Courtney McGrailDear Editor, Well done, Bishop Brendan Leahy. Yes! Indeed, why not postpone Confirmation for young people until they are at least 16 years old! (IC 29/01/2015) Unfortunately, few of the parents or students who have given feedback on the issue are keen on this new idea: and the clergy, I’m sure, are shivering in their boots at the thought of their having to take responsibility for the preparation work.
One grandmother, who gave her view, was afraid the children would go into secondary school and never receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When I tried to explain that the Sacrament of Confirmation was a vital, and for us, the final part of our initiation into the Church as mature Christians who have chosen to follow Christ for the rest of our lives, she did not know what I was talking about. So, perhaps the first step is to explain to our parents and young people what Confirmation is.
Those of us in city parishes are probably more conscious of the malaise from which the Church is suffering than our country cousins. Last year, this city parish had about 40 sixth class children for Confirmation. Not one of them appeared for Eucharist the following Sunday. But nobody in the parish was surprised. While we have three primary schools and one Community College in the parish less than 10 young people attend Mass regularly. And yet Bishop Brendan is the first senior cleric to draw our attention to this serious matter that affects the future of the Church here in Ireland.
Both research and common-sense indicate that children at primary-school level are incapable of making serious life-decisions. Christ blessed the children, but it was adults he asked to follow him. It is surely time for us here in Ireland to follow suit.
Yours etc.,
Fr Pat Seaver,
St Munchin’s & St Lelia’s Parish,
Limerick