Confirmation Statistics

[EasterJoy]

Does anyone know what fraction of Catholics baptised before age 7 have not been confirmed by the time they graduate from high school?

How has this statistic changed over the years and what seems to be the differences from one diocese to the next?

 

[Stylites]

Does anyone know what fraction of Catholics baptised before age 7 have not been confirmed by the time they graduate from high school?

How has this statistic changed over the years and what seems to be the differences from one diocese to the next?

Wow, considering that most notations on the Sacraments are done by hand in large paper ledgers residing in each parish, I’m not sure where you would turn for such a comprehensive statistic.

 

[puzzleannie]

in my diocese, Confirmation is 10th grade or age 16. Looking at the size of the first communion class from 8 years ago, I can predict that about 1/3 will actually be confirmed during High School. When I was in a diocese that confirmed in 11th-12 grade, that figure was 1/4 or less. Obviously they will not always be the same children involved due to moves in and out of the parish, but the numbers still hold up, in my 12 years experience. This is pretty consistent with what other DREs share. We just had a meeting on this very topic, and have another meeting tomorrow to look over-all at sacramental guidelines and preparation in the Diocese.

One thing I can predict with almost 100% certainty: if a girl comes to me in 8th or 9th grade because she has not made first communion, but now wants a quincenera (15th birthday traditional celebration in church) she will not continue with the Confirmation class. If she comes through RCIA with this motivation because she has never been baptized, it is unlikely she or any of the family will continue attending Mass in this parish after Easter, nor will she return for mystagogy.

the statistics on sacraments, CCD enrollment and the like are part of mandatory reporting we do every year to the Diocese in May, and to the national organization the bishop’s hire during October. So yes, these are available. CARA is a statistical research organization that compiles and reports on these statistics, trends etc. so they are also a resource OP might want to investigate.

When in my former dioceses, where Catholic school attendance is the norm rather than the exception, those enrolled in Catholic school at the time confirmation is celebrated are almost certain to be confirmed, where the percentage of children in public school in the same parish or town who are confirmed at the designated age is much lower, less than half if that many.

 

[Corki]

Also antecdotal but my parish has about a 25% number.

We consistently have upward of 40 First Communion students each year but we are on the “every other year” schdule for Confirmation because we can’t guarantee at least 25 students to be Confirmed in a single year. In fact, our current Confirmation class has only 24 student covering grades 10, 11, and 12 so we technically won’t make the minimum.

 

[puzzleannie]

In answer to the “big ledger” question, I did just that when I started here, leafed through the baptism books to see how many should have made first communion 8+ years later, and through the first communion and confirmation books to see how that compared. It is pretty much across the board as I reported. Now admittedly I did a spot check of certain years and not with any statistical rigidity, but if anything the percentage of those coming back for the next sacrament drops by half each year the sacrament is delayed.

In my old diocese the age was changed from 11th grade to 8th, in the 12 years since that change happened they confirm almost twice as many candidates in most parishes. About half the children are in Catholic school in 8th grade and all are confirmed. Half or less of public school students who made first communion later come back for confirmation. When it was 11th grade, only 1/4 of those who made first communion went on to confirmation.

 

[EasterJoy]

In answer to the “big ledger” question, I did just that when I started here, leafed through the baptism books to see how many should have made first communion 8+ years later, and through the first communion and confirmation books to see how that compared. It is pretty much across the board as I reported. Now admittedly I did a spot check of certain years and not with any statistical rigidity, but if anything the percentage of those coming back for the next sacrament drops by half each year the sacrament is delayed.

In my old diocese the age was changed from 11th grade to 8th, in the 12 years since that change happened they confirm almost twice as many candidates in most parishes. About half the children are in Catholic school in 8th grade and all are confirmed. Half or less of public school students who made first communion later come back for confirmation. When it was 11th grade, only 1/4 of those who made first communion went on to confirmation.

These are kind of the numbers I am hearing locally, too. Confirmation isn’t the Catholic Sacrament version of Honors Chemistry. That isn’t an acceptable rate. I don’t think I need to tack an “IMHO” onto that!

I know the thought is that there is better formation by waiting until high school, but what if I went to a sheep farmer and said, “My extension service is very sure we can get better wool from sheep if you will use this husbandry method…oh, but half of the sheep will never see the inside of a shearing shed.” Who would go for that?

 

[laszlo]

This is a parish statistic from Colorado

stthomasmore.org/about/parish-statistics

276 first Communion 253 confirmation. An estimated 4600 18-25 years old in the parish, so practically everyone is confirmed (unless confirmation is only in every other year)

The deeper problem is, that here was just 32 marriages and 124 baptism.

