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A SONNING church welcomed hundreds of people to witness a special ceremony earlier this month, as 28 people were confirmed.
The service was led by the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Stephen Croft, and was held on Sunday, November 20 at St Andrew’s. It sees people who were christened as a child declare they are sticking to their baptism promises, and is a key part of life in the Church of England.
In all, there were 12 adults and 16 young people, ranging in age from 11 to 83, and across the diocese 79 people were confirmed on the same day.
The Revd Katie Toogood, associate vicar of St Andrew’s, led preparation classes for the adults in the run-up the service.
“It has been amazing to see God at work in the lives of so many people and it has been a privilege to be a part of their journeys. I led the preparation classes for the 12 adults, and we are planning to carry on meeting as a group,” she said.
“I know that our Youth Minister, Chris West, felt similarly as he prepared our young people for confirmation, five of whom were baptised in the River Thames a few weeks earlier.
They are also continuing to meet as a group.”
The Bishop of Reading, the Rt Revd Olivia Graham, confirmed 34 people at All Saints, Boyne Hill, and 14 young people at Wellington College in Crowthorne. Among those in Boyne Hill, were 18 Iranian asylum seekers.
She said: “The bishops confirmed 79 wonderful and unique people, each one with their own story.
“Each candidate had given very serious thought to taking the step of confirmation and committing their life to following Jesus. It is a joy to see the action of the Holy Spirit in each person’s life, and to celebrate this with their friends and families supporting and praying for them.”
A further service was held at St Mary Magdalen in Oxford, where Bishop Humphrey Southern baptised a third-year undergraduate at the University of Oxford and confirmed two other members of the university.
