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.
