Confirmation is an important step on our journey of faith where we make a public declaration of our intention to follow in the footsteps of Christ. It is a decision taken individually and prayerfully and marks the point at which the commitments made by our parents and godparents become our own.
Each year boys and girls from the Monmouth Schools ask to deepen their knowledge and awareness of God. Group discussions are organised by the Chaplains of the schools to encourage the young people to continue the journey of faith.
This year nine boys from Monmouth school, together with nine girls from HMSG, were confirmed. During the Lent term, the candidates gathered week-by-week to explore the Christian faith and to discuss what it means to live as a follower of Christ. This time together culminated in a day-long retreat to the nearby Anglican convent of Tymawr which provided a peaceful and prayerful setting for the group to take time to be with God in the beautiful surroundings of the Convent.
During our retreat we reflected upon God’s call on all our lives and used the famous painting by Rembrandt, ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’, as a window through which we might catch a clearer glimpse of God’s love for us.
The service of Confirmation took place on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30pm in St. Mary's Priory Church in Monmouth with the Bishop of Monmouth, the Rt. Rev’d Dominic Walker and it proved to be a wonderful opportunity for family and supporters to gather and to celebrate with the candidates as they made this public declaration of faith.