Confirmation

About

Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the grace of Baptism is sealed and we are strengthened to be Jesus’ witnesses to the world and called to proclaim the Gospel.

A person is fully initiated into the Catholic Church by the reception of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. In Baptism, the graces conferred are focused inward. In Confirmation, grace infuses the recipient to a deeper faith that can now be shared outward with others. Confirmation seals Baptismal grace.

With desire and preparation, we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation by an anointing with sacred chrism on our forehead, reminiscent of the anointing of kings and athletes for strength in ancient times. Confirmation is often separated from Baptism by a number of years though the two Sacraments are closely related.

Confirmation Preparation

In the Diocese of Arlington and at The Basilica of Saint Mary, we prepare baptized and desiring children to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation during 8th grade (school)/year 8 (CCD), generally. The preparation process includes all of one’s religious education and formation for many years prior to 8th grade/year 8, however, in a more intentional and formal way, we begin the process in September of 8th grade/year 8, provided the student attended grade 6/year 6 and grade 7/year 7..

Our program uses materials and resources from Word of Life, Chosen and the Faith and Life series to prepare desiring youth for Confirmation.  We aim to offer an exciting, thoughtful, catechetical, and challenging program to match the demands of modern culture.  We also have available other resources and materials, which our catechists use as well. We require that children complete this preparation by attending our parish school, our Catechism/CCD sessions, or another approved home school or Catholic school program for a minimum of three consecutive years beginning in their 6th grade/year 6. For children in public or private non-Catholic private schools, there is the Sunday morning in-person faith formation/CCD program.

Please contact the Director of Religious Education to make arrangements for a high school senior student (under 18 years old) or adult to prepare to receive this sacrament.

Important Confirmation Dates

Dates for the 2025-2026 Student Confirmation Program (these are in addition to due dates for Confirmation projects):

• Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 7pm – Fr. Hathaway meets with parents of Confirmation students in The Basilica of Saint Mary, 310 S. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA.
• by Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Catholic School students register for the Sacrament of Confirmation and Retreat. $70 fee.
  • Saturday, February 28, 2026 retreat for boys and girls – student Confirmation retreats are scheduled for Saturday, all day, 8:45am – after the 5pm Mass, held on the campus of The Basilica of Saint Mary. (Permission Form to attend the Retreat is part of the Sacrament of Confirmation registration). Students desiring to be Confirmed in Spring 2026 must attend a Confirmation Retreat by March 7, 2026.
    
  • School student Interviews with priests – TBA – usually early March during class time
  • Wednesday, March 18, 2026 Holy Hour for Confirmation students/families in The Basilica of Saint Mary, 6:30pm (Confessions available), 7:00pm talk by Fr. Searby or another priest
  • Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 5pm or 7pm – Confirmation rehearsals with students and sponsors in The Basilica of Saint Mary. Students signed up for the 10:30am Confirmation Mass attend the 5pm rehearsal and students signed up for the 1:30pm Confirmation Mass attend the 7pm rehearsal. The rehearsal is about an hour.
  • Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 10:30am or 1:30pm – Holy Mass with the Rite of Confirmation with Bishop Michael Burbidge. Reception follows each Mass in the Courtyard or Lyceum Auditorium. Students, wearing his/her red robe, will meet in the Auditorium 40 minutes before the Confirmation Mass. Bishop Burbidge will meet with students. Sponsors will meet with the Bishop’s Master of Ceremonies in the Basilica of Saint Mary ~30 minutes before the Confirmation Mass. (A Signup Genius was sent to families on Nov. 14, 2024 to signup for a Mass).
• More detailed information about the Sacrament of Confirmation and due dates for projects/paperwork can be found in the Confirmation Handbook 2024-2025 BSSM students will be given guidance by Mrs. St. Pierre on how to submit documents/projects. BSSM students need to register for the Sacrament of Confirmation: https://stmaryoldtown.org/confirmationCCD In-person students will be given guidance by Mrs. Staron on how to submit documents/projects.Homeschool and other Catholic School students are to submit documents/projects to the Director of Religious Education, Susan Gray at sgray@stmaryoldtown.org or mailed/brought to the parish office, 313 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA. Forms must be clearly signed. Sponsor forms must bear a priest’s signature and the parish sea

Students in CCD/homeschool have already been registered for the Sacrament of Confirmation. To register for the Confirmation Retreat Permission Form is here.

Please contact the Director of Religious Education with any questions.

Family Honor Program recordings

• Friday and Saturday, November 15-16, 2024 – Grade/Year 8 parents and students attend Family Honor Program, New Real Love & Real Life: Living the Faith Retreat in the School.

Session 1 (Friday night): Parents only, part 1 and part 2

Session 2 (Saturday morning opening): Parents and students, part 1 and part 2

Session 3 (Saturday afternoon):

• Dads and sons
• Moms and daughters, part 1 and part 2

Session 3 (Saturday afternoon conclusion): Parents and students

Adult Confirmation

Adults (ages 18 and older) who are practicing Catholic and have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation/Confession, and First Holy Communion but have never received the Sacrament of Confirmation, and living out Catholic teachings, are welcome to register for our Adult Confirmation Crash Course. Classes meet April-May. Your Catholic baptismal certificate, with notations and dated and signed in the last 6 months, is required.

The Adult Confirmation program is for practicing Catholics who attend Sunday Mass and on holy days of obligation, frequent the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, and live the Precepts of the Church. If one is married, he/she is married in the Catholic Church.

If you need to bring your marriage into the Church, please contact our office no less than 6 months before May so that our priest can assist you. Generally, the Bishop of the Arlington Diocese celebrates a Mass with the Confirmation Rite on Pentecost or another time.