Initiation Sacrament: Confirmation held at St. Mary Magdalene
By Marie Mulvenna
For The Newnan Times-Herald
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Newnan was the recent setting for the confirmation of candidates by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Confirmation is the second of the initiation sacraments of the Catholic faith, the first being baptism. It is considered a sign of maturity, binding the candidates, known as confirmandi, more closely to the Church and calling upon them to live as true witnesses to Christ, both spreading and defending the faith.
Zarama blessed each candidate individually by the ancient rite of laying on of hands. He anointed their forehead with the sacred chrism oil, saying “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The holy oil of chrism is used during the reception of confirmation. It is one of the sacred oils blessed before Easter, during Holy Week, and is kept publicly visible in each parish for the succeeding year.
Confirmation was held at St. Mary Magdalene on Jan. 28.
Members of the confirmation class are Tanner Brandner, Sophie Chokrane,Nick Eimer, Kaitlynn Gillette,Hallee Haskins, Kyla Helmeczy, Diego Kawai, Julia Livingston,Micaela Lyons, Luke Madden,Krystal McPhie,Matthew Nix, Kate O’Neill, Will Rheingrover, Lauren Schexnayder, Ivy Stamps, Josh Villacres and John Vitale.
