Information Regarding Cathedral Confirmations
Please take a moment to review the following information and share it with the appropriate people in your parish. There is some additional information included in this letter so please be sure to read this information in its entirety. Specifically, before the start of each Confirmation, a rosary will be led by a seminarian, to allow for quiet reflection and prayer before the start of Mass. We ask that you please enter the Cathedral Basilica quietly during the rosary, and that you please remain quiet for the start of Mass.
NAME CARDS and RECORD OF CONFIRMATION
The candidates’ cards were sent to the PSR Coordinator of your parish. Each candidate must have this card in hand to present to the Bishop’s assistant at the time of the actual Confirmation.
Please be sure that both sides of the card are completed and postage has been affixed. If any card is incomplete, the cards will be returned to the parish for completion. No one can be confirmed without a card properly completed and signed by the pastor.
If a parish of baptism is now suppressed, please read the following information for the address where records should be mailed, and address the card appropriately:
1. The complete list of closed parishes can be found on the Archives webpage at: http://archstl.org/archives/page/closed-parishes.
2. Parishes can contact the Archives for verification prior to confirmation that a child was baptized in a parish that is now closed.
3. The confirmation cards for those baptized at these now closed parishes will need to be addressed to the following :
Archives and Records
Cardinal Rigali Center
20 Archbishop May Drive
St. Louis MO 63119-5738
Only the names of Christian saints are properly chosen as confirmation names, unless good reason is provided in accord with canon 855.
The date of Confirmation and the name of the confirming Bishop will be filled in by the Office of Sacred Worship staff. The candidates’ cards will then be mailed to the parish of baptism. The entries in the baptism register serve as a cross-reference to the marriage or confirmation registers.
“The names of those confirmed, the minister, the parents, the sponsors and the place and date of the confirmation are to be recorded in the confirmation register to be kept in the parochial archive.” (Canon 895)
The Cathedral Basilica records only the Confirmations of its own parishioners. Pastors, or their designates, are responsible for recording confirmations held at the Cathedral Basilica in their own parish confirmation registers.
OPTIONAL LETTERS TO THE BISHOP
It is the custom in some parishes to have confirmands compose a letter to the Archbishop explaining why he/she wants to be confirmed, the name of sponsor and reason for selection, and a description of service to the parish. Although not required, letters may be sent as a group by the confirmation coordinator to Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, 20 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63119.
Please enclose a cover letter noting the name of the parish and the date of confirmation at the Cathedral Basilica. All letters to the Archbishop should begin with: Dear Archbishop Robert J. Carlson. Since it is not known which bishop will be confirming which candidate, all letters may be addressed to Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, who will then distribute them among the bishops.
PREPARING FOR THE LITURGY
It is especially important that the candidates are well rehearsed in their responses to the Bishop’s questions during the renewal of baptismal promises (“I do”) and to the words of the sacramental rite itself (“Amen;” “And with your spirit”). Please review this material as there are slight changes this year with the new Roman Missal, Third Edition. A full program will be posted on our website as soon as it is complete: http://archstl.org/worship/page/2012-cathedral-confirmations.
Please remind the candidates about the proper form for greeting the bishops (for example, “good afternoon, Archbishop Carlson”). The sponsor speaks in a normal tone of voice to present the candidate with his or her Confirmation name. (They should wear nametags as well.) Please do not expect the Bishop to read the candidate’s nametag or card.
ARRIVAL AND SEATING
The Cathedral Basilica will be available for seating one hour before the beginning of the Confirmation liturgy. Seating Charts are posted on our website: http://archstl.org/worship/page/2012-cathedral-confirmations. Slight changes may be made to the seating chart if needed. So please visit this website several times prior to your date of Confirmation.
We encourage the Confirmation Coordinator or other parish representative to arrive early and help your candidates locate their places more easily. In order to allow for quiet reflection before the start of each Confirmation, a rosary will begin 30 minutes before Mass. The rosary will be led by one of our seminarians. We ask that you please enter the Cathedral Basilica quietly and respectfully during the rosary and remain quiet for the start of Mass. It is our hope that this will allow for a time of quiet prayer and reflection as we prepare for the celebration of this special Liturgy.
Pews will be reserved with the name of the parish. The sponsors and candidates sit together. The seating chart is based on a total of 8 people to a pew. Family members and guests may be seated in any pews in any of the unreserved sections.
Parish priests are welcome to concelebrate and should bring their own albs. Concelebration chasuble and stole will be provided in the Cathedral sacristy.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photography and videotaping is not permitted during the liturgy. The Archbishop or Bishops will be available in the vestibule after the Mass and pictures may be taken with them at that time. Pictures may also be taken in the All Saints’ Chapel after the Mass, but pictures may not be taken in the sanctuary or in front of the railing.
LITURGICAL MINISTERS
We appreciate your willingness to provide liturgical ministers, such as readers and gift bearers, from your parish. Once we determine our needs, we may contact you to ask for specific ministers and their names. All ministers should arrive at the Cathedral thirty minutes before the Mass and should go to the Cathedral Basilica sacristy and report to the Master of Ceremonies, Fr. Joseph Jiang, for detailed instructions.
Please contact the Office of Sacred Worship if you have any further questions or need clarification.
God Bless.
Amy Buehrle, J.D.
Office Coordinator
Office of Sacred Worship