Confirmation and a First Holy Communion

Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and the faith community at Saint Patrick Catholic Church celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation on March 12, 2016.

About two dozen young people who spent months preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation under the leadership of Joe and Anna Skillman, Ministers for Youth Group and Youth Confirmation received the sacrament.

First Holy Communion Received

The Confirmation group warmly welcomed Maggie B. into their celebration.  Maggie received her First Holy Communion.  Bishop Eusebio offered Maggie the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time while
her parents and brother Ben surrounded her. Her brother Ben received Confirmation at the same Mass.  Maggie received her First Holy Communion prior to the First Holy Communion weekend of April 23 – 24, 2016 because she is moving to Germany with her parents Ben and Heidi Brinkmeyer and her siblings Ben, Connor, Jack, and Grace in early April 2016 as they follow their commands laid out by the Army. The parish community is grateful for the service they give to our parish and our country.

Reflection Letters are Part of the Preparation

As part of their formation, the Confirmation candidates wrote letter to the Bishop about why they wanted to be confirmed.  The excerpts from the letter are inspiring.

No matter what happens, I am the one who determines how much I let God into my life.Kellie H.

This is real. God isn’t just someone or something we believe in. He is an actual God, who loves, cares, and desired us to be closer to him.Annemarie B.

God ultimately has a plan for me. I am not quite sure what it is yet, but I know it is going to be something good…..He will be there for me, by my side, walking with me.Robert T.

God has very much called me towards the sacrament of Confirmation. I never felt more sure about any decisionAllie S.

To be able to have a real conversation about faith is a rare thing and it gave me a chance to truly take responsibility for my faith. While I was praying I truly felt God’s presence. This experience gave me a renewed sense of commitment to my faith.Jarob M.

The thing I found most impactful was that I am able to talk to God about anything and pray to him…. This was one of the things I was lacking.AJ C.

God has loved us and will continue to love us for the rest of our lives unconditionally. I have heard about this before in previous religion classes, but hearing it NOW at this important age gives me reason to believe that it is true.Judd P.

The Catholic faith gives me this feeling of love that my life has been looking for. I want to be apart of the church knowing I am truly a part of the community it created.Ben B.

I need God in my life. He gives me strength I can’t find anywhere else.Max A.

I think that is what faith is ultimately about. Realizing the love of God and sharing it with as many people as we meet.Max H.

I found that prayer has been the most impactful preparation in confirmation. It has challenged me to ask God what he wants me to do and figure out my plans in life. Praying also relaxes me and I feel a certain peace after I talk to God.Maggie S.

I felt God has called me to be His follower and I am ready to live my life faithfully. I want to live my life with God first, before all of the other distractions. Spending meaningful time in prayer and reflection really helped me realize the capacity of God’s love.Claire T.

I can rely on my family to continue to guide me in my Christian life and I could not ask for anything more.Matthew M.

I am ready to take on my own faith journey.Alexis W.

Congratulations

We are very blessed to have these individuals in our midst. Please support and congratulate them as they continue on in their faith journey.