Stepping into adulthood
Fr. Francis Hoffman, also known as Fr. Rocky, still remembers the gift his parents gave him the day he was confirmed: a heavy silver crucifix delivered in a fancy case. Now the Senior Director of Mission, Programming, and Development at Relevant Radio and a priest of Opus Dei, Fr. Rocky was just a tiny fifth grader when he received that memorable gift. But the sacredness of the gift, and its monetary value, gave the young Francis Hoffman the distinct impression that the day was special.
Father Rocky does remember other details about his confirmation day—the red gowns students wore symbolizing the Holy Spirit, a holy card sent by a seminarian friend of the family, a fancy dinner in his honor. But this crucifix stands out in his memory as the most prominent indication of the importance of the sacrament of Confirmation, although he didn’t fully understand the sacrament at the time.
Fr. Rocky’s anecdote provides a path for parents seeking to communicate the significance of Confirmation: share your joy and your appreciation of the sacrament’s importance. As with other sacraments, this one merits a celebration. But, unlike baptism or First Communion, Confirmation signals a stepping into adulthood for a child.
Confirmation marks a change in status and confers a great responsibility. As a child becomes an adult in the Christian faith, he or she assumes the duties of sharing in the mission of Jesus (CCC 1294). During the rite of Confirmation, we receive the “seal of the Holy Spirit,” marking “our total belonging to Christ” and “our enrollment in his service forever” (CCC 1295-1296). Fr. Rocky says this grace-giving sign “makes you a soldier for Christ, an image of strength and loyalty.”
For the church, Confirmation is an opportunity to strengthen Christians with a great gift from God. It serves as a catechetical benchmark, ensuring that students have encountered the basic truths of the faith by a certain age. On a pastoral level, Confirmation gives pastors an opportunity for individual conversation with young parishioners. It opens the door for priests to present a personal witness of the faith.
For each individual, though, the significance of the sacrament is its personal challenge. Young people, like Fr. Rocky himself, may not immediately understand the theology of the sacrament. But they can see it as a life-changing moment — especially with the help of their parents.
As your family talks about Confirmation, explain the sacrament as a rite of transition. Explore the lives of the saints to help your child choose a confirmation name. In spite of great diversity in age, culture, and mission, all saints share a common purpose: serving Jesus and his church. To help your child understand his or her changing role as a Christian, discuss your child’s unique way of living out this shared purpose.
Fr. Rocky chose “Louis” as his confirmation name, after St. Louis the king and crusader. To this day, he connects with Saint Louis as a spiritual model. Allow your child to choose a saint that he or she identifies with and when a connection with a particular saint emerges, help them foster a greater devotion to that saint. You might read various biographies of the saint or begin to ask the saint’s intercession for a particular petition. Inspired by the identity of a saint, and aware of their parents’ appreciation of and prayers for the commission they will receive, children will be more likely to view the sacrament as a way of answering Christ’s call.