We confirm our 10th graders every year in January, February or March. This year our 10th graders are scheduled to be confirmed February 15, 2026 at the Sunday 5:00 Mass with Bishop Vincke.

Our 9th graders get to experience a year of preparation, contemplation, and growth. It is beautiful to experience and witness their growth over time; they begin as large children, they leave as young adults. 

The answer to this question is long and complicated, based on developments over the history of our Roman Catholic Faith Tradition. (Click here to read more on The History and Development of the Sacrament of Confirmation.) The short answer is that different parishes confer the sacraments of initiation--Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist--at different ages for varying reasons. Baptism may occur at any age, but it is most commonly conferred on infants. Confirmation and Eucharist can be conferred once a child reaches the "age of reason" which the church views as seven years old. In the United States, Confirmation is most commonly conferred on youth in grades 6-12. At St. Thomas More, we feel and believe that preparing our students for Confirmation while they are in high school allows them to develop their faith as young adults with a greater understanding of adult-level challenges and issues within the context of our Catholic faith.

A sacrament is an expression of God's grace, the free and loving gift by which He offers people a share in His life. We cannot "earn" grace; it is God's gift! We prepare our hearts, ask for grace, receive it, and give thanks to God. The more time students spend--both individually and in group catechesis--preparing their hearts to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, the more likely the gift of the Holy Spirit will be planted in fertile soil. Students are not disqualified from receiving God's grace due to a maximum number of absences.

Attending Confirmation Class is a lot like attending Mass. It is not so much the information conveyed, it is the communal experience of prayer, worship, growth, and participation in Christ's Paschal mystery together. Students are either here for it, or they are not. There is nothing to "make up." There is no written summary or check-list that can capture or convey the growth that took place. 

Our hope is that students will WANT TO come to Youth Group, Confirmation Classes, Mass, Parish events, everything! Students, like adults, do not "HAVE TO" come to anything. But it is no secret that the more time and spirit we invest, the more likely we are to grow in our faith.

It is very normal at some point for some young adults to get cold feet and start having some doubts about whether or not they even want to get confirmed. This is actually a good thing! This shows that it means something to them, they are not just drifting through the motions, they are thinking and discerning as an adult. 

We find it helpful to keep the following in mind:
(1) We are all in an ongoing conversion in our faith. Confirmation is a milestone on our journey, by no means the "end." This is wonderful, and takes some pressure off. 
(2) Sacraments precede the full reality. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the sacraments; but it is what we do with this gift in our lives after receiving it that changes us. Think of Matrimony or Holy Orders. Individuals make vows on a particular day, but the sacrament manifests itself in the way we live our lives in the days/months/years after. 
(3) Keep the big picture in mind, which is becoming more like Christ. The reason we have sacraments, go to Mass, and even have a church in the first place is to live out what Jesus taught and modeled for us. "It is not believing in Christ that matters, but becoming like him." - Pelagius 
(4) Much of this is a wonderful mystery beyond human comprehension. We refer to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection as the Paschal Mystery. By the grace of God, we are invited and called to participate in that mystery, little by little, in small steps, almost imperceptibly over time, whether we understand it fully or not. "We are talking about God.  What wonder is it that you do not understand?  If you do understand, then it is not God."- St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
(5) Pray on it. Spend some time alone in silence, clear your mind and heart, let the Holy Spirit lead you. 

We will get you there, do not be troubled, BE NOT AFRAID! 

You are welcome and invited to contact our Youth Minister, Rick Smith, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (785) 776-5151.