Confirmation FAQs
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has announced that the standard age for reception of Confirmation is being lowered to 4th grade. Here at Immaculate, we are implementing this change over the next few years, with the goal of 4th grade-only formation starting in the fall of 2028. To ensure that students of all ages in the interim are given the opportunity to prepare for and receive this important sacrament, we will provide an age-appropriate formation program as follows:
2026-2027 (9th, 8th and 4th grade)
2027-2028 (6th, 7th, 8th, and 4th grade)
2028-2029 (4th grade)
Are 9-year-olds mature enough to be Confirmed?
In short: yes. Some of the questions arise from misunderstandings of the theology of Confirmation.
Confirmation is truly about one’s openness to the work of the Holy Spirit, not about how much one knows about the Faith.
Nine-year-olds are not just capable of this openness but are often particularly receptive.
Many people think Confirmation is about “becoming an adult in the faith” (similar to a Catholic version of a bar or bat mitzvah), but that is not accurate.
Confirmation enables one to be a witness for Christ, and the lives of the Saints show us that young disciples are some of the most effective witnesses of all.
In that sense, it we can rightly describe it as the sacrament of Christian maturity.
Confirmation is not a choice that a person makes to “confirm” his or her faith as he or she enters adulthood.
Rather, it is God’s action of sealing and fully unleashing the Holy Spirit already present in that person through baptism.
Confirmation is a Sacrament of Initiation not a graduation.
Some consider Confirmation a “graduation” of sorts, marking the end of formal catechesis, and that is not the case.
Faith formation is a lifelong adventure! This change makes that theological reality even more clear.
Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion mark the beginning of our journey to understand the ever-unfolding mystery of God’s work in our lives.
Requirements:
4th Grade Confirmation Preparation
6 sessions
Once a month, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday evening
October through March
Attend at least 4 Adoration Nights
Service Hours (age appropriate)
Half day retreat on a Saturday in April
Rehearsal Tuesday evening in May or June
Confirmation Mass in May or June 2027
8th and 9th Grade Confirmation Preparation
6 sessions
Once a month, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sunday evening
October through March
Attend at least 4 Adoration Nights
Service Hours (age appropriate)
Whole day retreat on a Saturday in April
Rehearsal Tuesday evening in May or June
Confirmation Mass in May or June 2027
Choose a Sponsor- they will be required to participate at different events throughout the year more information here: https://vbspro.events/p/events/iccconfirmation/pages/1
Child has received the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist
Recommended that child attends religious education programs the year of, and the year prior (ICS, Sunday School, Youth Ministry