Confirmations
Confirmation, one of the seven sacraments in the Episcopal Church, is an adult profession of faith. It takes place when one has reached a time in his spiritual journey of choosing to publicly claim for themselves the baptismal vows previously taken on his/her behalf by others.
One of the Seven Sacraments in the Episcopal Church
Confirmation was often used as a substitute for traditional rites of passage. Churches prepared the young for Confirmation at age 13 regardless of their spiritual readiness. Many churches, including St. Stephen’s, have adopted the “Rite 13” liturgy to recognize the transition from childhood to adulthood during a dedicated worship service.
Empowering Youth on the Path to Confirmation
Young people are prepared for Confirmation in the context of the Journey to Adulthood youth curriculum. This preparation now takes place when they are in their later teen years (15-17) and it is made clear that it is up to them to choose to be confirmed at this time or not.
Bishop’s Annual Visit
Confirmation takes place once a year when the bishop makes his annual visit. The process for adults who wish to be confirmed, or who have been confirmed in another Christian church and wish to be received into the Episcopal Church, can be found by visiting the Join St. Stephen’s page of this Web site.