This Thursday Bishop Barry C. Knestout, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, Will Come to St

This Thursday Bishop Barry C. Knestout, auxiliary bishop of Washington, will come to St. Hugh’s to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation upon our eighth-grade candidates.

Special thanks to Kathi Kramer, Director of Religious Education, and Mary Wade, eighth grade catechist, who have assisted our young people in preparing to receive the graces of this Sacrament.

The Church speaks of Confirmation as “sealing” or “completing” Baptism. In Baptism, one is plunged into the grace of the Lord’s death and resurrection and made a child of God through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In Confirmation, the grace of the Spirit is bestowed again as it was upon the apostles at Pentecost, to strengthen the baptized to give effective witness to Christ before the world.

Baptism and Confirmation permanently “mark” the inner person, configuring it to the Person of Christ. In virtue of these two sacraments, the Christian is immersed and vivified by that Love which is God himself, and then sent forth to communicate that Love to others.

Baptism and Confirmation are both like springs of water which well up from the very core of the Christian, continually refreshing and strengthening her as she joyfully ministers Christ to others.

Therefore, they are “permanent” sacraments. Although they are conferred but once, we draw upon their graces continually thereafter to sustain us in the Christian life. In this sense, they are ever present sacraments. As we work mightily each day to follow the Lord and live according to the commandments of Christ, our baptism in Jesus’ death and resurrection is renewed and the gift of the Holy Spirit is continually poured upon us.

Please remember our confirmands and their families in your prayers this week.

Yours in Christ,

Father Walter

P.S. Congratulations to Archbishop William E. Lori, former auxiliary bishop of Washington and bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut, who was installed last Wednesday as the 16th Archbishop of Baltimore. May the Lord ever strengthen him in his apostolic responsibilities to teach, pastor, and sanctify the people of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.Ad multosannos!