Your Question: What is Confirmation? What does it mean in terms of our religion?

The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Along with Baptism and Eucharist, it is one of the three sacraments of initiation. Its purpose is to “seal” one’s initiation into the Church. In the early church, the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and first Eucharist were all given at the same time, by the bishop. As the Church grew, however, there arose the need for priests to baptize the faithful. In the western Latin churches (which is where the Latin rite we follow comes from), Confirmation was then still done by the bishop, but at an older age. Thus, a Christian’s initiation would be “sealed” and completed when one was older, and the connection between the bishop and initiation into the Church was maintained. Even now, the bishop is the one who gives the sacrament of Confirmation, though parish priests can receive what is called “faculties” to administer the sacrament, which often happens.

Confirmation is likened to the sending of the Holy Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost. It is at Confirmation that we are further strengthened in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to go forth and do the work of the Apostles. We are sent forth to make disciples of all nations, and are strengthened in our task of proclaiming the gospel to others in deed and word. Since the core mission of the Church is indeed to make disciples of all nations, Confirmation plays a very important role in our religion. Through this sacrament, we are prepared by the Holy Spirit to go out and bring the gospel to every person in the world in our words and deeds.

For more on the Sacrament of Confirmation see the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a2.htm