"Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the ‘sacraments of Christian initiation’… The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For ‘by the sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed" (CCC, 1285).

Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace

• It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";
• It unites us more firmly to Christ;
• It increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
• It renders our bond with the Church more perfect;
• It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross” (CCC, 1303)

Sacramental Preparation
(The information below is taken from the “The Red Book of Confirmation” by the Diocese of Lake Charles)

Sacramental Preparation Guidelines from the Diocese of Lake Charles

For the Diocese of Lake Charles, the High School years serve as the period of Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation. This is divided into two phases, Remote Preparation and Immediate Preparation.

Remote Preparation” refers to the formation years prior to the Confirmation year (normally 9th-10th grade). The goal of this period is to bring the student from a basic understanding of the faith to a mastery of the Church’s teaching. It also means acquiring habits of Christian living.

Immediate Preparation” refers to coursework specific to the Sacrament of Confirmation itself, the Confirmation retreat and other projects and activities during the confirmation year (11th grade).

In order to enter into Remote Preparation, a candidate must pass an assessment of the Catholic Basics. He or she is also required to attend an approved retreat prior to the start of classes. The Diocesan Office of Religion Education offers several possibilities, but normally this is fulfilled by the annual diocesan Retreat for 8th Graders.

For OLQH Confirmation, Confirmation classes follow the Life Teen/PREP schedule. Life Teen follows the Sunday 5:30PM Mass over at the OLQH Family Life Center. Life Teen runs from 6:45 – 8:15PM Sunday evenings in the Family Life Center.

Contact Pam Alston, PREP High School Coordinator: pamela.alston@lcdiocese.org , or at 337-477-3937 for more information.