Confirmation situation

  • Thread starter Thread starter stignatius
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

stignatius

Guest
I would like the opinion of people more experienced than me on my situation.

I am a cradle Catholic, baptized as a baby, but as my parents were not practicing Catholics, our family stopped going to Church at a young age. At some point in my teens I returned to the Church by myself. The unfortunate result of this is that I am not confirmed (which usually happens at the end of elementary school). So now I’m 18 (about 4 years later) and I do believe it is the last year one can receive confirmation (I don’t quite remember where I read it).

Should I simply ask a priest about my situation? As I don’t actually “belong” to any parish, should I simply ask the one I attend the most?

Although a Sacrament is hardly something someone should rush into and not prepare themselves spiritually for, I personally don’t think I would learn much that I don’t already know from a confirmation preparation class. Is there some sort of “out” (sorry I can’t think of a better word 😃 ) from this? Of course, if the priest asks me to attend I will, but I’m curious about requirements in this situation.

An in terms of preparing spiritually, when is confirmation often done? Does it happen whenever the bishop is “in town”, so to speak? Although I don’t believe I need the catechism classes, I most certainly need time to prepare myself.

Thanks for all your help 👍
 
You should definately approach a priest about this. However, don’t feel rushed. There’s no age limit on getting confirmation. Some people don’t even join the church until later in life, and they still get confirmation.
 
Welcome home! The best thing to do is talk to the priest of the church you regularly attend even if you have never registered there. This is where you get started. With all sacraments, there is a requirement for classes, even if you think you know most of what needs to be taught. Every diocese has a method of instruction for receiving sacraments. Our diocese is very large over 300 parishes, so adult catechesis is something each parish addresses very well. Often times, parishes may combine for classes when the enrollments are small. Sometimes, the person who needs a sacrament will attend the RCIA class…Rite of Christian Initiation, because Confirmation also is considered a sacrament of initiation. The adults then will be confirmed at the Easter Vigil. Or as in our diocese, there are specific confirmation classes that meet at least over a period of 10-14 meetings before a designated date of Confirmation is set up with the bishop.

No matter how you receive your instruction…it all starts with a conversation with the priest at your local parish.
 
I’ve just enrolled on preparatory classes for confirmation and I am 22, though my situation is different as I got baptised by protestants so am also being received into the Church at the same time, which I assume isn’t necessary in your case? Now’s a good time to ask as if it’s the same as where I am, the Confirmation’s at Penetecost, though as said above it can be Easter, and though you can catch up on classes you are I believe required to attend, though ask your priest. Not sure if confirmations are exclusively spring or whether they can be other times of the year, though someone else will know?

Don’t think of it as a burden having to go to classes, think of it as a chance to learn more, or at least to discuss the Church. When I got baptised (my family are heathen so I got baptised as an adult) I was told nothing about what it meant and just asked ‘if I wanted to be baptised next Sunday’, though to be fair they probably didn’t know what it meant and I guess it is a different situation.
 
stignatius said:
I am a cradle Catholic, baptized as a baby, but as my parents were not practicing Catholics, our family stopped going to Church at a young age. At some point in my teens I returned to the Church by myself. The unfortunate result of this is that I am not confirmed (which usually happens at the end of elementary school). So now I’m 18 (about 4 years later) and I do believe it is the last year one can receive confirmation (I don’t quite remember where I read it). No age limit, as young as infants, as old as well, way way old people.

Should I simply ask a priest about my situation? As I don’t actually “belong” to any parish, should I simply ask the one I attend the most? Then make an appointment with the priest at the parish where you attend the most.

Although a Sacrament is hardly something someone should rush into and not prepare themselves spiritually for, I personally don’t think I would learn much that I don’t already know from a confirmation preparation class. Is there some sort of “out” (sorry I can’t think of a better word 😃 ) from this? Of course, if the priest asks me to attend I will, but I’m curious about requirements in this situation. Could be any number of scenarios. The most common is to lump you together with the RCIA people because it’s more convenient and there’s less labor involved (and not having to scrounge up another person to teach a Confirmation class for adults). Another is for the priest or local DRE to provide instruction. Still another is when the bishop says he is coming, hold an adultConfirmation class of whoever is an adult and needs Confirmation. HOWEVER- As a baptized Catholic, your Confirmation is reserved to the bishop of your diocese, unless he allows the pastor to confirm you.

An in terms of preparing spiritually, when is confirmation often done? Does it happen whenever the bishop is “in town”, so to speak? Although I don’t believe I need the catechism classes, I most certainly need time to prepare myself. Check your diocese web site. The bishop usually posts his Confirmation schedule there. If he does not, email the chancery, who should be able to tell you the next time the bishop plans on it. In some dicoeses, the bishop also gets ALL the people from the diocese at the Cathedral, so yet another option.

