Confirmation / Eucharist
Sacraments of Initiation
Restored Order
Confirmation - Eucharist Guidelines
In the early Church the sacraments of initiation
were three: Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist. They were celebrated
together in a single rite, with a bishop as presider. This was the
practice of the Roman Rite up until the 5th or 6th century when bishops
could no longer be present at all baptisms, leading to a time of
separation between baptism & confirmation. At first, the time of separation
was short, but as time went on, the delay for the bishop to arrive grew.
Still the Church celebrated the sacraments in the order of Baptism,
Confirmation & Eucharist until this century.
In 1910, Pope Pius X recognized that children were
not being allowed First Communion until the age of twelve to fourteen. He
felt that such a denial was contrary to the vision of Jesus who always
drew children to himself. Pius X ordered that children be allowed to come
to the table of the Eucharist as soon as they could distinguish the
Eucharist from ordinary bread. The age was then lowered to around seven.
Confirmation was not discussed and therefore the order of sacraments was
upset. The reforms of Vatican Council II called the Church to restore the original order
of sacraments. This is not without challenges and difficulties. Such a
change presumes a deep commitment on the part of the family to nurture
the life of the young. Such a commitment means that parents have a need
to understand the reasons for change & the ways in which they can
help their child/ren.
The main reason for restoring the order of the
sacraments, (i.e. putting Confirmation before First Communion) is to
emphasize that Eucharist (Communion) is THE sacrament which celebrates
our FULL membership in the Body of Christ. It is the sacrament of
on-going growth and the sacrament of unity. The Church tells us that it
"culminates" the initiation process. When it comes last in
order, it calls us to renew that baptismal covenant each time we come to
the Table of the Eucharist.
Confirmation - Eucharist Guidelines:
1. Eligibility (must be a
registered member of Holy Angels Parish)
Baptized Children/Youth in Grades 2-12
1. Have attended 75% of the
scheduled religious education (PRE-HAYO-FIRE) meetings the year prior to
the year of their intended Confirmatio/1st Communion or were enrolled in
ACS (Angelo Catholic School) or other Catholic school or Religious Education Program;
2. Attends 75% of the scheduled religious education (PRE-HAYO-FIRE)
meetings during their Confirmation/1st Communion year or is enrolled in
ACS;
3. Has prepared for the Sacrament of Reconciliation;
4. Attends all scheduled sacramental preparation classes/retreats; and
5. Participates in a minimum of 2 approved parish service projects.
Baptized Catholic Adults
1. Has prepared for the Sacrament
of Reconciliation;
2. Attends all scheduled sacramental preparation classes/retreats.
Non-baptized Adults or Adults Baptized in Other Denominations
1. Should attend RCIA (Rite of
Christian Initiation for Adults)
Required Documents & Forms
* A copy of the candidates
original Baptismal Certificate (not required for those baptized at Holy
Angels)
* Sponsor Certificate
Confirmation Sponsor Requirements
The sponsor that is chosen must
be at least 16 years of age, be an active member of the Catholic church,
& have been initiated into the three sacraments of Baptism,
Confirmation & Eucharist (Communion). It is desirable that the
godparent at Baptism, if available, also be the sponsor at Confirmation.
If this is not possible, another sponsor may be chosen. Sponsors may be
male or female but may not be the candidate's parent.
