Young Catholic faithful received the sacrament of confirmation on Sunday with the Archbishop of the Catholic Church foreseeing a bright future ahead for Samoa with its youth.

More than 20 youth members of the congregation received the church's sacrament on Sunday at the Nu'u Fou Aiga Fesilafa'i Catholic Parish.

The Archbishop of the Catholic Church, Alapati Lui Mataeliga, emphasised the importance of the sacrament of confirmation in an interview with the Samoa Observer on Sunday.

"The Catholic Church observes seven sacraments, baptism, confirmation, the eucharist, confessional penance, the anointing of the sick, the sacrament of matrimony, and the ordination of priests, so those are the seven sacraments," the Archbishop said.

"The first three sacraments are baptism, confirmation and the eucharist are called sacraments of initiation. That is to say that these are the sacraments in which you are initiated into the church. 

The Archbishop said that once someone became a member of the body of Christ, a member of the church is the purpose of the sacrament of confirmation.

"So they have already received the eucharist, the other sacraments they also receive as they need and as they grow in the faith. Confirmation is as the word says they are confirmed in the faith," he said.

"In other words, they are now beginning to understand the faith so it's time for them to bear witness to Jesus Christ and the faith that they have received."

In May this year more than 200 Catholic faithful accepted the sacrament of confirmation at the Spiritual Center in Logo-i-Pulotu in Savai'i

"I am going around the whole year, conferring the sacrament in the archdiocese. There's about maybe 20 more parishes to go to," the Archbishop said.

"I think by the end we may be confirming three thousand young people which is a blessing."

Archbishop Mataeliga said there are many young people in Samoa, and with that there is a bright future for Samoa, the church, families and the villages.

He said that some have missed out but now is the opportunity for them to receive the sacrament of confirmation.