In the Sacrament of Baptism, as we begin our journey into God’s family, the Church, we believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is poured into our souls. This gift is then strengthened and enriched with the Sacrament of Confirmation, normally administered by the Bishop. We often use the symbol of the dove to represent the Holy Spirit, in recognition of the form in which the same Spirit descended upon Jesus on the occasion of his Baptism in the River Jordan (Mt 3:16). We also use the symbol of flame, representing the tongues of fire which descented upon the Disciples in the Upper Room when the Spirit came upon them with strength for their mission after Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven (Acts 2:3).

In the Diocese of Salford, the administering of this Sacrament is going through a period of transition, following a long period of time when Confirmations took place at age 8. The new age for Confirmation will now be 13, so the Sacrament will not become a regular occurrance again until the year 2020, when the first of the children not Confirmed at 8 will reach the age of 13. Preparation for this first group has begun at the diocese with the launch of the “Empowered” programme in June 2019. If your child is at a Catholic school you will receive information about this programme when they are in Year 6, but otherwise please speak to the Parish Priest at the church or contact the diocese directly.

If you or your child are seeking the Sacrament of Confirmation and are already aged 13 or over, please contact the Parish Priest who will pass on your details to the Bishop. An appropriate form of preparation will be given.