Baptism and Confirmation

Bishop at Barnabee St. Joachim Church preforming a confirmation. 

A photo after a sacramental ceremony at St. Mary's mission in Omak Washington. Taken during the 1950s.

The first of the three initiatory holy sacraments in the Catholic Church is Baptism, which is represented as the admission to the Catholic Church. This sacrament is administered by a priest, such as Father Edward Griva, who was active around the Inland Northwest area in the early 1900s. In his diary he states that he “baptized a young man” at the mission (11 November 1914; Edward Griva Collection; Oregon Province Archives of the Society of Jesus, Foley Library, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington). This was one of many ceremonies that Father Griva would perform around the Plateau area of the Inland Northwest. The second sacrament is First Communion (more information can be found in the page titled “First Communion” on the right), and the final sacrament is Confirmation where a child becomes officially a part of the Catholic Church.  During Confirmation a priest or a bishop will gift a child with the Holy Spirit by drawing a cross on the forehead of a child after having dipped his thumb in holy oil. This sacrament happens to young adults who are mature enough to understand the gifts and responsibilities of the Holy Spirit. It is seen as a coming of age ceremony to many Catholics. The images on the left show a group of young children at their Confirmation ceremony.