During Confirmation, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are invoked upon the candidates as the Bishop extends his hands forward in an ancient gesture. Those present pray silently that the Spirit of the Living God might fill the hearts and minds of the young people.
Each Candidate is presented by their sponsor and anointed by the Bishop in the form of a cross on their forehead with sacred Chrism, the same oil used in the ordination of a priest. Through the anointing with the Holy Spirit, the baptized person receives the seal of the Lord, together with the gift of the Holy Spirit which conforms them more closely with Christ and urges them to speak the Lord's presence among all men and women.
Pictured in the photo from left to right, Msgr. Leising, Bishop Grosz, Nathan Hammer and sponsor Tim Hammer. (Photo by Bob Scott.)