Confirmation Question

[Baldie]

I’m currently 30 years old and am a Catholic. I don’t attend mass as much as I should but I do attend on occasions. I was baptized and had my first communion but I don’t recall going through confirmation. I did the whole sunday school thing when I was younger also.

My concern is I would like to get married to my catholic fiance and of course she wants the traditional church wedding. I’ve also been asked to be a god parent. I was told confirmation was required to get married in a catholic church and to be a godparent. Whats involved in confirmation and is it too late for me to do it? Sorry if I sound ingnorant. I guess I should have paid more attention in Sunday school.

 

[BamaRider]

No it is not too late. But it does take some prep work.

I suggest getting in touch with the parish your fiance plans to use for y’all’s wedding and signing up for RCIA. You’ll be in there with some new guys who are looking to get bapized, or converting to the Faith from another Christian religion.

When you finish you’ll get confirmed at Easter when the Bishop comes to town. That’s how it usually works. It is possible you can get one on one instruction, you’ll have to check.

Confirmation means just what it says. You’re making you last committment to the Faith, and you know what’s going on, currently you’re not there.

I also suggest taking sometime to renew your Baptism, examine where you’ve been the last few years, and go to confession. There is a lot more to being Catholic then going to Mass every once in while.

Ask your fiance to help you on this journey home. We’ve been waiting for ya.

 

[scott1228]

Confirmation is required to become a godparent, but not to be married. My now ex (marriage was annulled) was confirmed several years after we got married.

If you have taken the classes and do some brushing up on Catholicism, you may be able to meet with your parish priest and get confirmed when the next group of students gets confirmed.

Good Luck.

 

[iluvmybabies]

I’m currently 30 years old and am a Catholic. I don’t attend mass as much as I should but I do attend on occasions. I was baptized and had my first communion but I don’t recall going through confirmation. I did the whole sunday school thing when I was younger also.

My concern is I would like to get married to my catholic fiance and of course she wants the traditional church wedding. I’ve also been asked to be a god parent. I was told confirmation was required to get married in a catholic church and to be a godparent. Whats involved in confirmation and is it too late for me to do it? Sorry if I sound ingnorant. I guess I should have paid more attention in Sunday school.

No never too late, I actually just had mine done this year!! I know late, but hey better late than never!! Anyhow you would need to speak with your priest and go from there!! Congratulations on making this step towards another Holy Sacrament and wish you lots of luck in the world! God bless and remember you need to also prioritize your faith and attend church, that way you can be confirmed in your faith…

May God bless!

 

[basilisk]

You know, I keep seeing people say you have to be confirmed to get married in the Church… well, that is news to me.

I was a baptized Catholic and had made it through First Confession and First Communion as a child before my mother got mad at God and stopped taking us. Between being 9 and trying to go to Mass on my own walking in the snow and then being sent to live with my aggressively atheist father after the divorce, I never completed my faith formation or the last part of my initiation with Confirmation.

Yet, when my husband and I got married, that never came up. It was never an issue. They wanted to see my baptismal certificate, and we got married at the same parish where both of us made First Confession and First Communion, and where DH was confirmed. It was so much of a non-problem that no one ever brought it up during well over six months of marriage prep.

I was confirmed after we were married at the age of 22, 7 months pregnant with my first child, after going through RCIA.

So no, it’s not too late! Get crackin’, mister!

Confirmation IS required for godparents, though. I have never heard nor seen anything different.

 

[Schluns]

Since you don’t remember if you were confirmed start at your childhood parish and see if they have your confirmation on record. When you start discussing your marriage with your Fiance’s Priest he will want a copy of your baptism certificate, so you might as well gather all that together now and then see where you need to go from there.

If you do not have a recorded confirmation then follow the steps as stated above.

Congrats!

 

[iluvmybabies]

You know, I keep seeing people say you have to be confirmed to get married in the Church… well, that is news to me.

I was a baptized Catholic and had made it through First Confession and First Communion as a child before my mother got mad at God and stopped taking us. Between being 9 and trying to go to Mass on my own walking in the snow and then being sent to live with my aggressively atheist father after the divorce, I never completed my faith formation or the last part of my initiation with Confirmation.

Yet, when my husband and I got married, that never came up. It was never an issue. They wanted to see my baptismal certificate, and we got married at the same parish where both of us made First Confession and First Communion, and where DH was confirmed. It was so much of a non-problem that no one ever brought it up during well over six months of marriage prep.

I was confirmed after we were married at the age of 22, 7 months pregnant with my first child, after going through RCIA.

So no, it’s not too late! Get crackin’, mister!

Confirmation IS required for godparents, though. I have never heard nor seen anything different.

yeah I was told by my priest so I went and got confirmed… Better do it now than later!!

 

[Baldie]

Well me and my fiance both haven’t attended masses as much as we should be. She’s actually has record of her baptizm, 1st communion, and confirmation. As for myself I’m just blank about the confirmation part.

What exactly is involved? Is it bascially just knowing the religion and getting tested? Not sure if that was the right way to say that. I apologize. I recall friends/family years years ago going away to a camp or something like that when they did their confirmation. At least I think that was confirmation.

 

[BamaRider]

I made my confirmation in the 4th grade. We spent 9 months preparing for it, and we were tested.

In your case it is just going to class and asking questions. No tests.

 

[puzzleannie]

contact your parish about classes for baptized Catholic adults who need confirmation (this is not RCIA, although you may be in a class with people who do need RCIA). You need to play catch up on the basic beliefs stated in the Creed, because confirmation includes a profession of faith and you have to know what you are affirming, on the sacraments particularly Confirmation, moral life and prayer. For a start, return to confession, regular Mass attendance and communion, because you must be in the state of grace and properly disposed for both confirmation and matrimony.

