SPLIT: Confirmation certificate wrong?

[Padres1969]

Here’s a question regarding confirmation… what to do if your confirmation certificate is incorrect? I’ve been trying to track mine down for several months, and I finally was able to. But the reason it took so long, is that the certificate is held by a diocesean parish I’ve never set foot in, and it claims on the certificate I was confirmed at said parish (again despite me never having set foot in the parish). If the official record isn’t correct, is it valid? And if it’s not valid can it be fixed or is my entire confirmation invalid?

I only ask in so much that I’m trying to be received officially in my own church, and if I was validly confirmed Catholic they will recognize that and simply receive me. If there is a defect in the Catholic confirmation they’ll confirm me instead.

 

[Jean_Anthony]

aaa

 

[Kielbasi]

Are you sure that you have the correct document? It could belong to someone else with the same name.

Mistakes in identity have been known to happen and parish records aren’t necessarily perfect, an old timer I knew couldn’t be buried in his own plot in the parish cemetery because someone with the same name was already planted there 50 years before. (he was 95 when he passed)

 

[1ke]

Here’s a question regarding confirmation… what to do if your confirmation certificate is incorrect? I’ve been trying to track mine down for several months, and I finally was able to. But the reason it took so long, is that the certificate is held by a diocesean parish I’ve never set foot in, and it claims on the certificate I was confirmed at said parish (again despite me never having set foot in the parish). If the official record isn’t correct, is it valid? And if it’s not valid can it be fixed or is my entire confirmation invalid?

Validity is based on proper form and matter, not paperwork. I suggest you talk to the Catholic priest in the parish with your sacramental records.

I only ask in so much that I’m trying to be received officially in my own church, and if I was validly confirmed Catholic they will recognize that and simply receive me. If there is a defect in the Catholic confirmation they’ll confirm me instead.

It sounds like you want us to help you leave the Catholic Church and join the Episcopal Church.

I’m not comfortable with that,

 

[Phemie]

Is it possible that the church where you were confirmed was not a stand alone parish? My family has never set foot in the church where my two oldest children’s Confirmation is recorded. It’s just how things were set up in that diocese.

In my present parish our church is often used for weddings by members of a neighbouring parish. Their marriages are rarely recorded in our registers.

 

[Padres1969]

Are you sure that you have the correct document? It could belong to someone else with the same name.

Mistakes in identity have been known to happen and parish records aren’t necessarily perfect, an old timer I knew couldn’t be buried in his own plot in the parish cemetery because someone with the same name was already planted there 50 years before. (he was 95 when he passed)

I doubt it’s a mistaken identity thing. The dates correspond, and my name is fairly unique (particularly on the west coast). I was confirmed through my Catholic high school who used to run confirmation classes themselves and then the sacrament through the diocese’s cathedral directly. Part of why it took so long to track it down was that I naturally went to the church I was confirmed in, the cathedral parish, but they’d no record of the sacrament.

Finally heard back from the school and it was like a comedy routine working with their campus ministry department. The staff are all relatively new and not long after I graduated the school opened its own large on campus chapel where confirmations are now done. The records of those on campus confirmations are held at the parish where I eventually tracked down my record. Trying to get the campus ministry department to admit confirmations ever took place at anything but this new chapel proved impossible. The thing that concerns me is that since they centralized all the records at this nearby parish, they’ve now incorrectly modified those records to state everyone confirmed with my class or earlier, were confirmed at this nearby parish. I mean it’s not a huge deal, I’ll modify the record to state the correct information myself if I have to, but I’m also concerned they’re not keeping records properly either for those Catholics who may still be tracking down such information for marriages and Holy Orders.

 

[Padres1969]

Validity is based on proper form and matter, not paperwork. I suggest you talk to the Catholic priest in the parish with your sacramental records.

It sounds like you want us to help you leave the Catholic Church and join the Episcopal Church.

I’m not comfortable with that,

I figured as much regarding validity. I mean I was there at the cathedral where I was actually confirmed, the bishop laid his hands on me, so it did happen.

As for leaving, I left the RCC almost 15 years ago so don’t feel too uncomfortable. And I’ve been Episcopalian and a member of an Episcopal parish for quite some time now. I just finally got around to making it sacramentally official.

 

[mommy_k]

Perhaps this is a sign for you to return to the Catholic faith

 

[Corki]

I doubt it’s a mistaken identity thing. The dates correspond, and my name is fairly unique (particularly on the west coast). I was confirmed through my Catholic high school who used to run confirmation classes themselves and then the sacrament through the diocese’s cathedral directly. Part of why it took so long to track it down was that I naturally went to the church I was confirmed in, the cathedral parish, but they’d no record of the sacrament.

Finally heard back from the school and it was like a comedy routine working with their campus ministry department. The staff are all relatively new and not long after I graduated the school opened its own large on campus chapel where confirmations are now done. The records of those on campus confirmations are held at the parish where I eventually tracked down my record. Trying to get the campus ministry department to admit confirmations ever took place at anything but this new chapel proved impossible. The thing that concerns me is that since they centralized all the records at this nearby parish, they’ve now incorrectly modified those records to state everyone confirmed with my class or earlier, were confirmed at this nearby parish. I mean it’s not a huge deal, I’ll modify the record to state the correct information myself if I have to, but I’m also concerned they’re not keeping records properly either for those Catholics who may still be tracking down such information for marriages and Holy Orders.

