2 Questions About Confirmation

[TimothyH]

I got the opposite feeling from the OP, that he/she was indeed very interested in getting confirmed and did not turn away at all.

Semper Zelare…

The sacrament is the sacrament. It does not matter if you like the priest or if he is a good guy or how he says Mass. As long as the person performing the sacrament is the bishop or a priest designated by the bishop, it’s good.

I was confirmed last year at 47 years of age. As an adult, I went through a two hour class, once per week in the evening for ten weeks. The class was seperate from RICA. The deacon told me that “there are other ways to get it done” but recommended that I take the class if I was at all able to do so and that’s what I did.

You need to get it done. It’s important. Explain that you have no sponsor and see what they say, Heck, if you are anywhere near Kennesaw Georgia, I’ll be your sponsor. Yo, me and Aux Bishop Zarama is tight.

 

[joandarc2008]

Now Sempare Zelare- my apologies - I got from your story that while you had not been confirmed because it was too early for your parents to make it to Church for the classes - but then you had stated you had not been back - so I apologize for misunderstanding.

Now - as far as the non denominational Bible study regardless of whether or not you attend you are not being bashed for it - you are simply being informed that their interpretation of the Bible is often much different and that you can easily be lead to some very wrong teachings that are going to conflict with the responsibilities that go with your Confirmation. It has nothing to do with being bashed for it.

Yes I understand the South - I just moved from there - one of my friends works for the one of the bishops in your area so I know all about it. The thing is regardless - you could be a Catholic scholar - not for me to discern but for the priest that will tell the Bishop -yeah or neah - if that priest does not have face time with you in class to make sure that you understand your Baptismal promises and Confirmation promises than how can he say either way? It is like recommending someone for a job (in this a vocation as a priest, prophet, king) without ever meeting them.

So I apologize for the misunderstanding of your situation. I too remember what it was like when I could not drive due to a physical disability but I know that I always got to mass at the Church 30 miles a way. I picked up a phone started asking for help. In this case if you really don’t like the priest you may have to call around.

 

[TimothyH]

Bad news-- your home parish is going to have to dig through their records anyways because you’ll need your sacramental record to show you’ve been baptized in order to be confirmed.

They do this all the time. The deacon or priest calls the parish and they fax or mail the document. I called for my marriage records and the priest mailed it to the deacon at my current church that day.

They’ve been doing it for two thousand years and have it figured out pretty well. It’s not a big deal.

-Tim-

 

[joandarc2008]

They do this all the time. The deacon or priest calls the parish and they fax or mail the document. I called for my marriage records and the priest mailed it to the deacon at my current church that day.

They’ve been doing it for two thousand years and have it figured out pretty well. It’s not a big deal.

-Tim-

Well 2000 years ago I am sure they did it by camel and not faxes - LOL

 

[felsguy]

. But the priest is pretty liberal and I thought that I needed to personally know a practicing Catholic to be my catechuman, so I made this thread.

Just to help eliminate confusion as your move forward, it is a Confirmation sponsor that will you accompany you in this process. The qualifications of a sponsor will be explained to you during your preparation (whether it’s part of RCIA or separate) and as was ponted out above, a sponsor will be found for you if you do not identify one yourself.

 

[Semper_Zelare]

Now Sempare Zelare- my apologies - I got from your story that while you had not been confirmed because it was too early for your parents to make it to Church for the classes - but then you had stated you had not been back - so I apologize for misunderstanding.

Now - as far as the non denominational Bible study regardless of whether or not you attend you are not being bashed for it - you are simply being informed that their interpretation of the Bible is often much different and that you can easily be lead to some very wrong teachings that are going to conflict with the responsibilities that go with your Confirmation. It has nothing to do with being bashed for it.

Yes I understand the South - I just moved from there - one of my friends works for the one of the bishops in your area so I know all about it. The thing is regardless - you could be a Catholic scholar - not for me to discern but for the priest that will tell the Bishop -yeah or neah - if that priest does not have face time with you in class to make sure that you understand your Baptismal promises and Confirmation promises than how can he say either way? It is like recommending someone for a job (in this a vocation as a priest, prophet, king) without ever meeting them.

So I apologize for the misunderstanding of your situation. I too remember what it was like when I could not drive due to a physical disability but I know that I always got to mass at the Church 30 miles a way. I picked up a phone started asking for help. In this case if you really don’t like the priest you may have to call around.

Thank you very much for your response. I may’ve been a little harsh in correcting you. But it was just a misunderstanding on your part. The tone of what people type online is often misconstrued from how it actually is. So, I fully accept your apology.

But, yeah, I don’t dislike the priest to any real degree. I think since I’m just slightly uncomfortable at the Church here that I’m just being a little picky. Ultimately, I am glad that Church is just a short 5 minute bike ride away. So, I’m blessed to go, and I’ll more than likely start the process of Confirmation this fall.

But yeah, I’ve also grown pretty used to most of the Christians I know having very different views on the Bible. (No good works, and stuff like that). But, I respect evangelicals for other things. They sure don’t have a problem with the Church’s position on abortion and female religious leaders (like many Catholics do).

