There might be people in Florida who can give you better information.Hi, I was born in 1956 and trying to find out the dates I made my 1st Holy Communion and Confirmation in south Florida. When I contacted the churches where I was baptised, made 1st Holy Communion, and was Confirmed, I’m told they need the year of Communion and year of Confirmation. Can anyone tell me how old children were when they made their 1st Holy Communion and were Confirmed in the mid 1960s? Thanks, Juniper
I was born in 1950 in Missouri. I made my First Holy Communion at age 7 and I seem to remember that I was in the 5th or 6th grade when I was Confirmed, which would be around age 10 or 11Hi, I was born in 1956 and trying to find out the dates I made my 1st Holy Communion and Confirmation in south Florida. When I contacted the churches where I was baptised, made 1st Holy Communion, and was Confirmed, I’m told they need the year of Communion and year of Confirmation. Can anyone tell me how old children were when they made their 1st Holy Communion and were Confirmed in the mid 1960s? Thanks, Juniper
Hi…I’m a couple of years older then you and in NY we made our 1st Holy Communion in 2nd grade and Confirmation in 5th grade. As SMHW said…I think year of Confirmation will vary even within the Diocese.Hi, I was born in 1956 and trying to find out the dates I made my 1st Holy Communion and Confirmation in south Florida. When I contacted the churches where I was baptised, made 1st Holy Communion, and was Confirmed, I’m told they need the year of Communion and year of Confirmation. Can anyone tell me how old children were when they made their 1st Holy Communion and were Confirmed in the mid 1960s? Thanks, Juniper
In our diocese, First communion was in May, in second grade, and Confirmation was every other year, in fifth and sixth grades.In many diocese “back then,” every child who had received their First Communion (usually 1st or 2nd grade) since the last time the bishop showed up, received it the next time he arrived for Confirmation. So, depending upon the rotation, a child could be confirmed anywhere between 2nd and 8th grade. Not much help for you, I fear . . .
If you request your Certificate of Baptism it should have your Confirmation date on it. Because it’s a sacrament which must be recorded in the baptismal register, if you were Confirmed in a parish other than the one where you were baptized they should have sent a notice to baptismal parish to enter the date of your confirmation into your baptismal record.Hi, I was born in 1956 and trying to find out the dates I made my 1st Holy Communion and Confirmation in south Florida. When I contacted the churches where I was baptised, made 1st Holy Communion, and was Confirmed, I’m told they need the year of Communion and year of Confirmation. Can anyone tell me how old children were when they made their 1st Holy Communion and were Confirmed in the mid 1960s? Thanks, Juniper
Not in my part of New Jersey. Were you born in 1961? That could account for the difference.Well, in NJ First Holy Communion was in 1st grade and Confirmation was in eighth grade. I don’t know about Florida.
In our diocese, anyone who had made their First Communion was confirmed next time the Bishop came to town. I was 7, and in grade 2, in May 1961. They didn’t start pushing Confirmation back until they discontinued ‘Solemn Communion’.I was born in 1956. I received first communion in spring 1963 in the second grade, and was confirmed the following year (spring 1964) in the third grade.
I can see people saying, “HUH” but the thing is, I lived in Philly. And when the Archbishop of Philly was scheduled to do confirmations for my Catholic elementary school in the year 1964, it was decided that ALL children who had made their first communion would receive confirmation. . .8th grade, 7th grade, 6th grade, 5th grade, 4th grade. . . and 3rd grade.
So I am probably one of the youngest 20th century Catholic ‘confirmands’ in the Latin rite, having been 8 years old at the time!
The quote refers to the practice of Solemn Communion in France, but it migrated to French Canada. As far as I know, the “profession of faith” practice did not come to Canada, because by the mid 60s Confirmation, wrongly, had assumed that role.The significance of the first communion in French Catholicism was very relevant to its social meaning: to symbolise the passage from childhood into youth. In 1910, Pope Pie X allowed children to take their communion as early as the “age of reason”, at the age of seven years. The French Clergy decided then to distinguish between a First Communion, i.e. “private Communion” which is celebrated discretely and a “Solemn Communion”, taking place between the ages of 12 and14. This second ceremony had no theological basis, and was therefore replaced since the 1960’s by a “profession of faith”. Nevertheless, the fact that the Solemn communion was institutionalized shows that society felt the need to sanctify the end of childhood by a religious act.
I have discovered that the church’s famous record keeping is not always so good. My husband was baptized and confirmed in the same parish. When he requested his baptismal certificate when preparing for our wedding, the certificate said “no information” on the back in the place for confirmation information.If you request your Certificate of Baptism it should have your Confirmation date on it. Because it’s a sacrament which must be recorded in the baptismal register, if you were Confirmed in a parish other than the one where you were baptized they should have sent a notice to baptismal parish to enter the date of your confirmation into your baptismal record.
OTOH, First Communion is not a sacrament that must be recorded, although it seems most parishes have a First Communion register, so the baptismal parish would not usually be notified of that.
As late as the 1970s in Mexico and the Philippines, children were confirmed as infants, particularly in rural areas. This was either done by the priest (who had the appropriate faculties) or by the Bishop when he came to the area.I can see people saying, “HUH” but the thing is, I lived in Philly. And when the Archbishop of Philly was scheduled to do confirmations for my Catholic elementary school in the year 1964, it was decided that ALL children who had made their first communion would receive confirmation. . .8th grade, 7th grade, 6th grade, 5th grade, 4th grade. . . and 3rd grade.
So I am probably one of the youngest 20th century Catholic ‘confirmands’ in the Latin rite, having been 8 years old at the time!
What I found out, while working at the parish, was that often things like confirmations and marriages were not entered in the baptismal register if they were celebrated in the parish. That could be very misleading, particularly when you are sending a certificate of baptism to another parish for marriage purposes. I quickly learned to cross check with the other registers for a record of confirmation and marriage anytime someone requested a certificate to get married. Then I’d put the information in the baptismal register where it should have been recorded at the time.I have discovered that the church’s famous record keeping is not always so good. My husband was baptized and confirmed in the same parish. When he requested his baptismal certificate when preparing for our wedding, the certificate said “no information” on the back in the place for confirmation information.