New Confirmation Prep Update

Parents,
Confirmation is often gravely misconstrued. Its emphasis rightly understood is not so much upon the choice of the youth confirming their faith but upon the further gift that the Lord wants to confirm in them: the fullness of the Spirit. The readiness of the recipient of Confirmation already presumes faith and a living relationship with the Lord, after all, these youth have already been baptized and are ostensibly being reared in actively practicing Catholic households. But what if they are not being raised in such a fashion?

What if they, for some reason, do not believe in the Faith and are not ready? Is there something magical about the 8th-grade year that presumes every baptized Catholic is ready for Confirmation? These questions must be asked and both Archbishop Lucas and I are concerned that Confirmation for some time has become something given mechanically, regardless of the faith and the disposition of the recipient.

I believe with Canon Law that the best age for the reception of Confirmation is around the age of seven, the age of reason, when children are also receiving their First Holy Communion and are generally excited about their faith; however, so long as Confirmation is readily given to those in middle school in our Archdiocese, we must be realistic. Pre-teens and teenagers have a greater capacity for both knowledge and choice. We want young persons to receive the sacrament not out of cultural expectations but because they fully believe in the Catholic Faith, practice it, and want it. With such a disposition, the further gift of the Spirit can truly take root and be fruitful in their lives.

To address this reality, we are offering a new process of preparation for Confirmation. Every year we will offer the Sacrament of Confirmation on the Solemnity of Christ the King in the fall AND ALSO at the Vigil of Pentecost in the spring. This choice of dates allows us to meet the needs of candidates when they are ready rather than imposing upon them an artificial deadline.

Moreover, we will be hosting a 7-week course both in September-October and in March-April as preparation for the sacrament. Fully participating in one of these courses will be required for any interested party to receive Confirmation here at Christ the King Parish, whether enrolled in our five-day school, Family Faith Formation program, or homeschool options.

The courses will be highly experiential, inspiring, and formative in prayer and participation in the life of the Holy Spirit. They will be held on Wednesday evenings and a parent or the youth’s sponsor must accompany the youth at each of these meetings. Youth, like all of us, need mentors to grow in faith. Rather than expect teachers and catechists alone and apart from the family to prepare these young people for an important sacrament, we expect parents and/or Confirmation sponsor to take on an active role in the faith and lives of these awesome young people.

Confirmation will no longer be automatically given to eighth-graders; rather, when any middle school youth or even a teenager in high school is ready and desirous of the sacrament, he or she can attend either of these annual courses. If a precocious seventh-grader loves the Faith and wants to be confirmed, he or she can do it. If an 8th grader has grave doubts about their faith or doesn’t feel ready for Confirmation, then he or she can wait for the spring or even wait until they are ready, even if that is in high school.

All of these changes are made to preserve the integrity of the person receiving Confirmation and the integrity of the sacrament itself. We do not want anyone forced into Confirmation or to receive it without the proper disposition and intentions. We want it to be genuinely fruitful. Nothing could be more damaging than hearing about the awesome power of Confirmation and not experiencing it, to learning about the responsibility to evangelize and having no intention to do so. We want Confirmation to be meaningful for those receiving it and for the sacrament to find fertile soil in the hearts of the candidates.

I realize these changes require more effort on the part of candidates and their families but that is a good thing, right? What a grace for parents and sponsors to live out their vocations in a more direct and productive way! What a grace in showing respect for the freedom of our young people by making their choices intentional!

Your Servant in Christ,
Fr. Damien J. Cook
Pastor of Christ the King Church