Parish Evaluation

The Parish of the Assumption implemented the new archdiocesan programme for Confirmation in the month of May 2005
However, our parish found it necessary to have a pre-Confirmation orientation period from 2003, fashioned to suit the pastoral needs of young people presently living in and around the parish.

Varying faith experiences

In our particular context, we recognised that our young people were basically from four different groups with varying religious backgrounds.
Firstly, there are those who come from a Catholic home value system and are exposed to another form of Catholic experience in Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Secondly, there are others who do not have the Catholic home experience but are exposed to such in the primary or secondary Catholic school system.

Thirdly, we have those who have the Catholic home religious experience but receive no such experience at their schools.
Fourthly, we have as well those who do not have a Catholic home or school experience.

Pre-Confirmation orientation

It was found that putting young people of varying religious experiences together created difficulties in imparting the faith through our catechetical methods. Furthermore they meet only once a week for two hours within a two-year (minus the various holidays) then the programme is over.

Therefore, we gave some basic input to all in our orientation sessions, to ensure that all would have a common understanding together to begin the Confirmation programme.

The parish covers the following in these sessions:
1. The Bible, and the Liturgy of the Word at Mass
2. Prayer and Worship
3. The Creed
4. Understanding of Christian morality – knowing right and wrong.

Our parish experience has been that when these important inputs are given before the actual programme, it is easier for the catechists and the teenagers to all have a common knowledge at the start.

It is part of the parish experience that the parents are involved at certain important stages. While the programme unfolds parental involvements becomes more pronounced.

The new Confirmation programme

The new programme makes it easier for the catechist and parents to be involved from our pre-Confirmation orientation. After completing Unit 1, candidates and parents gather at our Sunday liturgy for the special ceremony of enrolment.

Parents, sponsors, and the worshipping community with the candidates and the catechists do create a new and different impression.

A group of newly confirmed young people make their pledge

When the time came for the conferring of the sacrament of Confirmation the following year, in May 2006, it was clear to the young people and their parents that the confirmation ceremony was not the end of this programme.

When the Prayer after Communion was completed, all sat down. Twenty of the confirmed, chosen beforehand, along with their parents were invited to come forward.

They stood before the Archbishop who exhorted them to continue the catechetical programme together and to ensure that the Catholic faith would be a continuous and living experience of their lives.

The challenge of Confirmation – Post Confirmation ceremony

The week after the Confirmation ceremony the entire class was divided into smaller units of the recently confirmed who, with their parents, were scheduled to give one of the various topics in the “Challenge of Confirmation” segment.   

It was heartening to see these young people fresh with the Spirit of God recently poured out upon them, supported by their parents joining in the presentations, or sitting alongside them in support, while the young people themselves took over teaching their peers those topics from the programme, so pertinent to them in their maturing teenage years.

It was an opportunity for them to say to their peers, “We are in this together, and we all have to face this as well! So, let’s get it clear and do it right!

After eight sessions we then held the Ceremony of Initiating them into the life of our Church community. 

On that day, having gathered in celebration, and after listening to the Word of God and the instruction that flowed from the gospel message, the young adults came forward in various groups according to their pledge to identify with one or other Christian ministry, apostolate or activity in the parish.

We attempted at the same time to encourage the parish organisations and ministerial groups to operate in a manner that would facilitate the recently confirmed and assist them in identifying with these activities in some form. 

Then, having signed their pledge at the altar, they proceeded to receive a blessing bestowed on each of them individually by their catechist and parent.

Having completed this final rite, the celebration came to a close in the church and everyone went out to enjoy the refreshments.  

It is not over. The parish hopes in Lent to have in-home sharing on similar topics. Peers will be invited to the various homes and appointed parish directors will chair these in-house sessions.