"Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit."
Acts 8:14-17
Building on the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, and holy communion, confirmation completes the process of initiation into the Catholic community. Through Confirmation, we receive, from the Holy Spirit, the strength and courage to practice our faith.
Jesus promised His followers He would send His Spirit to comfort and strengthen them after His death. Forty days after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them on Pentecost. Through Confirmation, our own Pentecost, we receive the Holy Spirit, through the anointing with oil and the laying on of hands.
A few years after receiving the sacraments of Penance and First Eucharist, children receive the sacrament of Confirmation after completing a two-year program of preparation. Generally, students are in the 8th or 9th grades at the time they are confirmed. Confirmation usually is held in May or June.
As with baptism, adult confirmation is part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
Learn more about RCIA.