By Martina Juan
KUCHING — A Confirmation Mass was held on 22 November at Blessed Sacrament Church, the last step for confirmands to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Organised by the Sunday School under the Ministry of Bible and Faith Formation for year 2025, 54 students in total received their Sacrament of Confirmation at the 6.00 pm Sunset Mass. It was also the Sunday of Christ the King. Since the Confirmation Mass was for both English and Chinese students, the first reading was read in English by a student from the English group, and the second reading was read in Chinese by a student from the Chinese group. The confirmands were from Level 10 in both English and Chinese sessions, as well as from the Adult Confirmation class.
This year, 2025, 35 students from the Level 10 English session, 17 from the Chinese Level 10, one from the Chinese Adult Confirmation class, and one from the English RCIA received their Sacrament of Confirmation.
During his Homily, Archbishop Simon Poh explained about Christ the King. He said if you are to change the word Kingdom in English to BM, it is Kerajaan. If you are to break up the word Kerajaan in BM by removing the imbuhan, ke and an, you have raja, which means King in English. Therefore, we are in a kingdom governed by the King, and in our case, Jesus is the King, the King of Mercy. We are under Jesus’s charge, even during the crucifixion he was wearing a crown, a crown of thorns. Wherever Jesus is, there is the Kingdom of God. Receive Jesus and reject the Evil one. Make Jesus, King of our Life.
He told the students that after Confirmation, they will later face the world on their own, so having been Confirmed, they will have the strength to face the world. To simplify the meaning of the Sacrament of Confirmation, he said it is as if the students received a chop or seal that they belong to the Catholic Church, and they belong to God.
The blessing with Chrism oil is like putting a stamp on a library book to show that it belongs to a specific library. In the same way, when the confirmands are anointed with Chrism on their foreheads, it is a sign that they belong to God. It marks them with a special seal, showing who they are and where they truly belong.
The confirmands were reminded that no matter what, they are the children of God; they cannot change or convert to another religion, and till the day their life ends, God‘s love will prevail. The incense used was to bless our bodies because our bodies are a temple where the Holy Spirit resides. Having received the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is to help them, the students, as they go through their daily Catholic life in the future. The confirmands are to live their life as witnesses of God.
A group photo of the confirmands with Archbishop Simon Poh and Rev Fr Leonard Yap was taken in front of the altar, and later the students, their parents and loved ones adjourned to the Parish Hall to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for these 54 students with a potluck dinner. The Sacrament of Confirmation certificates were also given out to the students after the dinner.
The event ended with the a few parents and teachers helping to clean up the Hall.
