Confirmation Gifts: Rosary, Cross and Picture with a Link to the Faith

On the day of Confirmation the bishop traces a cross with chrism on the forehead of the confirmand. Then everyday life begins for the young Christian. That is why sponsors and relatives look for Confirmation gifts that will accompany him there. Money is quickly spent. A gift with a link to the faith still recalls, years later, the sacrament that made him a soldier of Christ. This guide explains what Confirmation means according to traditional teaching, and from this derives what suits it.

What is a good Confirmation gift?

The best Confirmation gift is one with a link to the faith that accompanies the newly confirmed in everyday life: a robust rosary, a finger rosary for the pocket, a cross for his own room or a picture of the saint whose name he chose at Confirmation.

The standard follows from the sacrament itself. Because Confirmation strengthens the baptised for the spiritual combat, an object that encourages daily prayer is fitting; a robust rosary will also stand up to such use. The table arranges the usual Confirmation gifts by what they are for. A selection of robust pieces can be found in the collection Paracord rosaries from the workshop.

What does the sacrament of Confirmation mean?

Confirmation is the sacrament in which the baptised person receives the Holy Ghost for strengthening through the imposition of hands and anointing with chrism. It perfects the grace of baptism and equips the Christian to confess his faith fearlessly, as the Apostles did after Pentecost.

The bishop says the words: “I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” According to the Catechism of 1955, the word Confirmation means making firm, strengthening. The Roman Catechism explains that those anointed are signed on the forehead so that no fear or shame may deter them from confessing the Christian name; St Thomas Aquinas compares the cross on the forehead to the sign that a soldier bears from his commander: sicut miles signo ducis (S. th. III, q. 72, a. 9).

After the anointing the bishop gives the confirmed a light blow on the cheek and the greeting of peace. The Roman Catechism interprets both as follows:

“So that the one anointed and confirmed may remember that, like a courageous fighter, he must be ready to bear all adversities for the name of Christ with unbowed courage, the bishop strikes him lightly on the cheek with his hand.”

Roman Catechism by decree of the Council of Trent, Part II, On Confirmation, no. XXV (German edition, Passau 1853, p. 224; translated from the German)

According to the Catechism of 1955, the confirmand should pray daily for the gifts of the Holy Ghost as preparation. A short prayer for this is the “Come, Holy Ghost”, a beautiful line for the card that goes with the gift, too.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.
V. Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur;
R. Et renovabis faciem terrae.

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of thy love.
V. Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Latin: Preces et pia opera, Vatican City 1952, no. 287. English: the traditional form. The German version: Jesus, meine Liebe! Katholisches Gebetbuch, Regensburg 1875, p. 63, shortened to the length of the Latin text.

Why is a paracord rosary a good Confirmation gift?

A paracord rosary suits Confirmation because it is made for daily use. It is knotted from military-grade 4 mm 550 paracord and, in form and name, recalls the spiritual combat for which Confirmation strengthens the young Christian.

The Soldier of Christ paracord rosary, for example, is knotted from black 4 mm 550 paracord and is about 51 cm long including the crucifix. It has 10 mm metal beads, the Our Father beads in bronze, a Miraculous Medal with Latin lettering and a Pardon Crucifix; its loop fits over most heads. If you prefer something smaller, choose a paracord finger rosary: a small rosary with ten Hail Mary beads and one Our Father bead. The silver/red finger rosary, for instance, fits in a trouser pocket and can also be worn as a bracelet.

What matters is its use. A rosary is an object of prayer, not merely an ornament for the wrist. If you want to show the confirmand how to pray it, you will find all the prayers in our guide to the Rosary with prayer companion.

What does the sponsor give for Confirmation?

The sponsor does best to give something that suits his office: he is to guide the confirmed in the faith. A rosary, a cross or a prayer book, together with the promise to pray with him, links the gift to the task the sponsor takes on before the bishop.

The 1917 Code requires a sponsor at Confirmation, as at baptism, if one can be had (can. 793). The sponsor must himself be confirmed (can. 795). For lawfulness he should be someone other than the baptismal sponsor and of the same sex as the confirmand (can. 796). Confirmation gives rise to a spiritual relationship, and the sponsor is obliged to regard the confirmed person as entrusted to him for ever and to see to his Christian upbringing (can. 797).

The Roman Catechism grounds the office of sponsor in an image from combat: whoever wishes to enter battle needs someone to instruct him with skill and insight. How much more, then, do the faithful, when through Confirmation they go into the spiritual combat “armed as with the strongest weapons”, need “a leader and counsellor” (translated from the German). The Catechism of 1955 sums up the task briefly: the sponsor should help the confirmed by prayer, word and example to fulfil his duties faithfully.

What gift suits the Confirmation name?

To suit the Confirmation name, give a picture, a statue or a medal of the saint whose name the confirmand took at Confirmation. This saint becomes a further patron and model for the newly confirmed.

The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1911 reports that at Confirmation, at which a sponsor assists as at baptism, it has become customary to take a new name. It recalls examples from history: the French King Henry III was baptised with the names Edouard Alexandre and received at Confirmation the name Henri, under which he later reigned.

A picture of the Confirmation patron above the desk or a small statue on the shelf is a gift that grows with its owner. Saints such as St Michael the Archangel, St Joseph with the Child Jesus or St Benedict can be found among our wall pictures of the saints.

Does a Confirmation gift have to be blessed?

A Confirmation gift does not have to be blessed in order to be given. But a rosary or a cross becomes a sacramental only through the blessing of a priest. The simplest way is to have it blessed by a priest after the Confirmation.

In our rosary descriptions we ask you to have rosaries and devotional items blessed by a priest before use. According to the 1917 Code, sacramentals are things or actions which the Church, in a certain imitation of the sacraments, uses in order to obtain through her intercession effects above all of a spiritual kind (can. 1144). A blessed rosary therefore achieves nothing by its own power; it is a sign with which one asks God for help. Any priest may bless, except for the blessings reserved to the Pope, the bishops or others (can. 1147 § 2). Blessed objects are to be treated with reverence and not put to profane use (can. 1150).

For Confirmation Soldier of Christ Paracord Rosary Hand-knotted from black 550 paracord, with metal beads, Our Father beads in bronze, Miraculous Medal and Pardon Crucifix. View the rosary For the pocket Paracord Finger Rosary, silver/red Of red 550 paracord, Hail Mary beads of stainless steel, Our Father bead of metal, Trinity cross with St Benedict medal. View the finger rosary

Frequently asked questions about Confirmation gifts