I
Immacolata
Guest
Christus resurrexit!
Hello everyone! I wished—as I did for my First Holy Communion—to share that I have been confirmed! I was confirmed by His Excellency Bishop Ronald Gainer (who was ordained as the Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg on March 19th, 2014) with the name of Mary (in honor of Our Lady—as I believe that she was the one who led me to the Church, and I have always—even when I was not practicing my faith—held an “affinity” for her).
I was led to the Church in mid-2012 when I began to attend Mass, and, shortly thereafter, I began to educate myself in the faith. After initial hesitation to many doctrines (as I was a cradle Catholic, I had little hesitation to believing the doctrines of the veneration of Our Lady and the saints, as well as the doctrines of the Eucharist; I rather had hesitation towards the doctrines of same-sex “marriage,” as well as abortion, both of which I, as a liberal, supported), I considered myself (at least attempting to be) “devout” (in quotations as I dislike the calling of oneself devout as I feel it calls attention to oneself). After little response from my parish priest toward receiving the Sacraments (I will give him benefit of the doubt—he is in his seventies—and wager that he innocently forgot about me), I prepared to call the parish with my concerns, but, after I told my grandmother of my preparations, she told her priest of my troubles, and he directed her towards his friend, my “second” parish priest (at the time, we had two priests in our parish—he has since left for another parish after the death of their pastor). My mother and I met with him, and he enrolled me in religious education (for Confirmation), as well as discussed with me to determine my “readiness” to receive First Confession and First Holy Communion. He believed that I was ready, but there was little response between us in determining a date. After two months (in which time he left for the other parish), I asked my religious education teacher if I was able to simply attend Confession on an ordinary Saturday for my First Confession, and receive First Holy Communion on an ordinary Sunday. She gave me permission, and I received both Sacraments the following week. After receiving the Sacraments, I continued in my religious education classes—which ended on April 27th, 2014, the Feast of Divine Mercy.
I am very happy (although, in a way, sad—as it feels like an “end of a chapter”). After years of ignorance—and sin—I have been fully initiated into the Church.
God bless. Pray for me (as well as my former classmates).
Hello everyone! I wished—as I did for my First Holy Communion—to share that I have been confirmed! I was confirmed by His Excellency Bishop Ronald Gainer (who was ordained as the Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg on March 19th, 2014) with the name of Mary (in honor of Our Lady—as I believe that she was the one who led me to the Church, and I have always—even when I was not practicing my faith—held an “affinity” for her).
I was led to the Church in mid-2012 when I began to attend Mass, and, shortly thereafter, I began to educate myself in the faith. After initial hesitation to many doctrines (as I was a cradle Catholic, I had little hesitation to believing the doctrines of the veneration of Our Lady and the saints, as well as the doctrines of the Eucharist; I rather had hesitation towards the doctrines of same-sex “marriage,” as well as abortion, both of which I, as a liberal, supported), I considered myself (at least attempting to be) “devout” (in quotations as I dislike the calling of oneself devout as I feel it calls attention to oneself). After little response from my parish priest toward receiving the Sacraments (I will give him benefit of the doubt—he is in his seventies—and wager that he innocently forgot about me), I prepared to call the parish with my concerns, but, after I told my grandmother of my preparations, she told her priest of my troubles, and he directed her towards his friend, my “second” parish priest (at the time, we had two priests in our parish—he has since left for another parish after the death of their pastor). My mother and I met with him, and he enrolled me in religious education (for Confirmation), as well as discussed with me to determine my “readiness” to receive First Confession and First Holy Communion. He believed that I was ready, but there was little response between us in determining a date. After two months (in which time he left for the other parish), I asked my religious education teacher if I was able to simply attend Confession on an ordinary Saturday for my First Confession, and receive First Holy Communion on an ordinary Sunday. She gave me permission, and I received both Sacraments the following week. After receiving the Sacraments, I continued in my religious education classes—which ended on April 27th, 2014, the Feast of Divine Mercy.
I am very happy (although, in a way, sad—as it feels like an “end of a chapter”). After years of ignorance—and sin—I have been fully initiated into the Church.
God bless. Pray for me (as well as my former classmates).
