Confirmation - A Blog by Canon Philip
On the afternoon of Sunday 7th November 30 people from across the world gathered around Christ, with Beverley, the Bishop of Warrington, for a very memorable confirmation service. Confirmation has existed since the earliest centuries of the Church, principally as a way for those baptised in infancy to proclaim their identity as Christians for themselves, and to receive the assurance of God’s love.
There has not been a confirmation service at the Cathedral since before the pandemic, and this gathering was also unusual in that with the exception of a couple of candidates, all those present were members of the Cathedral Company, mainly through the Cathedral Choir, and Sepas, the Cathedral’s Persian (Farsi) speaking congregation.
We heard Jesus’ call to the fishermen, to follow him, read in Farsi first, then English, and the service that followed, with the Bishop taking her time to pray with each candidate, was a great proclamation that God is with us, and Christ is still calling people to know and share his love.
Many of those who came to support their loved ones spoke of being personally stirred by this celebration of faith and grace. And so we pray that God will go with each of the candidates, and do great things through them.
Canon Philip Anderson