Question about Confirmation Mass

[JLASchofield]

This May our Bishop is coming to our parish to celebrate our first Confirmations in over eight years. Two of our group of candidates, including me, are Altar Servers, as is the person I am considering asking to be my sponsor. This leaves two regular Altar Servers, only one of whom is likely to attend the Mass and who is also relatively inexperienced.

My question is:
Is there anything that would prevent me from being able to serve at my own Confirmation?

 

[jpjd]

I don’t think it’s possible for you to serve your own Confirmation Mass because it would require you to come off the altar to approach the Bishop with your sponsor to get confirmed. I know it is not permitted for priests to leave the altar during Mass and I think that applies to servers, also.

Your priest will be working with the bishop’s people to determine the logistics of the Mass. If there is a concern of not enough servers, it is possible that the bishop can bring his own “people”. I know our bishop brings a seminarian who serves as the “master of ceremonies”. It is possible he could bring someone to be a server, as well.

 

[puzzleannie]

This May our Bishop is coming to our parish to celebrate our first Confirmations in over eight years. Two of our group of candidates, including me, are Altar Servers, as is the person I am considering asking to be my sponsor. This leaves two regular Altar Servers, only one of whom is likely to attend the Mass and who is also relatively inexperienced.

My question is:
Is there anything that would prevent me from being able to serve at my own Confirmation?

no,
in our celebration the deacon was a sponsor, one of the servers was confirmed, I simply arranged to have them go first in line. let the Confirmation director know so she can arrange things

we are asked to supply 5 servers when the bishop comes, but with some careful thought there is no problem

 

[TheMc]

I don’t think it’s possible for you to serve your own Confirmation Mass because it would require you to come off the altar to approach the Bishop with your sponsor to get confirmed. I know it is not permitted for priests to leave the altar during Mass and I think that applies to servers, also.

I’m not sure I agree with this logic. There can be legit reasons for a server to leave the sancuary. I do agree that you shouldn’t really serve your own confirmation Mass, but the GIRM makes semi-frequent mentions of servers, so if it meant that servers couldn’t leave, it probably would have said.

Your priest will be working with the bishop’s people to determine the logistics of the Mass. If there is a concern of not enough servers, it is possible that the bishop can bring his own “people”. I know our bishop brings a seminarian who serves as the “master of ceremonies”. It is possible he could bring someone to be a server, as well.

My Bishop also brings a priest for MC, but this would usually be in addition to any number of servers. I would check with the bishop’s office (or contact person at the diocese), or maybe neighboring parishes. They might be able to supply servers.

 

[JLASchofield]

Thanks for the replies, I had assumed it would be at the very least difficult to serve if not impossible.

The Bishop has said Mass here before and brought only one priest to act as MC, but back then we had twice as many servers at Sunday Mass, so there wasn’t much of a problem.

 

[Phemie]

While we always try to avoid having anyone receiving a sacrament like Confirmation or First Communion have any ministry during those Masses, there is nothing forbidding it. We just prefer that they have nothing else to deal with besides the sacrament they will be receiving.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Some 60+ years ago, when I was confirmed, confirmations were only offered every four years or so in our small parish. The only other altar boy and I served and were confirmed.

The bishop confirmed us on the altar steps, before confirming the others at the altar rail.

We had a very small altar area. Quite crowded with the bishop, a monseigneur, the pastor, a couple of other priests and the bishop. I had never heard of a monseigneur before I was kneeling beside him for the mass.