CCD After Confirmation

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DonnaNoble said:
But my duty is to make sure my daughter learns and stays true to the faith, from my perspective she’s not learning any more in CCD (it’s all a review) and the environment in the classroom is having a negative impact on her attitude towards the faith.

I guess I feel bad because, in a way, it’s quitting. And, I’ve been told she is one of the good apples in the class. Plus, I always feel compelled to do what the church tells me and the DRE asked us to keep out kids in class after confirmation and I am considering not complying.
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Arrange for some kind of more effective substitute for her. Help her find the joy she had before when studying her faith. Instill the attitude that she is now responsible for engaging in faith formation for herself, and help her find an appropriate source. She is not "quitting’, she is graduating to something more effective!
 
Confirmation is often used a bait to keep kids in CCD as long as possible.

My parish along with three others who share the same Confirmation Day, Confirm 11th graders.

They’re not any better than had they Confirmed them in the 9th grade.

I taught Confirmation and it began with Confirming 9th graders. Then the parish moved it up to 10th grade.

I moved to a new parish and they moved it to 11th grade, which I opposed.

Anyway, your daughter has most likely gotten everything that’s possible from CCD.

Her faith commitment will come later in life if she hasn’t made it now.

As I told parents before, the Sacrament of Confirmation is a gift. Like giving a child a two wheel bicycle for their birthday, even though they don’t know how to ride a bike, eventually they will.

The same is with the Sacrament. They don’t have the full realization of what the gift gives them, but in time, if they grow into their faith in Jesus, they will.

Jim
 
I told my wife about your daughter’s experience (having many children undergoing these, we too have similar experience), and she said you seem to be overprotective of your daughter who certainly has a mind of her own. She asked how old your daughter is. Staying behind or a bit later is no big deal if a child is old enough and won’t get lost in the Church compound.

I, however, understand your complaint. Our parish is very legalistic about children (youth) getting confirmed - they have to fulfil the requirements set by them and do not make exceptions.

An old school here, where our confirmation was relatively simple in those days.

Nevertheless, I hope you continue sending your daughter to the CCD for the sake of participating. Sometimes the fruit is in being, not doing.

God bless.
 
These classes are starting to seem very inadequate when it comes to preparing children for the sacrament.
 
How much preparation is needed for a sacrament that can be conferred on infants and in many places is regularly conferred on 7-year-olds?
 
I guess it depends on how much you want the particular person to know how to use it and appreciate it. It doesn’t help that many people start to leave after receiving it, which makes me wonder why they were given it at all.
 
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SuscipeMeDomine said:
How much preparation is needed for a sacrament that can be conferred on infants and in many places is regularly conferred on 7-year-olds?
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Preparation for Confirmation depends on the age of the child. You don’t require the same amount of preparation from a 7 year old that you do from a pre-teen or high school student. That said, I don’t think anyone should have to jump through hoops to be confirmed. And all things considered I wish we’d at least treat Confirmation like the Eastern Rites do and confer it at Baptism.
 
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But if course, these same teenagers were forced to grow up without the grace if the sacrament aiding in their spiritual growth.
 
The preparation in those cases is more for the parents who will raise the child in the faith.

Jim
 
DonnaNoble said:
But my duty is to make sure my daughter learns and stays true to the faith,
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Your daughter has free will. She might walk away someday, that does not mean that you have failed as a parent. (Said more for the other parents reading here…)

Does your family really live the faith? Does she see you as a person who loves even the crustiest sinner? Do you have family friends who are Catholic (so she sees Catholicism as “normal”)?

Do you model discipleship? Encourage her to have a real relationship with Christ? When she has questions or doubts, do you have a reasonable conversation and try to find answers together?

Have you read books like “Converting the Baptized” or “Forming Intentional Disciples”?
 
If they are not prepared enough or are given proper instruction it is more than likely that they will not have the proper dispositions to receive the graces of the Sacrament. Most people tend to leave the Church after receiving Conformation so it’s not like it is having a profound effect on them.
 
Yes! St John Paul II spoke of the New Evangelization, not the “new catechesis”. We have a duty to become disciples and then to model that discipleship to our kids.
 
The problem is they have grown up with little or no catechesis AND no grace from the sacrament. The common thought us, get them back in CCD for two years when they are teenagers and we will fix it all. It is a failed approach.
Instead, we should have a restored order, confirm kids at the age of reason as the universal law says, and then find a way to keep them n formation classes as they grow up.

The current approach in this country is doomed to failure for the majority of kids who don’t go to CCD for 5-6 years after first communiin and penalizes kids whose parents strive to keep formation ongoing (for example my kids have been unjustly denied the sacrament). It is idiotic.

This is an issue I feel very strongly about. It is perhaps the dumbest thing the church in the USA does. Utterly indefensble.
 
I understand your concerns. I am the director of youth ministry and get frustrated with the students who only attend sacrament years. I wish I figure out a way to encourage parents and students to attend more.
 
tafan2 said:
The problem is they have grown up with little or no catechesis AND no grace from the sacrament. The common thought us, get them back in CCD for two years when they are teenagers and we will fix it all. It is a failed approach.

Instead, we should have a restored order, confirm kids at the age of reason as the universal law says, and then find a way to keep them n formation classes as they grow up.

The current approach in this country is doomed to failure for the majority of kids who don’t go to CCD for 5-6 years after first communiin and penalizes kids whose parents strive to keep formation ongoing (for example my kids have been unjustly denied the sacrament). It is idiotic.

This is an issue I feel very strongly about. It is perhaps the dumbest thing the church in the USA does. Utterly indefensble.
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THIS! The current way isn’t working…The kids with the weakest faith NEED the sacrament the most! And ENCOURAGE parents to be the primary teachers of the faith.
 
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