Q. We have both child and adult catechumens who are asking if they can just be baptized and then continue on with their formation to celebrate confirmation and eucharist when they are ready. Is that possible? A. For both unbaptized adults and children who have reached the age of reason, when they are ready to […]
Q&A: Can a catechumen be baptized and then wait on confirmation and eucharist?
As our dioceses and parishes implement more fully the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for all those who have reached the age of discretion (aka the age of reason), parents sometimes have difficulty understanding why their child would be confirmed at age seven or eight. It is important for all of us to understand
How to think about Confirmation in the initiation of children
Q. My parish has historically confirmed candidates for confirmation at the Easter Vigil — those who were baptized and uncatechized and those who were in need of confirmation only. We have been told recently to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation with the already-baptized at a time other than the Easter Vigil. So when should they
Q&A: When should we confirm baptized candidates?
Q. We have a candidate who was baptized as a Baptist going through RCIA. Can he be confirmed with our teen confirmation candidates when the bishop comes to celebrate? A.Thanks for reaching out. Your candidate needs to celebrate the Rite of Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church prescribed in RCIA Part II:5.
Q&A: Can we celebrate confirmation with an RCIA candidate when the bishop comes to our parish?
On February 11, 2019, Bishop James S. Wall of the diocese of Gallup, New Mexico, announced that the diocese will restore the order of the sacraments of initiation for children who are baptized in infancy. That brings the number of dioceses in the United States who have restored the order if the initiation sacraments to
RCIA shifts and corrects our understanding of confirmation
Most RCIA team members know that, for the purposes of the rite, an “adult” is anyone who has reached catechetical age.* That means that if an unbaptized child who has reached catechetical age wishes to be baptized, he or she is also confirmed and receives first communion at the moment of baptism. It also means
Misunderstandings about the age of confirmation
We have to wonder why this is even a question. The teaching of the church is crystal clear: In order to signify clearly the interrelation or coalescence of the three sacraments, which are required for full Christian initiation (canon 842.2), adult candidates, including children of catechetical age, are to receive baptism, confirmation and eucharist in
Can we delay confirmation of child catechumens in the RCIA?
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in beautiful western Pennsylvania has been doing some serious work on making the baptismal catechumenate the model of formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. I had the pleasure of joining folks in the diocese for a recent workshop where we explored how the baptismal catechumenate model is the basis for their
Altoona-Johnstown doing serious work on baptismal catechumenate as model for Confirmation
On this All Saints Day, I have a proposal. Let’s not rename the catechumens with saint names. Many of them come to us with saint names already, but not all of them do. As I said in The Way of Faith, I once had a child catechumen named “Pebbles.” Let’s just say the topic of
Do you need to have a saint’s name for baptism or confirmation?
I’m editing the October 2009 issue of Religion Teacher’s Journal, and I’ve just run across the second author who casually refers to choosing a new name for confirmation as though that’s the ordinary practice of the church. I chose a confirmation name as a child as I’m sure most of you did. But our experience