When you start your marriage preparation you will need to provide a recent (within 6 months) baptismal certificate, and that will show all sacraments received, as it is quite possible you were confirmed at a young age and just don’t remember it, depending on where you lived.

now stand back because you are about to be zapped with an outpouring of grace from all these sacraments, which if you and your fiance cooperate with God will transform you and your life together.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I made my confirmation in the 4th grade. We spent 9 months preparing for it, and we were tested.

In your case it is just going to class and asking questions. No tests.

Me, too, fourth grade! We had to know the Red Catechism front, back, and middle, by heart.

As an aside, Baldie, MANY dioceses and parishes offer ADULT classes specifically for Catholics who need to be confirmed. These are MUCH faster than RCIA.

You are a Catholic who needs Confirmation, not a catechumate who needs baptism, and not a protestant candidate who is coming into the Church from another ecclesial community. Some parishes, and sadly, some dioceses, lump everybody together, usually due to a lack of adult volunteers. Call the chancery office or ask at several parishes.

 

[dconklin]

The church of your baptism keeps track of all your sacraments. If you received your other sacraments and another church, the other church sends a notice to the baptism church.

 

[BamaRider]

The church of your baptism keeps track of all your sacraments. If you received your other sacraments and another church, the other church sends a notice to the baptism church.

So my parish in Alabama sent the paperwork about my marriage to Debbie to the guys in Virginia where I made my Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation?

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

So my parish in Alabama sent the paperwork about my marriage to Debbie to the guys in Virginia where I made my Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation?

Yep. On the back, with your Confirmation (Usually First Communion is not recorded, ditto First Reconciliation).

 

[noclevername]

Confirmation is required to become a godparent, but not to be married. My now ex (marriage was annulled) was confirmed several years after we got married.

If you have taken the classes and do some brushing up on Catholicism, you may be able to meet with your parish priest and get confirmed when the next group of students gets confirmed.

Good Luck.

I am the godparent of a close friend’s child and I am not Catholic. The other godparent is but I’m not. I was involved in the Baptism ceremony and everything.

 

[Phemie]

I am the godparent of a close friend’s child and I am not Catholic. The other godparent is but I’m not. I was involved in the Baptism ceremony and everything.

I assume you are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”? To the Church you are a “Christian witness”, although the parents are free to call you “godparent” if they want. Many parishes fail to explain the difference – I know it wasn’t explained to me when we chose a “godfather” for our youngest son.

In my parish we include the Christian witness in our register but in some parishes they don’t do that and their name doesn’t appear on the certificate.

 

[noclevername]

I assume you are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”? To the Church you are a “Christian witness”, although the parents are free to call you “godparent” if they want. Many parishes fail to explain the difference – I know it wasn’t explained to me when we chose a “godfather” for our youngest son.

In my parish we include the Christian witness in our register but in some parishes they don’t do that and their name doesn’t appear on the certificate.

Yes, I was Baptized and went through confirmation at my church (Methodist) and they did ask me that and documented it. And during the ceremony, they called me “godmother” and I had to make the usual promises to help keep her in the Catholic faith.

 

[Phemie]

Yes, I was Baptized and went through confirmation at my church (Methodist) and they did ask me that and documented it. And during the ceremony, they called me “godmother” and I had to make the usual promises to help keep her in the Catholic faith.

Now I wish I hadn’t said anything.

 

[noclevername]

Now I wish I hadn’t said anything.

Why? Did I say something wrong? Does my Baptism not count? If not, why? I was going to RCIA classes and they asked me about my Baptism as well.

 

[quiet52]

from Baldie:
I’m currently 30 years old and am a Catholic. I don’t attend mass as much as I should but I do attend on occasions. I was baptized and had my first communion but I don’t recall going through confirmation. I did the whole sunday school thing when I was younger also.

I hope you want more than a child’s level of understanding (and living) the Catholic faith. I encourage you to jump into learning about the faith and loving it. We’re all called to be holy – and it’s hard to know how, if we don’t take the faith seriously.

Do you realize that intentionally missing Sunday Mass is a mortal sin, for example? If you didn’t know that (or don’t care that it’s a sin), I hope you realize that you have some work to do on your journey of faith.

In my parish, adult confirmandi (Confirmation candidates) are expected to not only attend the weekly sessions, but to show their desire to live the Catholic lifestyle (by actively practicing the faith – attending weekly Mass, going to Confession, reaching out to others in service in some way, etc.).

My concern is I would like to get married to my catholic fiance and of course she wants the traditional church wedding. I’ve also been asked to be a god parent. I was told confirmation was required to get married in a catholic church and to be a godparent. Whats involved in confirmation and is it too late for me to do it? Sorry if I sound ingnorant. I guess I should have paid more attention in Sunday school.

I hope you don’t want to be married in the Catholic Church simply because your fiance wants a “traditional church wedding.” Please take the sacrament of Matrimony seriously. It’s living (“being”) the sacrament after your vows, every day, that is most important. Not the white gown and tuxes, the flowers, the wedding song, the photographs, the reception party, the limousine. That’s just the fluff.

I also hope you don’t want to be confirmed merely to be a godparent – please learn what the sacrament means, whether you’ve previously been confirmed, or not.

Please never ever consent to being a godparent or sponsor for anyone unless you plan to actively live the Catholic faith. Without that intention, you’d be lying to the person (or, if a child, his/her parents). Being a godparent or sponsor is not a one-day event. It’s a commitment to journey with the person, to help him or her live the faith.

Can. 1065 §1. Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before they are admitted to marriage if it can be done without grave inconvenience.
vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3V.HTM

(don’t be too eager to define what “grave inconvenience” means to you personally).

Please call your parish to meet with the pastor, or whoever heads up the adult religious education.