Celebrating
I
t's something of an understatement to simply say that the Sacrament of Confirmation is an important step in our walk of faith. The final among the three Sacraments of Initiation, Confirmation seals us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, providing the opportunity to make personal, our own Catholic faith.
the Sacrament of
On May 10 of this year, Jacqueline Cottle and Dominick Maggio, among many other peers, received the Sacrament of Confirmation. The group had gathered regularly over the course of a year for learning and meeting together in order to prepare for reception of the sacrament. This included meeting during Life Teen nights, as well as retreats, and completing at least 10 hours of community service, and a written reflection on the experience. “This past year, participating in Life Teen events and other activities related to my Confirmation preparation helped me to strengthen and renew my relationship with Jesus,” Jacqueline says. Leaving behind the familiarity of her school, church and friends, Jacqueline and her family moved here in 2018. The move caused her to drift away from her relationship with Jesus and the Church for a period of time. But the preparation time she spent devoted to her Confirmation helped her to come back into her faith. “My life as a Catholic has been a lifelong process,” she says. Jacqueline chose St. Joan of Arc as her patron saint for The process of preparing for his Confirmation brought Dominick Maggio into her Confirmation. She felt this was an appropriate choice, a deeper prayer life. given her aspirations of fighting for her country. While Joan of Arc did it by going to war with the English during Medieval times, Jacqueline desires to pursue a career in catching dangerous criminals here in the United States. Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation was a significant moment for Jacqueline’s faith journey. “Confirmation means that I can move forward in my own faith, independently, and Jacqueline Cottle was one of the Confirmation candidates from this past Easter. The highlight of the day was not just follow the faith of my when Fr. Blum gave her the formal blessing.
4