In the sacrament of Confirmation the apostles and the bishops, who are their successors, hand on to the baptized the special gift of the holy Spirit, promised by Christ the Lord and poured out upon the apostles at Pentecost. Thus the initiation in the Christian life is completed so that believers are strengthened by power from heaven, made true witnesses of Christ in word and deed, and bound more closely to the Church. (Decree on Confirmation: Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship)

Following the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the sacrament of Confirmation is facilitated by a two year formation process, usually the freshman and sophomore years of High School. Parents, and sponsors are part of the process under the direction of the Confirmation team. Formation is linked with the Santa Clara Youth Group program and participation is expected. Registration forms are available in the CCD (Religious Education) office at Santa Clara Elementary School. For more information please contact and Peter Rydberg at 805-483-9177.

Special programs for confirmation of adults, and young adults (outside of the Christian Initiation program [RCIA] are also available at Santa Clara as well as neighboring parishes. Please contact the Parish office for information.

Confirmation Process

Our confirmation process is a two year process for teens in their freshman year of high school or older who have received or are in the process of receiving the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. The process begins in the fall and continues through the year until the end of spring and meets weekly in the Parish Center.

The goal of the first year process is to develop the teens involvement with other teens of the Parish community, establish an individual sense of belonging in and to the Parish and communication with God in their daily lives. The first year process requires attending a minimum of twenty Wednesday sessions which center on topics of prayer, scripture, sacraments, social issues, spiritual development, etc..., to name a few.

The goal of the second year process is to share a more in-depth look of the Catholic faith in our sacraments, scripture, weekly liturgies, and daily lives which will lead to both a greater personal communication and a deeper relationship with God.

The second year process requires attending to all Sunday afternoon meetings. It incorporates personal and class development through small group interactions, dialoguing, faith sharing, scripture readings and prayer. Active participation in the Sunday 5:00pm liturgy is requested of all candidates. The second year process includes a weekend retreat, meetings with sponsors, opportunities to meet the local priests and community service activities.