Many contribute to successful Confirmations in the diocese

Intermountain Catholic

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The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, speaks to a Confirmation candidate and her sponsor during the Confirmation celebration at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church on April 22.

As I travel the diocese this Easter Season to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation, I never cease to be amazed at the wonderful people who work so hard to prepare our young people and adults to receive the Holy Spirit. I appreciate all they do and of course they are recognized at the end of each Mass: the pastors, associate pastors, Directors of Religious Education and parish administrators. Without their unparalleled help, our Confirmation programs would not be nearly as successful as they are. I am pleased to have this opportunity to thank all these people once again and I do so gladly.

However, I would like to offer a word of thanks in this column to all those who do not always get recognized for their part in the Confirmation preparation programs for our young people: the parents, the sponsors, the parishioners and the classroom teachers.

The parents of the candidates are the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith, as the Baptismal rite reminds us. Cooperating with God, they give life to their children and then confirm that life through their upbringing and their religious education. Through their love for each other, they communicate better than anyone else that God is love. They direct the hearts and minds of their children to the Lord as they open the eyes of their sons and daughters to the wonder beauty of God’s presence all around us. Religious educators, clergy, women and men religious and lay leaders all have their role to play in this important process but no one can take the place of the parents in their role as teachers of the faith.

The sponsors are also pivotal in the religious formation of the young candidates. They stand right behind the candidates, hands on their shoulders, representing the believing community and vouching for the young person’s readiness to receive the Sacrament. What an honor to be asked to be a sponsor. Young people may not always be the most expressive but the fact that they have chosen a relative or friend to be their sponsor speaks volumes about the respect and admiration the candidates have for that person. The sponsors have clearly made a difference in the lives of these young people and have set an example that the candidates strive to follow. I always encourage sponsors and the newly confirmed to take a moment to tell the other why he or she is so important to them. This kind of affirmation, as MasterCard would say, is "priceless!"

The classroom or home teachers are also deserving of our thanks. It is a great calling to share the faith with another human being and not always an easy one with teenagers. They can ask some very probing questions as they confront paradox, inconsistency and even hypocrisy in our world. They can be brutally honest, which is to their credit. They want straight answers and our teachers are up to the challenge. It is quite a gift to the Church that they take time from their busy lives to be a significant part of our candidates’ faith formation process.

Perhaps the most unrecognized group of all is the parish. The parishioners of our candidates, by their faithful celebration of the sacraments over the years, give an invaluable witness to the faith and have had a profound impact on the lives of our young people. There is no way to calculate the importance in the lives of our young people of those who live their faith day in and day out. Words mean little to teenagers: It is actions that count. Without even knowing it, parishioners throughout the diocese have contributed greatly to the faith formation of our confirmation candidates.

So to all of you I say, "Thanks!" Your presence in the lives of our candidates is integral to their faith formation and I am profoundly grateful to you for all you do It is an honor for me as bishop to be a part of the process and I thank God for the opportunity to fully initiate these young people into our Church through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But without your signal contribution, I would have no one to confirm. Many thanks to you all and please know that your role in the Confirmation process is deeply appreciated.

Allow me to conclude with one more note of thanks. In almost every Confirmation I celebrate, Deacon Lynn Johnson plays a vital role as he serves as Master of Ceremonies during the Mass and drives me from parish to parish The gift of his time and ministry is something I will never be able to adequately acknowledge. His gentle competence and obvious love for the Church make him an ideal person for the job. He puts the pastors and candidates alike at their ease and I thank God for all he does for me personally and for all of us throughout the diocese.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit is very active in our local Church, working through parents and parishioners, sponsors and teachers, candidates and generous people like Deacon Lynn. To all of you who in any way help with our Confirmations, I say, "Thank you." From setting out the flowers, to distributing the programs, to singing the hymns to preparing the reception, you all perform an important role and together, we form the living Body of Christ. Our young people are being confirmed into a marvelous community of believers and in their name and mine I wish to thank you all. Truly, the risen Christ, at one with our heavenly Father, is truly present in their Holy Spirit, with whom we have been sealed. It is in that same Spirit that I offer these simple words of gratitude. Thank you all.