Sacrament of Confirmation: Sealed with Gifts of Holy Spirit

Each year, youth and adults across the universal Church receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, thus completing the Sacraments of Initiation and being “more perfectly bound to the Church” (Lumen Gentium, 11).

As a cradle Catholic, Katie Allio, Director of Religious Education and Christian Formation, sincerely enjoys accompanying others on this sacramental journey.

“I love working with people as they prepare because, with the Sacrament of Confirmation, you are deciding to make your faith an active part of your life,” Katie says. “The faith is not being chosen for you like perhaps it was at your Baptism. You are choosing this. You are choosing God and a relationship with Him.”

Different paths exist for youth and adults as they prepare for Confirmation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton depending upon where individuals are in their faith journeys.

“With the youth, Confirmation is really the affirmation of those Baptismal rites that were done when they were younger, as chosen by their parents, and a strengthening of those initial graces,” Katie says. “With adults, it’s frequently a different journey and a coming to that realization even more on your own and perhaps after time away from the faith.”

For the youth, Confirmation preparation consists of a two-year program and required weekly classes for the grade-level religious education. There are also separate sacramental classes on six Sundays throughout the year for those receiving sacraments.

Part of the preparation includes stewardship and volunteer service hours. For example, youth have done clean-up days around the church and helped elderly parishioners.

“Our program is neat because we bring children from all the different schools and school systems together,” Katie says. “We do an annual retreat where we take the kids overnight to a camp in Keystone Heights, Fla., and it’s partially a youth-run retreat at this point. Members of our group or graduates lead small groups during it.”

For the adults, Confirmation preparation is similar, but it depends upon where they are in relation to the faith. Many adults might have simply “missed” Confirmation because they moved parishes or moved to a different state. Many might be coming back to the faith after a period away.

“For whatever reason, they’re coming to complete that final Sacrament of Initiation,” Katie says. “Depending on their schedules, they might meet in small groups or large groups. Sometimes they attend RCIA.”

Katie has been in this role with St. Elizabeth for the past eight years, and she and her husband joined the parish with their two girls in 2015. Her parents had moved to the area, and she and her husband moved to be closer to them.

“We had gone to this church before when visiting them and were excited about putting our girls into Catholic school here,” Katie says. “Personally, I’ve been a catechist in some form since high school. I was a member of my home parish’s youth group, and when I went to a Catholic college, I was also involved in a nearby parish there on the weekends.”

Each year our diocese holds two adult Confirmations, with one in January in Gainesville and one in the spring at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. About five adults from our parish received Confirmation this year.

Likewise, approximately 60 youths received Confirmation on March 12 when the bishop came to St. Elizabeth to confer the sacrament.

“There are many ways parishioners can support youth and adults as they prepare for Confirmation,” Katie says. “You can volunteer in our sacramental preparation program or help organize service events for our youth, as we’d appreciate more opportunities within our community. You can always pray for them as well.”

For more information, contact Katie Allio at 386-445-2246, ext. 112, or kallio@seaspcfl.org.

Confirmandi 2023: Tyler Aumick, Ruben Barreto, Noah Bastos, Kaylin Brennan, Kaitlyn Caggiano, Nailah Coney, Leilah Cruz, Sthefany Cruz, Oliver Czekaj, Samantha D’Ascheberg, Arianna Duque, Andreia Fernandes, Skylar Garcia, Giuliana Giannini, Regan Goff, Andrew Gomes-Rebelo, Ethan Gordon, Giana Guerrera, Tyler Harshman, Ayden Henry, Liam Hoeni, Kara Knizley, Xander Lascano, Peyton Lynn, Matthew Marchand, James Minor Jr, Timothy Murphy, Dominic Pagan, Leela Robinson, Matthew Sholes, Mark Stevens, Adrian Szarwacki, Anthony Tavolacci, Megan Valko, William Wells, Brodie Whitmore, and Karolyn Whitney with Fr. Alex, Fr. Jim, Bishop Erik Pohlmeier, Fr. Jose and Fr. Rob.

Celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation, March 27, 2022