From the Desk of Father Jason - September 27, 2026

Dear Saint Francis Xavier Parishioners,

“Be seal with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” Those are the words that the bishop (or his designate) prays during the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is an important sacrament. It finishes our initiation in the Catholic Church. It makes us able to stand tall in our faith.

Do you remember your Confirmation? I do not. I know that it happened because the Sacrament changed my life a few years later.

More than anything else, I believe the Holy Spirit working through the Sacrament of Confirmation transformed my life in college. Like a seed that is planted, the graces planted in my junior year blossomed in my second year of college.

I went from being a “practical Atheist” to being a full-fledged follower of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church and eventually a priest.

This Sunday at 1 pm at St. Mary in Ledgeview, seven high school students from Saint Francis Xavier will be Confirmed in the Catholic Church along with students from St. Mary and Old St. Joseph. My hope is that they will have the same transformation I had.

The next group of high school juniors will start their formation for Confirmation in the winter of 2027 for Confirmation in the fall. I invite all of our high school juniors to seek Confirmation. Go to our parish website, sfxdp.org and fill out the form under the Confirmation tab.

I have a second invitation. Some of our church members did not get Confirmed at the usual time. Whatever the reason, they are now adults and are not Confirmed. The process for people in this situation is to go through the Order for Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) which meets on Wednesdays here at St. Francis. I invite all of our adults who have not been Confirmed to seek Confirmation. It will change your life if you allow it. If you find yourself in this position, just email me and we will get things going, frjason@saintsdepere.org.

Sincerely through Jesus,

Fr. Jason