A group of students from a variety of year groups received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St Peter’s Hinckley Road on Tuesday 17th September. During Mass celebrated by Bishop Patrick, Fr John Cahill and the catechists explained to the bishop that the candidates had prepared very well for the their confirmation and that they were now fit to be formally presented. The confirmation candidates then made a public declaration of faith and expressed their commitment. Then all of the priests prayed over the candidates, extending their hands in a gesture described by Bishop Patrick as one of the oldest prayer gestures in the Church, and finally each candidate went forward in turn with their sponsor and each was anointed with the sacred oil of Chrism by the Bishop.
Congratulations go to all those who were confirmed and to their families. The school community was represented on the evening by Mr Carney and later in the term there will be a small celebration for these students in school.
Speaking in Rome last year about the effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation, Pope Francis said that Confirmation is about confirming the grace of baptism and anointing people with the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Christ in the world.
"How do we see if we have received the gift of the Spirit?" the pope asked. "If we fulfil the works of the Spirit, if we speak with words taught by the Spirit."
“Everyone who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation has received the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides them and gives them the strength to follow God's will,” Pope Francis said.
"Every one of us has the Spirit within us. The Spirit is in our heart, our soul.
Jesus gave his disciples a truly great mission -- to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
These are images that make us think about our behaviour because both the lack of and any excess of salt makes food revolting, just as a lack of and too much light hinder sight. The only one who can guarantee each person has been given just the right amount of salt and light is Christ's Spirit, who makes sure his disciples are the salt that gives flavour and protects against decay and the light that illuminates the world. The Spirit guides us in life so that we become the right salt and the right light for humanity.”
"Christian witness consists of doing only and everything that the Spirit of Christ asks us while granting us the strength to do it."
Pope Francis, General Audience at the Vatican: May 22, 2018