While Baptism is the gateway into the Catholic faith, the Sacrament of Confirmation affirms your commitment to your faith and renews your baptismal promises before your First Holy Communion. You do this with the help of a sponsor. Your sponsor is someone who you choose - a Catholic who guides you into the faith and readies you to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is typical for baptised children to be confirmed at about seven or eight years old, which the Church considers the age of reason. In this way, the sacrament is often likened to a rite of passage.

The timing of First Holy Communion and Confirmation has changed in recent years, so if you’re over 30 years old, you might have done it differently. The current order of the Sacraments of Initiation reflects the intended purpose from ancient times, which always was to renew your baptismal promise before First Holy Communion.