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An outpouring of the Holy Spirit on 67 adults in Clifton

| Catholic Herald
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Bishop Michael F. Burbidge makes the sign of the cross on Garnett Williams forehead with Sacred Chrism during the Adult Confirmation at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton June 10. COURTESY STEVE HEMLER

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The confirmation candidates are presented to Bishop Michael F. Burbidge before being confirmed at St. Andrew the Apostle. ASHLEIGH KASSOCK | CATHOLIC HERALD

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A confirmation sponsor embraces a confirmandi during the sign of peace at the Mass for adult confirmation in Clifton June 10. ASHLEIGH KASSOCK | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Laura Adams processes out of St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton with her sponsor and husband Austin Adams and 66 other men and women confirmed June 10. ASHLEIGH KASSOCK | CATHOLIC HERALD

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The Holy Spirit was called down in force this past weekend with the priestly ordination on June 9 followed by the confirmation of adults on June 10. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge welcomed the 67 confirmation candidates and their sponsors to the Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton along with their families and friends.

 “What you all have in common is that you are not all here today because of some sort of chance or coincidence,” said Bishop Burbidge. “You are here today because the Lord in his divine and mysterious plan and time has chosen you. He has led you to this moment where you will soon be fully initiated into the one holy catholic and apostolic church.”

“I feel very complete now.” Garnett Williams

 He encouraged the candidates to live out the peace of Christ by living in a right relationship with God, themselves and with others even if it requires separating from the crowd.

 “Pray every day, ‘Spirit of God, give me the courage that I need,’” said Bishop Burbidge. “Strengthened with the precious gift of the Holy Eucharist, go forth as witnesses of Christ.”

 Bishop Burbidge called the candidates forward with their sponsors referring to them by their confirmation names, and made the sign of the cross with Sacred Chrism on their forehead.

 For Precious Blood Church parishioner Garnett Williams, the path to confirmation started out as just another “check-in-the-box” to marry his fiancée, Jennifer Vauk, who also served as his sponsor. While it may have started that way, he said the faith instruction he received over the past few months transformed it into an influential faith initiative.

 “I feel very complete now,” said Williams.

 The fact that the confirmation was held at St. Andrew the Apostle Church held special significance for Williams, who chose the confirmation name Andrew.

 “I chose St. Andrew because he was Jesus’s first disciple, a fisherman and finally and most importantly because of his humility in not wanting to be crucified on a cross in the same shape and configuration as Jesus because he felt he was not worthy,” he said.

 The Mass for Adult Confirmation was the second of its kind in the diocese this spring. More than 150 adults were confirmed at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington on Pentecost. 

 

© Arlington Catholic Herald 2018