HOUSTON — Augustine... Joan of Arc... Judas Tadeo... Mateo...
One by one, bearing the name of a confirmation saint, more than 750 adults stepped forward in faith and presented themselves to God as they reverently bowed slightly before Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, and received the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the holy chrism in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Just a step behind them in presence and prayer, their sponsor witnessed the moment as they placed their hand on the shoulder of the candidate they had walked with on their faith journey. Then, as they walked past the filled pews, the head-turning scent of chrism slowly filled the air.
In total, 758 Catholics from at least 72 parishes across the Archdiocese received the Sacrament of Confirmation at six separate Masses celebrated by Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop Dell’Oro.
They celebrated a bilingual Mass on Jan. 7 at four parishes, including St. Ignatius of Loyola in Spring, Christ the Redeemer in Houston, St. Angela Merici in Missouri City and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston. They also celebrated two more Masses at the Catholic Charismatic Center on Jan. 21, which brought the final total of adults confirmed to 758, a count that was 201 more than last year in 2023, which saw 557 confirmed.
