There are Seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Last Rites, Marriage and Holy Orders. All seven of these sacraments are physical manifestations of God’s supernatural Grace. During all of these sacraments, people are able to connect with God beyond simply temporal interactions and unite with Christ in his Heavenly Kingdom.

The first two of these are Baptism and Confirmation. These are two of three sacraments that are known as sacraments of initiation (the third is the Eucharist, which will be discussed later). Baptism and Confirmation are called sacraments of initiation because they are sacraments in which we initiate ourselves into the Catholic faith, they are both only given once in a person’s life, and they are inherently connected.

Baptism

Baptism is the very first sacrament a Catholic experiences. Regardless of their age, when a person enters into baptism, they are initiated into the Catholic Church, and because this happens only one time, they are considered Catholic for the rest of their lives. Baptism itself is a ritual where the water and anointing oils used symbolize the washing away of your previous sins (to include Original Sin). After this cleansing of Original Sin, the person is considered a part of the Church and the Holy Spirit grants them special graces to help them on their journey through the Church on Earth. A few facts about Baptism:

The word “Baptism” is derived from the Greek “baptizo” which means to wash or immerse.

At Baptism, you are given a set of Godparents, chosen by the initiate (or typically their parents for a child), the Godparent is to be the spiritual counselor for the initiate to help them grow in their Faith.

While Baptism cleanses you from Original Sins and your previous sins, it does not shield you from your sins you commit after being baptized. These will be addressed in the sacrament of Penance.

Upon completion of an RCIA program, if you choose to convert to Catholicism, you will partake in a baptismal ceremony, typically during the Easter Vigil Mass (although a person can be baptized at any time).

In order for a Baptism to be valid, it has to be considered a “Trinitarian” baptism; meaning you are baptized “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (the Trinity). This means if you were baptized in some other denominations of Christianity, your baptism may have been valid for the Catholic Church. If you fit this description and are looking to convert, consult your local parish for verification.

Below is a video that goes into greater detail on Baptism

Confirmation

Confirmation is the completion of your baptism and initiation into the Church, it is preceded by your Baptism and first Communion; meaning you cannot be confirmed until you’ve taken part in those sacraments. The purpose of Confirmation is to act as a “coming of age” ceremony in the Church. At this point in your spiritual journey, you take individual account and ownership of your actions and confirm your desire to do God’s Will.

The Act of Confirmation consists of a clergy member (usually a bishop) laying their hands on the initiate and anointing them with oils. As part of the ritual, a candidate will choose a “Confirmation Name” which is generally the name of a saint who has inspired them or who they strive to emulate. Similar to how Baptism has Godparents, Confirmation candidates will choose a sponsor - someone to act as a spiritual mentor and help the individual prepare for the sacrament.

There are no age requirements, the only requirements for eligibility are a candidate must have already been baptized and received their First Communion (Eucharist). Typically individuals who are raised Catholic will receive their Confirmation between the ages of 11-17, depending on the traditions of their local diocese. RCIA candidates and adult converts will typically receive all three initiation sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist) all during the Easter Vigil Mass.

Below is a video that goes into greater detail on Confirmation: