A lot of planning is required to move to celebrating the sacraments of initiation in their original order
By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald
The diocese is calling it “Big Pentecost 2018.”
It’s the day when nearly half of the parishes in Hawaii will administer the sacrament of confirmation to all children and youth from grade two through high school as these parishes transition to celebrating the sacraments of initiation in their original order: baptism, confirmation, first Communion.
After next year, for these 30 parishes, 12 missions and one oratory, confirmation will cease being a high school sacrament — where it is sometimes viewed as a rite of passage — but one received in the second grade, with first Communion.
The remaining 36 Hawaii parishes will make the transition over the following two years.
How will all these parishes manage to confirm all these children and youth on one day — Sunday, May 20, 2018?
Another question: How will parishes prepare all these children and youth for the sacrament?
The first question prompted a memo to parishes from Father Mark Gantley, diocesan judicial vicar, urging them to get ready for the big day.
Because of the large number of confirmations happening at once, the bishop and his vicar general will not be able to administer them, Father Gantley wrote. “The parish priests and chaplains of ethnic communities will instead be delegated to confirm.”
It is not known how many children and youth in all will be confirmed in 2018, but diocesan officials have conservatively estimated about 5,000. They would include, for each participating parish, most of its religious education students and Catholic grade school students.
In recent years, the number of confirmations in Hawaii administered to one class of teens has been around 1,200 annually, according to parish reports to the diocesan Office of the Chancellor.
The pastors are responsible for planning the Pentecost weekend for their parishes. Father Gantley suggested that parishes schedule extra Masses that weekend to accommodate the expected larger congregations.
He suggested that parishes divide the confirmations Masses by class, for example, having the second graders receive confirmation with first Communion at the Saturday vigil Mass, the third through eight graders being confirmed at the Sunday morning Masses, and the high school students at the Sunday evening Mass.
Father Gantley advised that families, especially those with more than one child being confirmed, be allowed to select the Mass they would like to attend.
He recommended that parish clergy and staff avoid scheduling their vacations at that time and to find “supply” priests (those who are retired or not assigned to a parish) to help out.
Regarding the preparation of the children and youth for the sacrament, Jayne Mondoy, the diocesan director of the Office of Religious Education, said that Hawaii catechists, Catholic school religion teachers, and parents have a “wealth” of educational material on hand.
She said that she and Catholic schools superintendent Michael Rockers have provided educators with “the theological, pastoral and operational foundations” needed to make the transition to administering the sacraments of initiation in their “original order.”
The sacrament of confirmation, according to a description by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “more perfectly binds the baptized to the church and enriches each person with special strength of the Holy Spirit so that the individual can be a true witness to Christ.”
It also “increases and deepens one’s baptismal grace,” “marks one with an indelible character on the soul” and “increases in the confirmed the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
According to instructions from the U.S. bishops, catechesis for confirmation “should be offered on the words, gestures, signs and symbols of the rite.”
The diocese’s “Catechetical Guidelines for Teaching Religion, Pre-school-Grade 12,” now in a working draft, provides the catechetical requirements for all the sacraments, including confirmation, Mondoy said.
She said the diocese also provides a “comprehensive list” of online curriculum resources, including the new video “Confirmation: One Ohana” produced by her office.
One of the requirements for a parish to move to the original order is to have in place a “comprehensive youth ministry” to absorb what previously had been the two-year preparation program for receiving confirmation in high school.
“Comprehensive” youth ministry, Mondoy said, stresses the themes of Christian stewardship and discipleship and includes religious education.
Making the transition in 2018
These are the 30 parishes, 12 missions and one oratory that will be confirming most of its children and youth on Pentecost Sunday 2018 as the parishes transition to celebrating the original order of the sacraments of initiation.
OAHU
- Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, Honolulu
- Mystical Rose Oratory, Chaminade, Honolulu
- Our Lady of the Mount Parish, Kalihi Valley
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Ewa Beach
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Pearl City
- Resurrection of the Lord Parish, Waipio
- Sacred Heart Parish, Punahou
- St. Pius X Parish, Manoa
- St. Anthony Parish, Kalihi
- St. Augustine Parish, Waikiki
- St. Elizabeth Parish, Aiea
- St. John Apostle and Evangelist Parish, Mililani
- St. John the Baptist Parish, Kalihi
- St. John Vianney Parish, Kailua
- St. Jude Parish, Kapolei
- St. Stephen Parish, Nuuanu
- Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Honolulu
BIG ISLAND
- Annunciation Parish, Waimea
- Ascension Mission, Puako
- Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Honokaa
- St. Benedict Parish, Honaunau
- St. John the Baptist Mission, Kealakekua
- St. Joseph Parish, Hilo
- St. Michael Parish, Kailua-Kona
- Immaculate Conception Mission, Holualoa
- Holy Rosary Mission, Kalaoa
- St. Paul Mission, Honalo
- St. Peter Mission, Kahaluu
- Holy Rosary Mission, Keaau
- St. Theresa Parish, Mountain View
KAUAI
- St. Catherine Parish, Kapaa
- St. Sylvester Mission, Kilauea
- St. William Mission, Hanalei
- St. Theresa Parish, Kekaha
MAUI
- Maria Lanakila Parish, Lahaina
- Sacred Hearts Mission, Kapalua
- Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, Kula
- Holy Ghost Mission, Waiakoa
- St. James the Less Mission, Ulupalakua
- Sacred Hearts Parish, Lanai City
- St. Joseph Parish, Makawao
- St. Theresa Parish, Kihei
MOLOKAI
- St. Damien of Molokai Parish, Kaunakakai
