Category Archives: Rite of Confirmation

Here’s the end of the Confirmation Rite’s introduction: some brief reminders for the sacristan: The following should be prepared for the administration of confirmation: When confirmation is given within Mass, the vestments prescribed for the celebration of Mass both for … Continue reading →

Now for the controversial stuff, right? When can we change the red and do something else? The “we” is the conference of bishops: 16. By virtue of the Constitution on the Liturgy (art. 63b), conferences of bishops have the right … Continue reading →

This is less of liturgical interest and more of an administrative concern, but we have to keep those records straight: 14. The names of those confirmed, as well as the names of the minister, parents, and sponsors, and a notation … Continue reading →

When I arrived in Kansas City, it was the first place I’d been to where Confirmation was celebrated with the Liturgy of the Word.  No Eucharist. Our bishop had been ill, and the reason for no Mass was given as … Continue reading →

Let’s take a break from the music tussles and continue with our examination of the Rite of Confirmation’s introduction. First, candidates have a small set of requirements: 12. Persons who are to receive confirmation must have already received baptism. Moreover, … Continue reading →

A caution for impressionable readers: what we are about to read is the “ordinary” intention of the Church: a preservation of the sequence and unity of the initiation sacraments, the expected (young!)  age of the person receiving confirmation, and when … Continue reading →

With this post, we move to instruction on the confirmation liturgy itself. First, this is how one confirms: 9. The sacrament of confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on … Continue reading →

When may a diocesan bishop delegate confirmation to other clergy? The introduction tells us it may be done by another bishop, by presbyters when the cause is serious, or even by presbyters when the number of those to be confirmed … Continue reading →

We all know the bishop is the ordinary minister of confirmation, right? Here’s the why: 7. The originating minister of confirmation is the bishop. Normally a bishop administers the sacrament so that there will be a clearer reference to the … Continue reading →

Two sections detail the role of the sponsor. The rite suggests there are duties during the liturgy as well as after. Usually, it’s the “before” that gets the attention. 5. As a rule there should be a sponsor for each … Continue reading →

Confirmation in the parish is usually an exclusive celebration. In many places, the bishop insists on a merging of parishes. Sometimes that resulting liturgy is at the cathedral, at one of the large parishes, or even at a local high … Continue reading →