritual journey to Confirmation. The Sponsor is a companion on the journey of faith. He/she is present as a friend, specifically, as a Christian friend. Just as friends do things together, share themselves and their resources, support and encourage each other, so do sponsors in the area of Christian and church life. Sponsors affirm, teach, advise, console, strengthen, and guide. They personally introduce the candidate to the Church.

Your sponsor supports your preparation in three ways. First, your sponsor serves as role model for you in faith. Second, your sponsor is a companion on your faith journey, supporting you in prayer and in your search for the Holy Spirit. Finally, your sponsor witnesses for you before the entire Church. Standing by you as you are confirmed, he or she proclaims by that gesture, that you are ready and willing to accept the responsibilities and privileges of being a fully initiated member of the Catholic Christian Community.

Requirements:

● Sponsor must be 16 years of age.

● Sponsor must have received the three Sacraments of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Church (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist), and be an active, practicing Catholic in good standing in their home parish.

● If married, the sponsor’s marriage must be recognized sacramentally valid by by the Roman Catholic Church.

● Sponsor may be the candidate’s Baptismal Godparent, or a new sponsor selected specifically for Confirmation.

● Sponsor may be either male or female for any candidate.

● Sponsor may not be a candidate’s parent or a step-parent.

*Please note that these requirements are established under Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church and the directives of the Diocese of Trenton. They cannot be adapted or altered in any way by Saint Robert Bellarmine Church.*

If the sponsor is a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Church, please contact the main Parish Office to have their eligibility verified and obtain a certificate. If the sponsor is not a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Church, please be sure that the sponsor you have selected meets all of the requirements noted above. No one may serve as a sponsor without meeting the above noted requirements.

Your sponsor must obtain a sponsor eligibility certificate from the parish where he/she is registered.

We perform Christian service to humbly learn the value of giving freely of our time, talent and treasure without expectation of reward or acknowledgement. Jesus gave us the perfect example of service when he washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.

Service to our neighbor is one of the most important things to which all Christians are called by God. You will experience much joy and satisfaction from serving others and making a difference in their lives. As you prayerfully consider what service project you wish to pursue, you might want to take one on that you can easily continue after you celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Your service should not merely “check a box” or fulfill an obligation for Confirmation. You are invited to approach it with an appreciation for the dignity of those being served and the difference it makes in the world around you.

You are requested to participate in a minimum of 10 hours of voluntary Christian service.* It is our hope that as you begin to serve others, you will recognize this service as a privileged duty in the Christian community. Your service does not need to be a grand gesture. Saint Mother Teresa said, “Do little things with great love.”

Christian service puts your faith into action, not only now, but as you grow in your faith. It is how we begin to contribute to a more compassionate and just world.

We have offered some suggestions for service projects on the following page. Please look them over and decide with your parents how you will joyfully complete this opportunity for service.

Service Hour Forms for each service project are to be completed and signed. Candidates are encourages to participate in at least 3 different service projects in order to have a varied service experience. Completed Service Hour Forms are to be submitted to your catechist.

Christian service directly impacts the lives and social condition of individuals or groups. Christian service advocates for human life and dignity, demonstrates compassion and charity, supports the pursuit of justice for people in need, or positively contributes to the life of the faith community.

Before making a commitment to a service project, think about the variety of ways in which you can use your talents and abilities to help others. These suggestions are only some of the ways other candidates have chosen to serve. Perhaps something on this list will help you decide the service you would like to perform. The list may give you some other ideas of what you would like to do. Perhaps you have your own special service in mind.

Before making your decision and commitment:

╬ Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance

╬ Review the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy  ( works_of_mercy.pdf )

╬ Talk to your parents, sponsor, catechist

╬ Find out the “real needs” of people in your family, neighborhood, parish, school, or community

● Join the Youth Group

● Serve Mass or join the choir

● Assist an elderly or ill neighbor with chores

● Visit and correspond with residents of local nursing homes or assisted living facilities

● Start an “Adopt-a Grandparent” project

● Organize a “clean-up” campaign in the parish, school or local park

● Organize or help with a recycling or composting project

● Help a needy family

● Tutor after school

● Join a service group

● Write cards or letters to hospitalized children or teens

● Collect food for the poor

● Help with a fundraising project for a charitable organization

● Collect, clean and repair clothing for the poor

For more ideas and activities, contact Mrs. Jeanne Marinello at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You are required to fill out the Saint Worksheet (see document in the 5 steps above) on the Saint whose name you have chosen as your Confirmation name.

It is due on your first Confirmation Formation Session (12/3/23 or 12/4/23). Please send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Once you choose a Saint name, fill out the Saint Worksheet, answering all questions. This will help you explore how the life of that Saint  exemplified the virtues of Christian witness. It will summarize the major facts, virtues, and accomplishments of the Saint and their special relationship with God.  On the worksheet you will also explain why you selected your Saint. This is not a collection of facts but how you plan to continue to take inspiration and example from your Saint’s life.

Some of you may want to do something creative in addition to filling out the Worksheet (remember, the Worksheet is required). Recognizing the changing nature of education, multi-media presentations will now be accepted. Your Saint report may now be written, a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation, a YouTube video, artwork or even a song. Whatever medium you choose to present your Saint, the key elements must still be present. Use the worksheet templates that follow to assure that your report is complete regardless of the method of presentation. You may add an additional sheet with your personal reflection about the Saint you have chosen.

Reports may be emailed, uploaded to Google Docs and shared, or submitted on a flash drive.

In researching your Confirmation Saint, be mindful that there are many websites that provide information but not all of them are Catholic nor accurate. We suggest you use the following sites to gain the most accurate information:

http://www.catholic.org/saints/

http://www.theworkofgod.org/saints/

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/byname.aspx

http://www.catholic-saints.info

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/calendar

Under no circumstances should Wikipedia be used for gathering information about your Saint. 

The Saint Report Information Worksheet in the FIVE SIMPLE STEPS on this page.

●Wisdom: enables us to see that all of life can be reduced to one simple truth: love of God and neighbor.

● Understanding: to see beneath the surface of a problem or an issue and to recognize what is really involved.

● Knowledge: to get the facts straight. To be able to recognize the difference between truth and error.

● Courage: gives us the strength to hold onto and defend that which is good no matter how difficult or dangerous it might be.

● Right Judgement: helps us recognize how best to act in a tough situation.

● Reverence: this gift enables us to be sensitive to the love and holiness God offers us through Jesus and the Christian community.

● Awe in God’s Presence: this gift enables us to have a keen awareness of just how special and awesome God really is

Fruits of the Holy Spirit:

Love, peace, kindness, faithfulness, joy, patience, goodness, gentleness, self-control.

If the Sacrament of Confirmation is administered during Mass, the Mass will be the same as regular mass except after the Gospel, when the Sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred. The Mass then continues as usual. If the Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred outside of Mass, there will be readings from Sacred Scripture and then the Sacrament of Confirmation will be administered. Here, at St. Robert’s, Confirmation is conferred outside of Mass

The Bishop is the usual minister of Confirmation. On occasion, however, the Bishop may designate a priest of the Diocese as his representative in administering Confirmation if he is not available to be present himself. In a large diocese it is not always possible for the Bishop to be present at all Confirmations.

Confirmation Saint Report Worksheet

Confirmation Sponsor Information

Service Hour Form