Confirmation celebrated in six deaneries
By Fabvienen Taylor
JACKSON — In 2009 confirmation will be celebrated in one parish in each deanery, instead of every parish, according to Bishop Joseph Latino.
In a July letter to pastors and pastoral ministers, Bishop Latino directed parishes and missions planning confirmation to contact their dean with their number of candidates for confirmation.
The change from dozens of locations to only six will cut out hundreds of miles Bishop Latino travels each year for confirmation. Sometimes he traveled twice to the same city for confirmation at a different parish.
Secondly, the change will give teenagers a new platform to establish community among their peers and to be part of a larger group than just at their parish.
“There are a lot of Catholic teenagers in areas where there are not a lot of Catholics. During confirmation preparation the teenagers will be able to gather and form ommunity and do other youth activities together,” said Alice Hughes, diocesan director of faith formation.
“You are not going to evangelize, keep them Catholic, and grow the church if they are coming together only once a year,” she said.
Hundreds of youth come together once a year for the Diocesan Youth Convention in Jackson. Confirmation in the deaneries can be the impetus for other gatherings with neighboring parishes, she said.
Hughes said confirmation should be the beginning of community among their peers, not the end.
“With confirmation they become fully initiated into the church, it is just the start of that, not the end,” she said.
Some parishes/missions with 30 or 40 families may have only one or two teenagers, or a teenager may be the only Catholic in their high school, she said.
“That makes them feel isolated. This way they know they are not alone. They can come together and form bonds,” Hughes said.
“That bond can continue through high school and into college,” she said.
“So many of our youth go on to college at Mississippi State University (MSU) and Ole Miss (University of Mississippi). Once there they will already have a connection to the church and hopefully will get into campus ministry programs,” Hughes said.
Some parishes already come together for confirmation retreats, she said. Keeping the number around 20 youth is better than having 30 or more.
Youth coming together at the deanery level for confirmation has a lot of potential for other activities, Hughes said.
“They may be able to have fall festivals in their deanery, small mini-conventions, religious education and even adult faith formation activities.
“Celebrating confirmation at the deanery level may have been borne out of practical reasons, Hughes said, “but most theology is borne out of practical reasons. Afterwards you see the potential practical reasons can hold for theology.”
The following are the places, dates and times for confirmation in 2009:
Deanery 1— Madison St. Francis of Assisi Church, 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3.
Deanery 2 — Natchez St. Mary Basilica, 2 p.m. Sunday, May 31.
Deanery 3 and Deanery 4 (southern part) — Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 2 p.m. Sunday, June 7.
Deanery 4 — Southaven Christ the King Church, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19;
Deanery 5 — Tupelo St. James Church, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 18.
Deanery 6 (northern part) — Meridian St. Patrick Church, 2 p.m. Thursday, May 7
