Are Confirmation Sponsors Required to Attend the Baccalaureate Mass?

[SnowAngels]

Hi CAF,

Are Confirmation sponsors required to attend the Baccalaureate Mass?
Thank you!

 

[Joe_5859]

Hi CAF,

Are Confirmation sponsors required to attend the Baccalaureate Mass?
Thank you!

I’ve never thought of Confirmation and Baccalaureate Masses as being correlated in any way. A Baccalaureate Mass is a Mass for the occassion of graduation. Confirmation has nothing to do with graduation.

As a person’s sponsor, it is nice to show interest in those milestones of a person’s life. But it is not a requirement.

 

[otjm]

Nope. And depending on family, friends, and confirmation sponsors, you may have to choose as to who attends if it is a large graduation; often there is limited seating available.

And assuming you are graduating, congratulations!

 

[SnowAngels]

I’ve never thought of Confirmation and Baccalaureate Masses as being correlated in any way. A Baccalaureate Mass is a Mass for the occassion of graduation. Confirmation has nothing to do with graduation.

As a person’s sponsor, it is nice to show interest in those milestones of a person’s life. But it is not a requirement.

I was a bit confused as well. I believe the Baccalaureate Mass is the Mass where the Confirmation candidates stand up right after the Liturgy of the Word and receive a special blessing from the priest(?).

 

[Joe_5859]

I was a bit confused as well. I believe the Baccalaureate Mass is the Mass where the Confirmation candidates stand up right after the Liturgy of the Word and receive a special blessing from the priest(?).

Hmmm… The way I’ve always heard it used, the term “Baccalaureate Mass” was used for those special Masses said at the end of the school year, often on the day before graduation.

Perhaps your parish also recognizes those who were confirmed at that time? Maybe that’s a local custom. Or maybe they just use the phrase “Baccalaureate Mass” to describe something different than what I have seen.

In any case, the only requirement would be for the Confirmation sponsor to be there at the actual Confirmation.

 

[SnowAngels]

Hmmm… The way I’ve always heard it used, the term “Baccalaureate Mass” was used for those special Masses said at the end of the school year, often on the day before graduation.

Perhaps your parish also recognizes those who were confirmed at that time? Maybe that’s a local custom. Or maybe they just use the phrase “Baccalaureate Mass” to describe something different than what I have seen.

In any case, the only requirement would be for the Confirmation sponsor to be there at the actual Confirmation.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Nicea325]

Hi CAF,

Are Confirmation sponsors required to attend the Baccalaureate Mass?
Thank you!

Nope! I do not believe any canon law says it is required.

 

[twf]

Nope! I do not believe any canon law says it is required.

I don’t believe the term “baccalaureate mass” is mentioned anywhere in canon law or any other official Church document. I have never come across the term. If it is the local custom in some parishes / dioceses to celebrate a special mass on the occasion of graduations, that is all fine and well, but it is not canonically regulated in any specific way.

 

[Nicea325]

I don’t believe the term “baccalaureate mass” is mentioned anywhere in canon law or any other official Church document. I have never come across the term. If it is the local custom in some parishes / dioceses to celebrate a special mass on the occasion of graduations, that is all fine and well, but it is not canonically regulated in any specific way.

Exactly!