 

[joandarc2008]

Thank you very much for your response. I may’ve been a little harsh in correcting you. But it was just a misunderstanding on your part. The tone of what people type online is often misconstrued from how it actually is. So, I fully accept your apology.

But, yeah, I don’t dislike the priest to any real degree. I think since I’m just slightly uncomfortable at the Church here that I’m just being a little picky. Ultimately, I am glad that Church is just a short 5 minute bike ride away. So, I’m blessed to go, and I’ll more than likely start the process of Confirmation this fall.

But yeah, I’ve also grown pretty used to most of the Christians I know having very different views on the Bible. (No good works, and stuff like that). But, I respect evangelicals for other things. They sure don’t have a problem with the Church’s position on abortion and female religious leaders (like many Catholics do).

We as a Church do not have an issue (generally speaking you will find some Traditionalists that will say differently) with females serving the Church such as pastoral counseling, EMHC, etc. What we do have a problem with is ordainment. It is not Scriptural and there are many scriptural arguments that we could get into here. I just don’t know if the distinction is not being made or if you have not had a chance to be exposed to the different arguments.

As far as abortion I think it is wonderful that we an often share our pro-life position with most of our fundamentalist friends. I will say that is one of the beautiful things about the 40 Days for life program - that everyone can come together and share in praying for the unborn.

I hope I didn’t misread anything there.

 

[Vince1022]

Because the OP rejected the Sacrament at the point in the OP’s life -

Wow. Really? I didn’t read anything into the Op’s post that suggested a rejection. Merely a lack of timing and intention.

Where do your read into the original post a conscious rejection of the sacrament?

Thanks.

 

[Vince1022]

He is already Catholic.

Ok,so again, why wait?

 

[Vince1022]

Not sure I understand what you mean. Can you clarify? Thanks.*

 

[jmcrae]

Not sure I understand what you mean. Can you clarify? Thanks.

You can’t just walk up and claim to be ready for the Sacraments. The priest has to have evidence apart from your say-so, that you really are ready - usually, this takes place in the form of classes, and reports to the priest from the Catechist telling him how everyone in the class is doing.

One of the evidences that a person might not be ready, is that they can’t differentiate between Catholic teaching and the teachings of other religions - if is all seems “just the same” to them, (ie: it’s not wrong to attend an Evangelical Bible study group because the teachings seem like they are “just the same”) then more catechesis is still required.

 

[Vince1022]

You can’t just walk up and claim to be ready for the Sacraments. The priest has to have evidence apart from your say-so, that you really are ready - usually, this takes place in the form of classes, and reports to the priest from the Catechist telling him how everyone in the class is doing.

One of the evidences that a person might not be ready, is that they can’t differentiate between Catholic teaching and the teachings of other religions - if is all seems “just the same” to them, (ie: it’s not wrong to attend an Evangelical Bible study group because the teachings seem like they are “just the same”) then more catechesis is still required.

You must read the OP differently than I do. Oh well.

So, in your experience, what “evidence apart from your say-so” has any priest required when celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

 

[jmcrae]

You must read the OP differently than I do. Oh well.

So, in your experience, what “evidence apart from your say-so” has any priest required when celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

That I know how to say my prayers, for a start.

When preparing children and RCIA candidates for First Reconciliation, I had to write reports for the priest, and meet with him in an interview, to let him know that the people were ready to receive First Reconciliation. He also spoke to them when they arrived at the Church, and asked them a few questions to make sure they knew what they were doing, before beginning to hear their Confessions. The people didn’t just “show up” on the last day, without any preparation.

 

[guanophore]

Why would you be in RCIA? You are only about a year older than most of the other people in a regular 6-week or 9-week Confirmation class in most areas of the United States, as I understand it; why can’t you attend one of those?

Most parishes now have two year confirmation programs for high school students. Besides RCIA is good for a lot of reasons. I agree, she does not need to be in it, but it may be beneficial.

It seems like there ought to be a resource on the campus for people in this situation. I have never lived near a campus that did not have a Newman Center. This situation is not that uncommon. Teens drop out of their confirmation programs for a variety of reasons. I encourage them to do so if they are there to make their parents happy, rather than for themselves. Confirmation is such a beautiful sacrament, and can only be received once, so I think it is better to wait until college if one is not committed like this young lady clearly is. I have had high school students tell me that they are in it because when it is over they are "done’ and wont’ have to go to any more catechism, and they are looking forward to getting it over with so their parents will get off their back. They don’t see it as one of the Rites of initiation at all, but a passage to freedom from catechesis!

RCIA is also full of sponsors, and a good place to find one.

 

[Joannm]

We have a 10 week program for adult Confirmation that begins in Lent and runs up until Pentecost. In our diocese all priests have the faculty to confirm adult Catholics on Pentecost. To do so at other times they need permission. Unless the person has had no religious education at all and has not received first Communion, we do not put them in RCIA.