There is an interesting press release out from the Latin Mass Society in the UK:
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY
For Immediate Release
17 April 2008
Westminster bishop to confer Traditional Latin Rite confirmations
Bishop George Stack, auxiliary bishop in Westminster, will administer Confirmations in the Traditional Latin Rite at St James’s Church, Spanish Place, London W1 on Saturday, 15 November at 11.00 am at the request of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster. This will be the fifth consecutive year that Westminster auxiliary bishops will have conferred Confirmation in the Traditional Rite. Last year in November 2007, a record 54 candidates received the sacrament at the hands of Bishop John Arnold – 50 children and 4 adults.
Also in November 2007, Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton became the first diocesan bishop of England and Wales to administer Traditional Rite Confirmations when he confirmed 7 candidates during a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church, Chesham Bois, Bucks on Sunday 18 November 2007. Bishop Doyle also celebrated Sunday Mass in the Traditional Rite on that occasion.
John Medlin, General Manager of the Latin Mass Society, said, “There is no sign of slackening of demand for Traditional Rite Confirmations – in fact the opposite. The numbers are increasing every year and I expect this trend to continue after Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio. We hope it will not be long before bishops all over England and Wales respond to pastoral demand for Mass and the Sacraments in the Traditional Rite. Those attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite are very grateful to Cardinal Cormac and the Westminster auxiliary bishops for making provision for the Traditional Mass and Sacraments.”
At St James’s, Spanish Place, in November 2007, a packed congregation of 600 family and friends were led by the St James’s choir in singing the Veni Creator Spiritus and other traditional hymns. During the anointing, the choir sang polyphony and plain chant. After the anointing, Bishop Arnold led the congregation in the Divine Praises and then conferred Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
After the Confirmations, at a reception, Julian Chadwick, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society, thanked Bishop Arnold for his pastoral concern and led the assembly in a traditional roof-raising round of applause. Bishop Arnold then spoke informally and cut the special Confirmation cake with many parents taking photographs. Later, the bishop mixed with the parents and children whilst everyone enjoyed the refreshments provided by the LMS.
Note:
Parents who require Traditional Confirmation for their children in November 2008 should contact the LMS office for full details of how to register.For further information, please contact John Medlin, General Manager, or James Murphy, LMS Office Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585
E-mail: thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk
Father,
Next September 14th (is that an anniversary or something?), His Excellency, Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of Harrisburg, will confirm in the Extraordinary Form fourteen youngsters of the Mater Dei Latin Mass Community of Harrisburg. The confirmations will be at St. Lawrence Chapel, Harrisburg.
This will be the first time in over 43 years that this has been done.
Bishop Rhoades, btw, is only 49. He has no personal experience with the Traditional rite, and is learning it from scratch, God bless him.
Oh, yeah, my soon to be 14 year-old son will be one of the confirmands!
Also, Archbishop Martin of Dublin is due to confirm children of the Latin Mass Chaplaincy on June 29, the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, when he visits for Mass. A veritable outbreak of trad Confirmation!
It’s not a comment but a question:
Does anyone know the average age of those seeking Confirmation in the traditional form? I’ve always wondered whether people are seeking it at the (very) modern age of late middle or high school, or if they tend to be going for the more traditional age ca. 7-11. My oldest is still years away from the age of reason, but if I want to see about getting her sacraments in the traditional order I figure I need to start learning the lay of the land very early.
BTW – not trying to disparage when we now get our sacraments. It just happens that we arrived at adolescent Confirmation by a string of accidents and I’m interested in making an intentional move back toward the more traditional practice – one area in which modern liturgical studies is actually more *traditional* than many parishes and dioceses! ;)
Sorry, Father. Seems they like the term “Latin Mass”. ;)
I am very happy to relate that the Most Rev. John F. Donoghue, Archbishop Emeritus of Atlanta, will confirm my son, age of eleven, in the Traditional Rite, this coming June.
What are the biggest differences bewteen Confirmations in the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms?
No sign of Leeds diocese making a move in this direction. The provision remains inadaquate. The irony is that Leeds Cathedral’s Sunday liturgy resembles a rather vulgar, 3rd rate, classical concert which is something the pre-Vatican II church (including Pius X) was trying to discourage.
All we want is a low EF – that’s all Evelyn Waugh ever wanted. There are problems with a sung OF in Latin in that, ironically, it accentuates the concert style elements of the Mass rather than the worship. It’s even worse when you have a mish-mash of English OF accompanied by the music of de Victoria for example. It just degenerates it to a moderately interesting classical concert interspersed by dull English prose.
Hey there folks, I’m looking for some opinion. I know there is no shortage. How does one feel about Confirmation with Mass, as opposed to Confirmation with something like Benediction.
I prefer Confirmation with Mass. For one, it makes the ceremony a bit longer and more solemn. Also, it becomes something the parish may be intrested in assisting.
Any thoughts about this?
Diane,
To me the main difference it that it would spare us the torture of listening to the drum set, electrical guitars and cow bells! They really take our kids for dummies who can’t appreciate good music and a reverent celebration!
I am wondering the same thing as Aaron Sanders. My two-year-old isn’t nearing her First Holy Communion that soon, but I would love to have that Sacrament be the completion of her initiation in to the Church. Has anyone heard of these Confirmations using the older form being done before the person’s reception of the Eucharist for the first time?
After having been a practicing Roman Catholic for thirty-five years, it was revealed to me through prayer that contrary to what I had been told, I had never been baptized.
Last week at the age of 54 I received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation in the “old” rite.
It was, to say the least, extremely beautiful and quite moving.
Peace.