Find your way through our shared confirmation experience
St Mary's runs courses each year for people who wish to be confirmed. Confirmation is a way in which any adult or young person (from 12 years upwards) can make a public declaration of Christian faith. A special service is held in church, with a bishop laying hands on the head of each candidate, asking God to fill them with his Holy Spirit. In a way, it is the sequel to infant baptism. If you were baptised as a child, your parents made promises to God to bring you up as a Christian, that is, to hold the faith in trust until you are able to make a personal decision to follow Christ. Confirmation is a means by which you can make that commitment real.
Preparation for this event involves a 14-week course looking at the basics of the Christian faith. Commitment to this course does not mean you have to be confirmed at the end of it - you may not feel you are ready for such a big step - however, it gives you a chance to debate and learn with other people in a similar position, allowing you to ask all those questions about Christianity you had kept under wraps for a suitable occasion.
