Confirmation quandary: Let us hear from you!

Young people are valued members of the Body of Christ. They have much to offer the Church and the Church has much to offer them. Our young people are so important in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City that our Vision 2030 Pastoral Plan identifies them as one of the five key priorities we will focus on over the next 10 years.
 
It is challenging to live in today’s culture and young people experience challenges and circumstances that older people never had to consider. Given the unique challenges that confront today’s youth, they need the strength, courage and hope that the grace of God offers through the sacraments, especially Confirmation. I am deeply concerned that many of our young people are identifying less and less with the Church and are not receiving the fullness of God’s grace in their lives. This sobering trend is true not only in Oklahoma but throughout the country.
 
A 2018 study released by Saint Mary’s Press revealed that the new median age of people who stop identifying as Catholic is 13 years old! It also showed that approximately two-thirds of the disaffiliated had received First Communion, but only one in three had received Confirmation.
 
The study warned that there is a sharp “drop-off” between the number of Catholics who are receiving First Communion at age 7 or 8 and the numbers who receive Confirmation when they reach middle school or high school. There have been many other studies that show similar trends.
 
It seems that the vast majority of our young people are not staying engaged with their faith beyond their teen years. This is a serious concern for me as it must be for all of us. We need to be doing all we can to address this situation in the coming years.
 
During our pastoral planning process over the past couple of years, many people expressed concern about sacramental preparation, and Confirmation preparation in particular. Because the demands of our two-year Confirmation preparation process are difficult for today’s teens to juggle with other realities during their high school years, many young people are opting not to get confirmed at all. This is tragic!
 
As I have prayerfully considered this question, I have come to the conviction that the question of the most advantageous age and formation process for Confirmation is one we need to address at this time in the archdiocese. Careful and prayerful evaluation of what we are currently doing, and intentionally working toward a more effective approach will touch on all five pastoral priorities of our Vision 2030 plan simultaneously.
 
The unique challenges that youth face today and the alarming statistics lead me to believe that we need to re-think what we are doing. I have asked my staff to form a task force to address this concern, and they have been working for almost a year now. It is time for us to hear from as many of you as possible throughout the archdiocese.
The concern around the question of Confirmation belongs to the entire Church. It affects our youth, our families and our future. Sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, Confirmation strengthens the baptized for bearing witness to their faith and confronting the many challenges they will face as fully initiated members of the Church. It helps us to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to know Jesus more intimately as we are drawn into relationship with him.
 
I invite you to join me with this discernment process. Additional information is available through a short video. Please take time to watch it and share your feedback through the online survey. I also encourage you to talk with your own children and other young people you know. Lastly, please join us in praying specifically for wisdom and insight with this decision. Come, Holy Spirit.

To take the survey or to learn more about Confirmation research, go online to archokc.org/confirmationresearch. The survey will close on July 17.