At 18h00 on Tuesday 3 October, 32 St Mary’s girls from Forms III to V were confirmed by the Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg, the Rt Revd Dr Steve Moreo. The service took place within the context of a formal Eucharist attended by the girls’ families, friends and teachers. Ven. Michelle Pilet, our Archdeacon, also attended to support the girls.

The confirmation service was a culmination of an almost year-long process which began in January. The girls and I met for weekly confirmation classes on Sunday evenings during term time. The girls had input into what was to be discussed each week. Topics ranged from the nature of our triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and the nature of the Bible, to the problem of pain and suffering in the context of faith, forgiveness, and the history of the image of Christ. As individuals we each bring a different perspective on matters of our Christian faith – I enjoyed the diversity this year’s group evidenced in our discussions and in our prayers together.

Confirmation is one of the official sacraments of the Anglican Church – one of the visible and outward signs of the inward and invisible grace that is God’s gift to us. Confirmation is an important step in the journey that starts at baptism: it is the individual’s opportunity to commit for herself that she wants to walk closely with God in her life. Confirmation should therefore not simply be undertaken in order to “tick a box”, so to speak – rather, the confirmation service is a profound moment in a person’s journey with Christ, with Christ’s light shining every more brightly in the life of that person as she journeys on.

Thank you, girls, for allowing me to journey along with yourselves and with Christ this year. I wish you every blessing in this journey in the days and years to come.

Revd Claudia Coustas