His Excellency Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, has graciously consented to confer the sacrament of Confirmation according to the traditional form of the Roman Rite on the evening of Wednesday, 30 November 2016 at St. Mary’s Church in Pine Bluff, WI.
Bishop Morlino understands that there may be some confirmands from outside of the Diocese of Madison.
Anyone who is interested in being confirmed, should quickly take steps to make contact and send the proper information by 11 November.
If you are interested in confirmation for yourself or for your child, please take note of this letter from Bp. Morlino. Click HERE
If you have not been confirmed, consider the graces you are offered in this wonderful sacrament.
Loading ...
Now that letter from Bishop Morlino is a superb example of the combination of gracious and efficient. This is truly a man who has taken to heart “salus animarum suprema lex.”
[Agreed!]
A nice letter, but is there any pastor who would allow this? Mine wouldn’t. [Happily, the pastor doesn’t get to allow or deny. He has a different role.] Confused by territorial pastor, since some of us are part of parishes outside of our territory. Also, since the bishop is the usual minister of the sacrament, wouldn’t permission have to come from him? I am very happy for those families that have this wonderful opportunity.
[It is important that there be good communications with the pastor of the parish where the confirmand comes from. We don’t want to sneak around (yet) to receive sacraments. That day might come, but it isn’t here yet. The pastor needs to be informed and consulted about any impediments to confirmation. That doesn’t mean that the pastor is in control of the confirmation. You do not have to ask the pastor for permission. A diocesan bishop can confirm anyone in his territory, even if a confirmand is from outside his diocese. If the bishop of a confirmand’s diocese, say Bp. Fatty McButterpants, says to the confirming bishop of the other diocese, Bp Noble over in Black Duck, not to confirm “That Person”, that’s another matter. Pastors, however, need to be informed and consulted about impediments. They can’t tell a bishop that he can’t confirm. “I don’t like the traditional Rite” or “I want Jimmy to be in my confirmation program and to make him do 50 hours of community service!” (which has nothing to do with the requirements in law) isn’t good enough. However, I am sure that everyone saw that Bp. Morlino clearly respects the roles of everyone involved. There is a process of informing and consulting. If some issue develops, there will be open communication. Nobody is being cut out of the process.]
Quod Pater dixit.
Does the traditional form include the face slap?
[Since you ask, yes! It does indeed. It is right there in the rubrics. The bishop smears on the chrism, saying the proper form and then… as the rubrics describe: Deinde leviter eum in maxilla caedit, dicens: Pax tecum. I’d like to translate that as: “The he quickly belts him in the chops, saying, ‘Peace be with you'”. It is probably more like, “He gently slaps him on the cheek….”]
Thank you for helping me understand. I have also done a little research on canon law and the sacraments, but raising a large family consumes my time. I don’t have a complete understanding, yet. I am greatly disheartened by the fact that my own parish is denying the sacraments, and some of us (home-schooling families) have resorted to sneaking around. My priest and RE coordinator did deny a child 1st Holy Communion – was eventually resolved by the bishop. It was a process that I am unable to endure right now. Sneaking around sounds easier. But then, what about obedience? Such a dilemma!! God bless.
I think I should add, those that have gone outside of their diocese for the most part, do not make it a public event as they do not want to bring shame, embarrass or publicly challenge their own Ordinary. Believe me, many letters have been written asking Bishops to change policy. Some parents contact their own Bishop and request the Sacrament from him first and when denied for usually the standard reasons, such as age or required participation in a program, they then go to another diocese. The goal for these parents has been to get the Sacraments in a timely manner, hopefully and if possible in the correct order so their children may have the graces necessary to be fully initiated Catholics better prepared to meet the challenges they face and to grow in grace and holiness.
Bp Arthur Seratelli performs our traditional Confirmations here in The Archdiocese of Paterson, NJ. When daughter Catherine was approaching the age for confirmation, we were still in NYC, at St Agnes. The priests of the Fraternity & Fr Adams at St. Agnes worked it all out & my NYC baby was confirmed in NJ. (We moved here two years later….)