My first question would be why the Pastor does not have the inclination to do this very important thing. Time constraints I can understand, but not wanting to, that sounds just a tad strange. As far as you, I think you should spend enough time with each person you interview to get a total picture. If you cannot give them that, in this very important process, then maybe the job really isn’t for you. Or you may have to set a limit on the number of people you can take.
But to not have as clear a picture of each person in this endeavor, seems to me to be shortchanging them for the sake of the program. The program exists to serve them, not the other way around.
I really don’t understand the Pastors actions in this at all.
you are quite right to take this responsibility seriously, and I do, and it will take up the bulk of my time up through Lent, that and RCIA, and first communions. The pastor believe me has very valid reasons why it simply is not possible, and fortunately the two year prep period helps me to know a lot of the kids by name. We could not possibly wait and have this be the only interview, so among the catechists we make sure we meet with each candidate several times during the process, immediately address issues that come up with individuals, and if serious things come up the pastor will drop everything to meet with a youth (or RCIA candidate) who needs pastoral counselling.
Yes, I am supposed to have help, the interview is supposed to involve the candidate, parent and sponsor. The first is a captive audience but it is like pulling teach to get the other two to participate. My time is not the issue, I get paid for this, so I take as much time as I need. The time of the people God put on earth to do this is the issue raised by OP and seconded by myself.
my point is going back to the issue of “requirements”. They have validity and purpose, but the way they are carried out often fails in the real world, and I think that is what OP is getting at. The requirements in his parish or diocese were very carefully thought out to give the candidates the best possible preparation, to involve the parents in the sacred responsibility of preparing their children for sacraments–a promise they made at baptism–and so forth. So it gets very frustrating when neither the parents, the youth, or often even the parish at large seems to take any of this seriously.
There is a real “put your quarter in the machine and we will dispense the sacrament” mentality in a lot of what is going on under the “sacramental prep” umbrella. There is also a lot of criticism, and most of it right here on the forums, of the lack of preparation, the lack of knowledge of the faith, that youth are getting. So it makes it all the worse to know that these riches are there for them to have, yet they won’t claim them.
Another poster made the point, and it is extremely important, that it is not the catechist, DRE, sponsor, candidate or parent who prepares the child for confirmation–it is the Holy Spirit. Our job is to, insofar as humanly possible, place the youth in the best possible condition and atmosphere to cooperate with the action of the Holy Spirit. When they resist, it does get very discouraging.