That makes sense, though. The Confirmation should have been recorded in two places. 1) in the parish where you were Baptized and 2) in the parish to which you belonged when you were Confirmed. The actual location of your classes and the Mass are not relevant.

I use to work with adults preparing for Confirmation. The Mass was at the co-Cathedral but the records were kept at our parish. The co-Cathedral isn’t listed on the Confirmation certificate, or in the Sacramental record at all. Since the high school was not a parish, the Sacrament would have been recorded at a parish and, from what you describe, it was.

It doesn’t sound like anyone “incorrectly modified” your Confirmation record. And you have no authority to modify the information yourself.

 

[Padres1969]

That makes sense, though. The Confirmation should have been recorded in two places. 1) in the parish where you were Baptized and 2) in the parish to which you belonged when you were Confirmed. The actual location of your classes and the Mass are not relevant.

I use to work with adults preparing for Confirmation. The Mass was at the co-Cathedral but the records were kept at our parish. The co-Cathedral isn’t listed on the Confirmation certificate, or in the Sacramental record at all. Since the high school was not a parish, the Sacrament would have been recorded at a parish and, from what you describe, it was.

It doesn’t sound like anyone “incorrectly modified” your Confirmation record. And you have no authority to modify the information yourself.

It’s an interesting point you raise actually, I may have to check at my childhood parish to see if it’s recorded there. Since that was technically the parish I was a member of when I was confirmed. Even if the confirmation didn’t occur there.

 

[Padres1969]

Perhaps this is a sign for you to return to the Catholic faith

More likely the sign of paperwork being shuffled around over the years between parishes.

But your thought is received in the spirit it was given.

 

[pianistclare]

Contact you church of Baptism and give them the proper info, with documentation of where various sacraments were received.

 

[ChadS]

I guess my question is what do the Episcopalians care? Why this need to track down paperwork for a church you aren’t even a member of?

When I was confirmed in the Catholic Church all they cared about from my UM-days was my baptismal certificate.

ChadS

 

[Corki]

It’s an interesting point you raise actually, I may have to check at my childhood parish to see if it’s recorded there. Since that was technically the parish I was a member of when I was confirmed. Even if the confirmation didn’t occur there.

All Sacraments are supposed to be recorded wherever your Baptism Certificate is housed. That would either be where you were Baptized or at another location if the parish no longer exists. This is the ONLY place where they are required to be maintained.

 

[carefullytread]

I guess my question is what do the Episcopalians care? Why this need to track down paperwork for a church you aren’t even a member of?

When I was confirmed in the Catholic Church all they cared about from my UM-days was my baptismal certificate.

ChadS

Episcopalians recognize the validity of Catholic Sacraments. So, if he was confirmed as Catholic, they don’t need to confirm him again. If he hadn’t been confirmed, he would need to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church.

 

[Phemie]

All Sacraments are supposed to be recorded wherever your Baptism Certificate is housed. That would either be where you were Baptized or at another location if the parish no longer exists. This is the ONLY place where they are required to be maintained.

Not quite.

Parishes are required to record baptisms, marriages and confirmations that are celebrated there. If the person who is being confirmed or married was baptized in another parish, the baptismal parish is to be notified. So confirmations may be recorded in two parishes, marriages may well be recorded in 3 parishes (the parish where it’s celebrated, the parish where the bride was baptized, and the parish where the groom was confirmed).

 

[Padres1969]

I guess my question is what do the Episcopalians care? Why this need to track down paperwork for a church you aren’t even a member of?

When I was confirmed in the Catholic Church all they cared about from my UM-days was my baptismal certificate.

ChadS

As carefullytread mentions, Anglicans recognize the full validity of Catholic sacraments. So the record of me being confirmed is needed so I’m not re-confirmed but rather just received.

 

[carefullytread]

As carefullytread mentions, Anglicans recognize the full validity of Catholic sacraments. So the record of me being confirmed is needed so I’m not re-confirmed but rather just received.

I think Anglicans have open communion. Since you have all the sacraments, what does being received into the Anglican change for you?

 

[1ke]

It’s an interesting point you raise actually, I may have to check at my childhood parish to see if it’s recorded there. Since that was technically the parish I was a member of when I was confirmed. Even if the confirmation didn’t occur there.

ALL of your sacramental records are sent to and recorded at your baptismal parish unless something went terribly wrong. That is how records are kept, per canon law.

 

[Padres1969]

I think Anglicans have open communion. Since you have all the sacraments, what does being received into the Anglican change for you?

It’s simply a public affirmation of a mature commitment to Christ while reaffirming my baptismal vows and a way to be accepted into fellowship with the Episcopal Church. You are correct that strictly speaking it is not required to attend mass, receive communion, etc… But to be a full member and able to participate in mass beyond a regular congregant, etc… it is required. I decided that aspect of it is important to me going forward, particularly as I prepare to baptize my daughter later this year.