Last October we had the great honor and joy of celebrating John’s sacrament of confirmation.
The Catholic Church views confirmation as a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ. It confers the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the recipient. John prepared for confirmation for three years, including prayer, studies and retreats. The seven gifts bestowed upon him on this special day are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. It was a beautiful mass, and we piled in a pew full so full of family that we couldn’t have squeezed one more in if we tried.
John has known the teens that stood along side him since pre-school, through reconciliation and first communion. They have worked hard, had fun and grown together in their Catholic faith. For this, we couldn’t be more grateful or more proud.
Your sponsor can be any member of the church, and does not have to be family or your godparent. The role of the sponsor is to help prepare for the confirmation, to model the behaviors of a practicing catholic, and to ensure the readiness of their candidate. As I’m sure many of you have experienced, it was a surreal moment to see your sister walk your son down the long aisle of the church and present him for confirmation. Archbishop Hartmayer performed the rite, which includes the laying on of hands and anointing the forehead with chrism.
John chose St. Simeon Stylites as his patron saint. When I asked how on earth he came up with St. Simeon he briefly hesitated, took a bit of a deep breath, squared his shoulders and stated “oh, I googled bad a$$ saint.” I said, “Yes, of course. As one does.” And was careful not to so much as raise an eyebrow. I also held my language commentary in this instance. No matter how charming and smart and good and faithful he is, he is still a teenage boy.
At the end of mass, we had a few minutes to talk with Archbishop Hartmayer. I thought it was extremely special that he was the beloved Bishop of Savannah before becoming Archbishop of Atlanta last year! It was one of those little details that made things feel as if they had come full circle. I always thought I’d raise my children in Savannah and that these events would happen at the Cathedral. It was a God wink on this special day.
It was a monumental day that we have looked forward to since his first breath. Welcome to the Catholic Church, precious son.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
God Bless John!
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