 

[EasterJoy]

This is a parish statistic from Colorado

stthomasmore.org/about/parish-statistics

276 first Communion 253 confirmation. An estimated 4600 18-25 years old in the parish, so practically everyone is confirmed (unless confirmation is only in every other year)

The deeper problem is, that here was just 32 marriages and 124 baptism.

I’m doubting they do confirmation every other year if they have over 200 confirmandi.

Is this 8th grade or high school? Do you know what the preparation process is like?

 

[puzzleannie]

These are kind of the numbers I am hearing locally, too. Confirmation isn’t the Catholic Sacrament version of Honors Chemistry. That isn’t an acceptable rate. I don’t think I need to tack an “IMHO” onto that!

I know the thought is that there is better formation by waiting until high school, but what if I went to a sheep farmer and said, “My extension service is very sure we can get better wool from sheep if you will use this husbandry method…oh, but half of the sheep will never see the inside of a shearing shed.” Who would go for that?

this is not the “what should be the age for Confirmation thread” and I am not getting into that again, my views are well known, and now the bishop knows them since I am on a committee looking at that issue, but doubt if we will return to the practice of the Eastern Church (and much of Mexico) and confirm with baptism no matter what the age. We may however get down to 4th grade like a couple of other dioceses in Texas.

for the record I had 154 first communions grades 3-8 (not including RCIA) and 60 high school confirmations (but also 28 adult confirmations, not including RCIA).

 

[EasterJoy]

this is not the “what should be the age for Confirmation thread” and I am not getting into that again, my views are well known, and now the bishop knows them since I am on a committee looking at that issue, but doubt if we will return to the practice of the Eastern Church (and much of Mexico) and confirm with baptism no matter what the age. We may however get down to 4th grade like a couple of other dioceses in Texas.

for the record I had 154 first communions grades 3-8 (not including RCIA) and 60 high school confirmations (but also 28 adult confirmations, not including RCIA).

No, I meant changes that are in keeping with the current norm of the USCCB, which as you know is between the age of discretion and about 16.

I am wondering if experience and recent research into brain development typical during adolescence doesn’t argue that age 16 gets into the period of life when both resistance to the Sacrament and the need to have received it is starting to peak in many young people. I think this argues that it may be wiser to scale back to somewhere between the ages of 11 and 13.

Having said that, I’m not looking for a discussion. I’m looking for what experience has to say, not theory. I was only wondering if the high rate of confirmations were being realized in 13 year olds or in 15 and 16 year olds.

 

[puzzleannie]

NoI am wondering if experience and recent research into brain development typical during adolescence doesn’t argue that age 16 gets into the period of life when both resistance to the Sacrament and the need to have received it is starting to peak in many young people. I think this argues that it may be wiser to scale back to somewhere between the ages of 11 and 13.

.

Amen, Brother
if there were no other good reasons, and I can think of plenty, this would be reason enough. Since in many places even where there is good Catholic school and CCD attendance, that ceases after 8th grade, many are lost for that reason alone. I cannot for the life of me, and I have personally prepared classes of all ages from third grade to adult, see any justification for delaying Confirmation past 8th grade. To me it seems to amount to de facto denial of the sacrament.

there is one group however that this speculation does not address and one statistic you did not ask for
of those who make first communion, how many come back to continue religious education the next year, or anytime in the years intervening before formal preparation for Confirmation begins. Surprise surprise–half or fewer.

 

[EasterJoy]

Amen, Brother
if there were no other good reasons, and I can think of plenty, this would be reason enough. Since in many places even where there is good Catholic school and CCD attendance, that ceases after 8th grade, many are lost for that reason alone. I cannot for the life of me, and I have personally prepared classes of all ages from third grade to adult, see any justification for delaying Confirmation past 8th grade. To me it seems to amount to de facto denial of the sacrament.

there is one group however that this speculation does not address and one statistic you did not ask for
of those who make first communion, how many come back to continue religious education the next year, or anytime in the years intervening before formal preparation for Confirmation begins. Surprise surprise–half or fewer.

I taught 5th grade religious education. It doesn’t surprise me.

Still, if we even got all the students who had 8 years of Catholic grade school, that would be a clear improvement.

De facto denial of the sacrament seems an apt way to put it.

 

[HouseArrest]

Thank you puzzleannie and Easter Joy, those statistics are very interesting.

 

[puzzleannie]

Thank you puzzleannie and Easter Joy, those statistics are very interesting.

mine are not statistics except from personal experience and record keeping in a few parishes, and comparing notes with colleagues, but the stats are available. Simply compare the number of 1st communions to # of confirmations in the same year, or the year the confirmandi would most likely have made first communion. the Kenedy directories for one source publish them for each diocese.