A Journey to Confirmation

In April, Bishop Mary will be in Cynon Valley South enabling 38 young people to make the next step in their faith journey through Confirmation. Among them will be 10-year-old Jacob and 10-year-old Jasper, who regularly attend St Margaret’s, Aberaman with their families.

Jacob, a pupil at Cwmbach Community Primary School, said, “I want to be confirmed because I want to be a bigger part of the church, and my Gran would be very proud of me.

My favourite part of church is meeting people who have the same faith, and everyone is really welcoming. I like having a role in the church like reading or helping with the collection.”

Jasper, who also attends Cwmbach Community Primary School, said, “When I go to church it makes me feel closer to God. I really like being part of the church and helping in the services, like when I’m asked to read or take the collection. I would like to be confirmed to make a bigger commitment to God and Jesus’s teachings and learn how to bring them into my daily life.”

For the last three years Fr Matthew Gibbon has delivered Confirmation Classes for the Cynon Valley South MA with the help of volunteer Catechists (a term used by the church for volunteers who help teach others about faith) Dave, SJ, and Nicola.

Dave said, “With my beard, funny t-shirts and tattoos, I know I don’t look like a stereotypical Christian but for me it’s really important that our young people see that there’s place for everyone around the altar. Lots of the young people come with preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian, usually along the lines of a list of ‘thou shalt nots’. I love helping them to find joy in our faith, by reframing the narrative and focusing on all the things Christians should be, like loving, kind, joyful. We certainly enjoy lots of laughs together.”

SJ grew up in the church and was confirmed herself at the age of 11. “I love helping with Confirmation Classes,” she said. “Every year we get a new group of young people, all with their own gifts, abilities and talents and I love helping them to the realisation that there is space for them in the church exactly as they are. It’s also really important to me that our young people get to see examples of people who have a ministry but aren’t necessarily called to Ordination. They’re so full of questions that adults would just be too afraid to ask, I love those moments where they ask something that really makes me think too.”