ASK FATHER: Traditional Confirmation Availability?

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Now that confirmation season is in full force, do you know of any diocese that are granting permission to have confirmation in the old rite? My family and I live in 2 locations throughout the year (…..,), and both FSSP parishes have been denied the traditional rite. I would be happy to talk with you further, but your blog seemed like a convenient place to ask what is going on around the nation.

Where can Traditional Confirmation be found … where people from elsewhere would be welcomed……

Oh, friend, my heart hurts for you.

This requires bishops with fatherly hearts who care for people who simply want the Faith of their fathers.

I guess that perhaps 1 bishop in 100 knows that there are substantive differences between the traditional rite and the new rite. And among those who do know that, few will care.

Frankly, bishops talk about going to people on the periphery, and they create time and resources. But the bishops themselves have created this periphery! They would rather not have to remember that it’s there, that those people are out there – eyes and hands reaching out to those bishops from without.

Perhaps readers will have some positive news.

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17 Comments

  1. lfandrew says:

    The FSSP in Warrington, England, have confirmations in the Traditional Rite administered by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, OP on 2nd July. I do not know if they would be willing to accept candidates prepared elsewhere though. They can be contacted by email – warrington@fssp.org

  2. Francisco12 says:

    I guess I’m not understanding how the bishop could be denying the FSSP in his territory the right to be denied in the traditional rite, particularly after Pope Francis said that TC does not apply to the FSSP. Is the bishop refusing to not only confirm the children himself, but to give the faculties to the pastor to do so?

    In my diocese, the bishop is not coming for Confirmation but has given our FSSP pastor the faculties to confer the sacrament to my son and the other children of the parish. Please, reader, be assurred of my prayers, and I hope your family will be able to have the sacrament this year.

  3. giveglory says:

    Archbishop Hebda of the Minnespolis/St Paul archdiocese confirmed quite a few confirmandi in the traditional rite, I believe, last December. I’m not sure if you had to be a local parishioner or not, but many of the churches that have the Latin mass in or near the Twin Cities would have that information:
    St Joseph’s in Miesville, All Saints (FSSP), Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale, St Augustine/Holy Trinity in S. St Paul, St. Agnes, and St. Michael’s in Pine Island. There may be others.

  4. Servant says:

    St. Patrick’s in New Orleans has permission from our good bishop. I think the child may be required to receive the sacrament around the same time as the other high school kids around the age of 16 though. I asked the same for my some who is current 8 years old and who was baptized in the traditional rite at St. Patrick’s in 2013.

    On another note, our bishop was kind enough to invite Cardinal Burke to New Orleans where his Eminence celebrated a Pontifical Latin Mass at St. Patrick’s this past Sunday. It was an amazing and historical event that we will not forget. The Archbishop was there assisting in choir. We were all very grateful and thanked him for his kindness. Cardinal Burke told me personally that the Archbishop was very kind to him. Deo Gratias!

  5. Brian64 says:

    Our priest received permission from the bishop to perform Confirmations, and did so in the Old Rite (shhh). He also gave a great sermon on the role of the sponsor and the true meaning of Confirmation – the confirmed becomes a soldier for Christ. It was a bit stern, but beautiful. (see HomilyHistory.com for the full text) It was performed early in May. Sorry we missed you, you would have been welcome! Perhaps your own priest can do the same?

  6. John says:

    Bishop Fellay does them

  7. Erik says:

    I live in Yuma, Arizona (I call it Novus Ordo land) and going to confirm my daughter at St. Gianna’s Oratory in Tucson. I know of a lady who confirmed her daughter in Mater Misericordiae, an FSSP parish, in Phoenix.

  8. Jim says:

    Maybe try Portland in Oregon? Two of my sons received confirmation in the Traditional Rite in 2021… before TC came out. I hope you are able to find a refuge. You are in my prayers.

  9. AngelaM says:

    Reach out to the closest SSPX chapel. Their priests and Bishop Fellay have been very good to my family. Our sons were confirmed by him last year. Any of their 3 bishops can confirm.

  10. Kenneth Wolfe says:

    One of the craziest changes from the traditional Latin form to the post-Vatican II form of confirmation is that the new rite omits the word “confirm” !

    On a happy note, the FSSP (for example, Harrisburg) and Institute of Christ the King (for example, Lake Charles) have both moved forward with confirmations by the local ordinary in the past few weeks.

    The decree for the FSSP explicitly mentions the Pontifical.
    https://fssp.com/decree/

  11. eudkme says:

    Interesting news

    “…Archbishop Ulrich von Lille administered Confirmation in the Immemorial Rite last Saturday in his archdiocese
    (Paris) The appointed new archbishop of Paris administered Confirmation in the Immemorial Rite of All Ages in his previous diocese. The change to the Bishop’s Chair on the Seine could be a stroke of luck…”

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  13. kurtmasur says:

    @eudkme: thanks for the heads up! I would have never guessed that Paris even had a new Archbishop….a traditionally minded one. Does this mean that the Cathedral of of Norte Dame might be properly restored to its original form, as opposed to be being turned into a secular art/woke center?

  14. JamesM says:

    The SSPX are able to provide the sacrament of confirmation on a widespread basis

  15. redneckpride4ever says:

    I had my son baptized by the SSPX and someday he will likely be confirmed by one of their bishops.

  16. elijah408 says:

    The Diocese of Lake Charles, LA offers it at St. Francis De Sales Oratory in Sulphur, LA run by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. They had 45 confirmandi the other day!

    https://www.facebook.com/SFDSulphur/photos/a.114312486998761/535755304854475/

  17. Nicholas78 says:

    This is important for us too. We’re from South Africa and attend the TLM – my older children were confirmed in the traditional rite, but younger ones are now reaching this age and Traditiones Custodes threw a spanner in the works. We are looking for a solution. The FSSP, ICKSP do not operate in this country, so we hope that if a local “solution” cannot be found, our kids can be remote candidates who are flown in. We’ve reached out to the FSSP in the US and UK to see what is possible. It’s incredibly expensive and we would need to fundraise – all in the best cause! – but we’re praying for a more local answer.
    And yes, the SSPX is an option, but because of our very painful history with them locally, it is simply morally impossible for us to go near them (if indeed they agreed to confirm my children).

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