The annual ‘Confirmation Morning with the Bishop’ was held early this year, on 24th January 2026, at Bandon Grammar School. Every year, Bishop Paul Colton invites all the young people who hope to be confirmed in the year ahead to meet him for a morning of fun, games, activities, singing and refreshments. With the Bishop’s retirement being announced this year, the Confirmation Morning was organised by the Cork Diocesan Youth Council, to make sure that every candidate was able to attend before the three special confirmation services which will take place in February.

After an ice breaker game the confirmands took part in five different groups and activities.

Peter Stobart, Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, who heads up the Diocesan Church Music Scheme, taught everyone the hymn the Bishop chose to be sung at each of the Confirmation Services in the Diocese this year, Firmly I believe and truly.

A room full of different prayer stations was set up and supervised by Nathan Kingston, who is a leader in CDYC. These stations were designed to reflect, be mindful and pray silently during an otherwise very busy day!

Intentional Discipleship in Cork, Cloyne and Ross is being integrated in the Diocesan programme Charting a Future with Confidence. At the Confirmation morning, the Very Reverend Cliff Jeffers, Dean of Ross, with the help of two ladders, explored with the young people what it means to be a disciple.

The Rev. James Power introduced the candidates to the Holy Bible, with fun questions about the contents of the Old and New Testaments, and other useful skills such as recognising Greek and Hebrew writing.

A session on the Holy Spirit was led by Pioneer Evangelist Sarah Louise Kilroy, where the candidates discovered and discussed the many ways in which the Holy Spirit and our belief can help us with our everyday life.

For many years, Bishop Colton, has spoken to each group of confirmands about prayer. Through his work in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden he discovered, several decades ago, the ‘Wreath of Christ’, a bracelet with prayer beads. Each year he has given a gift of one of these to each young person in the Diocese who has been confirmed to provide one way to help them with their praying. This year, the Bishop addressed all confirmands together and they watched a video message prepared by Bishop Paul, in which he explained everything about the prayer beads.