Thanks for all your help No problem. Welcome! 👍
Click to expand...
 
stignatius said:
I would like the opinion of people more experienced than me on my situation.

I am a cradle Catholic, baptized as a baby, but as my parents were not practicing Catholics, our family stopped going to Church at a young age. At some point in my teens I returned to the Church by myself. The unfortunate result of this is that I am not confirmed (which usually happens at the end of elementary school). So now I’m 18 (about 4 years later) and I do believe it is the last year one can receive confirmation (I don’t quite remember where I read it).

Should I simply ask a priest about my situation? As I don’t actually “belong” to any parish, should I simply ask the one I attend the most?

Although a Sacrament is hardly something someone should rush into and not prepare themselves spiritually for, I personally don’t think I would learn much that I don’t already know from a confirmation preparation class. Is there some sort of “out” (sorry I can’t think of a better word 😃 ) from this? Of course, if the priest asks me to attend I will, but I’m curious about requirements in this situation.

An in terms of preparing spiritually, when is confirmation often done? Does it happen whenever the bishop is “in town”, so to speak? Although I don’t believe I need the catechism classes, I most certainly need time to prepare myself.

Thanks for all your help 👍
Click to expand...
As an adult Catholic you are supposed to be registered in a parish. The one you attend on Sundays is a good idea. Stop by the parish office and explain that you are now 18 and an adult who is responsible for yourself and wish to register in the parish. They will give you a form to fill out on it it asks for your Baptism date and parish, your First Holy Communion date and parish. and confirmation date and parish. Just indicate there “Not Confirmed”. Ask how you would go about receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. They will request your Sacramental records from the parish of your Baptism. Some type pf Confirmation preparation process will most likely be necessary. As an adult it is the Bishop who would Confirm or grant the pastor permission to Confirm you. You could have the option of travrling to where the Bishop is to be Confirmed or waiting until he comes to your parish to Confirm others.
 
I went through a similar situation. We moved often for my dad’s jon (military) and so I wasn’t confirmed during my teens. After college, I was volunteering at my parish and the DRE realized I wasn’t confirmed. She had me join the RCIA class and I was confirmed by the Pastor that Easter (with permission of the bishop since I was a baptized Catholic). All you need to do is make an appointment with your local priest and he’ll get the ball rolling for you. I think this situation happens often enough with families who move a lot or who are ‘laid back’ in their practice.
 
In my diocese all priests are given the faculty to confirm Catholics on the Feast of Pentecost.
 
most parishes have adult Confirmation classes. the bishop will confirm 24 from this parish on Pentecost Sunday, and the basilica will be full. Last year he confirmed over 500 on Pentecost, and another 300 the week after Easter following a special Lenten outreach to unconfirmed Catholics. that of course is in addition to other adult Christians confirmed and brought into full communion with the Catholic Church at Easter, about 600.
 
I’m a cradle Catholic as well and my family situation was similar to yours. I came back on my own to Church on and off until I decided to stay and confirm. I was 24 and a half when I confirmed. I wasn’t registered in a parish either. All I did was call the rectory, asked how I would go about to confirm and they gave me the phone number of the RCIA director. She then put my name down for the class that was about to begin 2 months later, and I attended for 9 wks. And I was confirmed on Jan 29, 2006. As far as registering, I never did until I donated money with a personal check and the parish sent me an invitation to join (about 5 months after I confirmed).

So, all you have to do is pick up a phone, ask about confirmation classes (which should l begin somewhere around October since you’re a little late for this yr’s confirmations), and voila! You will be enrolled, attend a class for a few weeks (which I find a bit sad, the classes should be longer), and you’ll be confirmed next yr.

So happy to hear people want to come back Home and confirm! 👍

ETA: Confirmations are done twice a yr (but maybe it varies by diocese). Once for people who never got around to doing it (like you and I), and those who come from a different or no faith. Mine was in January and the one for the new converts was in Easter.
 
Check with the Religious Ed office in your parish. There will be an adult confirmation prep class available. The Religious Ed office phone number will be in the parish bulletin.

Matthew
 
My concern about the OP is the fact that he/she feels that he is sufficiently knowledgeable that he does not need to attend any sort of confirmation class. Yet the remainder of the post exhibits a great deal of evidence that he has much to learn about the sacrament itself, as well as the practice of the Catholic faith.

I should think that he would want to attend such a class, not only for proper training, but also to help him/her become a member of a parish community. 😉
 
part of the rite of Confirmation is a profession of faith, and most of your preparation, in addition to understanding the nature of the initiation sacraments, esp and including Confirmation and the action of the Holy Spirit, is enough study that you can willingly and knowledgeably make that profession of faith.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top