Ten years ago I went through the RCIA program and became a Catholic, if I rememer correctly the program lasted less than a year.
My son is now in first grade and enrolled in CCD and I’m just curious about the large time difference between the two. Two years before FHC and then another five before Confimation. Even though I’ve seen some posts saying that children can be confirmed anytime between the ages of 7 and 18. Does that depend on the parish? Big gap there. Just curious.
CCD or religious education should continue throughout the school years, either through parochial school, parish RE, or formal homeschooling. So yes it should be longer. It should also, according to the catechetical documents, be modelled on the RCIA, in that preparation for sacraments should include formal catechesis but also foster continuing conversion and foremost knowledge of and love for Jesus Christ. The period after reception of sacraments should also by mystagogical, in that the “mysteries”, the participation in the Paschal mystery through the liturgical life of the Church, is stressed and brought home to the child.
In the Latin church children may be confirmed at any time after the age of reason. National bishop’s conferences can set other limits, but it is ultimately up to the ordinary (local bishop) to set the age. Children in danger of death should be confirmed (and of course baptized) earlier. In this diocese children are expected to begin RE in 1st grade, and after an introductory year covering the basics, may enter the two-year sacramental preparation. First confession is made in 2nd grade, usually in Lent, and First Communion in 3rd grade, with ideally at least 6 months between those sacraments, as the synod document states, to make clear that these are two separate sacraments and emphasize the unique nature of each. Confirmation of baptized Catholic youth is at age 16 or 10th grade, following a 2 year preparation. Parents and sponsors are espected to attended 3 (2-hour) meetings for each sacrament.
the website is
www.cdob.org, click on synod legislation
this is an example of “particular law” of a diocese, which interprets and specifies how canon law is to be applied to meet the pastoral needs of Catholics in that diocese.
RCIA has its own universal provisions and national statutes, and local bishops also make specific rules for their own diocese–how baptized non-Catholic children are initiated, whether or not he reserves confirmation of baptized adults to himself etc… Some bishops delegate this to priests, at Easter or other specific time, some do not. As always the priest who baptizes new adult converts (over age 7) also confirms them during the same celebration, unless an exception is made for grave pastoral reasons.
RCIA is NOT however the end of things, and everything possible should be done to encourage children to continue religious formation throughout the school years, or at rock bottom minimum, a year of mystagogy as prescribed in the rites. The catechumenate, which should be at least one calendar year, is proceeded by a period of inquiry or pre-catechumenate, of unspecified duration. In this diocese, as most parishes prepare children, it means that children spend at least 3 years in CCD/RE/RCIA. Very sadly only a small percentage continue through middle school, and most of those coming to confirmation prep in 9th grade have only the barest recollection of what they learned as children.
bottom line: CCD is much more than sacramental prep.
